console

Developer tool reviews API and MCP server

Read Console's independent developer tool reviews in your AI assistant or application. Free to use, with no account or API key.

Connect an assistant · Use the API · Subscribe · Limits

Choose how to read the reviews

Your task Start here
Find and compare tools in an assistant MCP setup
Search reviews from your application HTTP API
Read one tool without an integration Its /tools/{slug}.md page, or request the profile with Accept: text/markdown
Explore a decision guide Authentication comparison or curated collections
Download the full review archive Versioned review export
Follow changes Review update feed

Console publishes short editorial assessments, not a live product specification database. Our selection criteria explain what we review and how sponsorship stays separate from editorial decisions. About Console identifies the reviewer and editorial background.

Connect your AI assistant

  1. Add https://console.dev/mcp as a Streamable HTTP MCP server. No authentication is required.
  2. Ask your assistant to find tools, read their reviews, and compare strengths and tradeoffs.
  3. Follow the review links to read the original assessments.

Choose your assistant for setup instructions:

Claude Code

Run in your project directory:

claude mcp add --transport http console https://console.dev/mcp

Open Claude Code and run /mcp to check the connection. Claude Code setup guide.

Codex CLI and IDE extension

Run:

codex mcp add console --url https://console.dev/mcp
codex mcp list

The CLI and IDE extension share this configuration. Start a new session after adding the server. Codex setup guide.

Cursor

Add this to .cursor/mcp.json in your project, merging it with any existing servers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "console": {
      "url": "https://console.dev/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Save and restart Cursor. Open Agent chat and check that Console's tools are enabled. Cursor setup guide.

VS Code with GitHub Copilot
  1. Open the Command Palette and run MCP: Add Server.
  2. Choose HTTP, enter https://console.dev/mcp, and name the server console.
  3. Choose where to save the configuration, then start the server and review the trust prompt.
  4. Open Copilot Chat in Agent mode and enable Console in the tools picker.

VS Code setup guide.

Claude Desktop and claude.ai
  1. Open Customize → Connectors, then Add → Add custom connector.
  2. Name it Console and enter https://console.dev/mcp as the server URL.
  3. Choose No sign in for authentication and finish adding the connector.
  4. In a conversation, use + → Connectors to enable Console.

For a managed team account, an organization owner may need to add the connector first. Claude connector setup guide.

Once connected, check that search_tools and get_tool are available.

Try: “Find PostgreSQL tools reviewed by Console and compare their strengths and tradeoffs. Include review dates and links.”

Tool What it does
search_tools Find tools by keyword or category.
get_tool Read a tool's reviews using an ID from search.

In browsers that support WebMCP, your browser assistant can use these tools directly on Console pages.

Read reviews with the API

1. Search for tools

curl 'https://console.dev/api/v1/tools?q=postgresql&limit=10'

Omit q to browse all reviewed tools.

Parameter Use
q Up to 12 keywords within 200 characters, matched together.
category An exact category name from a result.
limit Results per page: 1–20, default 10.
cursor The nextCursor value from the previous response.

2. Read a tool's reviews

Copy an id from the search results:

curl 'https://console.dev/api/v1/tools/TOOL_ID'

Use limit and cursor to page through reviews. Follow nextCursor until it is null. For the full archive, use the review export instead of paginating beyond 1,000 results.

3. Cite the review

Include the returned Console URL and review date. Link to the specific review when a citation URL includes a review fragment. Reviews reflect our assessment at publication; products may have changed since then.

OpenAPI reference · Read this guide as Markdown

Download the archive

Fetch the review export index and compare its version with your saved version. When it changes, follow snapshotUrl, then download the files listed in parts[].url. Keep the snapshot’s review URLs and dates with the content you use. This avoids walking the search API’s bounded pagination for bulk access.

The review update feed describes review updates. The newsletter RSS, tools RSS, and betas RSS describe the latest newsletter edition; they are not full archive exports.

Get new reviews by email

Subscribe to the free weekly newsletter. You can also ask an agent to subscribe on your behalf:

curl 'https://console.dev/subscribe' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{"email":"reader@example.com"}'

Submit only with the person's permission. A successful response contains status: "accepted"; check the inbox and follow the verification email instructions. If the response is lost, check the inbox before trying again. A 409 response means the address is already subscribed.

Usage limits

Activity Limit per IP address
API requests and MCP tool calls Up to 60 per minute

Searches may be limited sooner. If you receive 429, pause before retrying. For review requests, follow the Retry-After header. People sharing a network may share limits.

Reviews usually update weekly. Avoid frequent polling: follow the review feed for changes. API clients can save the ETag and send If-None-Match on the next request; 304 means the saved response is still current.

For other errors, check the JSON error message. Fix invalid requests (400), check missing tool IDs (404), and retry temporary failures (502 or 503) later. See the API reference for request formats and responses.

Resources for agents

llms.txt · auth.md · API catalog · AI catalog · MCP server card

Content usage terms