World Monitor
Real-time global intelligence on conflict, markets, energy, trade, shipping and cyber. 97 tools.
Runs in the cloud✓ service owner · worldmonitor.app
CostBench
What it does
Verified pricing, hidden costs, negotiation data, price changes & TCO for 3,390+ software products.
- Connects Runs in the cloud
- Account or key No key needed
- Category Other
Install
Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.
Passed 4/4 checks · What you ask goes through the maker’s server (costbench.com) · ✓ Commands checked Nov 13, 2026
First: which AI do you use?
Pick your app and the steps appear below.
Works with Claude · about 2 min
No key, nothing to install · Set it up once on claude.ai or the desktop app, then use it in chat · free accounts can add 1 · on Team/Enterprise an Owner adds it
Open Claude’s Connectors page
CustomizeConnectors
Click “Add” → “Custom” → “Web” and fill in these 2 fields
Copy each value into the field with the same name in Claude, then click Continue
Name · NameCostBenchRemote MCP server URL · Addresshttps://costbench.com/mcpClick Continue past the sign-in settings Claude detected · under Authentication choose what the maker says (Sign in now, Sign in when needed or No sign in), then click Add
Turn it on in a chat
+ConnectorsCostBench
Try it
Use CostBench and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing✓ If Claude says it is using CostBench or shows a CostBench tool in the answer, you are connected
Menu names checked against Anthropic’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version
Works with ChatGPT, depending on your plan
Full MCP: ChatGPT Business, Enterprise or Edu on the web · Pro: connects with read/fetch permissions, so tools that change data may not work · Plus: not confirmed in OpenAI’s docs; if you see an add-custom-MCP option on the Plugins page you can try these steps · web only
Open ChatGPT’s add-MCP page on the web
Plugins+Add custom MCP server
Fill in the name and address
Enter a name, paste the address under Connection, tick the risk warning and click Create as a plugin
Name · NameCostBenchConnection · Addresshttps://costbench.com/mcpPick CostBench in a chat
Start a new chat and pick CostBench from your plugins before typing
Try it
Use CostBench and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing✓ If ChatGPT says it is using CostBench or shows a CostBench tool in the answer, you are connected
Menu names checked against OpenAI’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version
Works with Claude Code · about 2 min
No key, nothing to install
Open Terminal
Mac: press Command+Space and type Terminal · Windows: open PowerShell
Paste this command and press Enter
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user costbench https://costbench.com/mcpType /mcp in Claude Code
You should see CostBench listed as connected
Try it
Use CostBench and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing✓ If Claude Code says it is using CostBench or shows a CostBench tool in the answer, you are connected
Menu names checked against Anthropic’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version
Works with Cursor · about 2 min
No key, nothing to install
Open the AI chat in Cursor in Agent mode
Try it
Use CostBench and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing✓ If Cursor says it is using CostBench or shows a CostBench tool in the answer, you are connected
Menu names checked against Cursor’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version
Works with VS Code · about 2 min
No key, nothing to install
Open the AI chat in VS Code in Agent mode
Try it
Use CostBench and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing✓ If VS Code says it is using CostBench or shows a CostBench tool in the answer, you are connected
Menu names checked against VS Code’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version
Other apps that use MCP, such as Windsurf, Zed or Gemini CLI, each add servers differently. See how in the app list.
Address for apps that connect over the web
Address
https://costbench.com/mcpJSON settings are under “For developers” below
For developers: Terminal commands and JSON settings
Over the web
Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user costbench https://costbench.com/mcpCursor (~/.cursor/mcp.json)
{
"mcpServers": {
"costbench": {
"url": "https://costbench.com/mcp"
}
}
}VS Code (mcp.json)
{
"servers": {
"costbench": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://costbench.com/mcp"
}
}
}These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.
At a glance
Which apps can use it
Based on how this server connects and on each app’s own docs, checked Nov 10, 2026.
Connect over the internet in
ClaudeChatGPTGooseLM StudioMsty StudioCherry StudioCursorVS Code + GitHub CopilotVisual StudioWindsurf (Devin Desktop)ZedKiroClineContinueJetBrains AI AssistantClaude CodeCodex CLIGemini CLIOpenCodenodecodeWarpLibreChatOpen WebUIRaycast
Related guides
What it can do
Tool names and descriptions exactly as the server reported them on Nov 15, 2026. The maker wrote them, not us; we show them as plain text.
get_pricingFull sourced pricing record for a software product: tiers, hidden costs, contract terms, market data, sentiment, negotiation tips, TCO scenarios, price history — every claim with its sources + a confidence/verification envelope.
get_hidden_costsThe documented hidden/implementation/add-on costs of a product (uplifts, onboarding fees, overages), each with a sourced quote + date. The "what they don't tell you" answer.
get_negotiation_tipsSourced negotiation tactics for a product with success-likelihood (how to get a discount).
get_price_historyDated per-quarter snapshots of a product's pricing page. Returns observations, NOT a trend figure — CostBench does not publish one, because diffing snapshots across renamed/restructured plan lineups is ~90% measurement artifact.
compare_softwareSide-by-side pricing comparison of 2–4 products (starting price, enterprise tier, median annual cost, free tier, ratings).
discover_softwareFind software products by name search or criteria (category, max price, free tier). Returns matching slugs to look up — use "query" to find the slug for a product name.
calculate_tcoTotal cost of ownership for a product and team size: sourced line items (licenses with price escalation, benchmark implementation), year-one + multi-year totals, effective per-seat cost. The defensible "true cost for an N-person team" answer.
estimate_llm_costEstimate the cost of an LLM/API workload (input + output tokens) for a usage-priced provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, AWS Bedrock…) from its real rate card.
get_price_changesRecent software pricing changes CostBench detected against vendor pricing pages (increases, decreases, plan restructures) — dated, with before/after price bands and a source link. Filter by product slug, category, or lookback window. The "what changed lately" answer; each item li
Basic checksi
We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 15, 2026
- ✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified against the domain costbench.com (the registry checks domain ownership)
- ✓ Pass
Still maintained
Code last changed 3 months ago
- – Not applicable
Has a licence
Not applicable: a cloud server run by the owner of costbench.com; you don't run code from the repo
- ✓ Pass
- – Not applicable
Sign-in with OAuth
No sign-in needed
- ✓ Pass
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Read 9 tool descriptions and found no hidden instructions to the AI
Makers: ask for a re-check or report wrong info
Discussion
Ask, share a tip or report that it does not work. Sorted by what people marked helpful.
No posts yet. Be the first to ask or share.
Posts here are written by users, not the PopNx team.
User reviews
No reviews yet
Compared with others in Otheri
- More stars than 0% of the other 19927 servers in this category
- Published to the registry more recently than 26% of the other 19927 servers in this category
- Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 19927 servers in this category
Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.
Common questions
Is CostBench safe?
It passed 4 of 4 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.
What keys or codes does it need?
The registry does not list a required key, though some servers ask you to sign in on first use.
Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?
It runs in the maker’s cloud. Connect over the internet with nothing to install, but what you send passes through the maker’s servers.
Is it still maintained?
The GitHub repo last changed 3 months ago, and the latest version (1.1.0) reached the registry 3 months ago.
Which apps can use it?
Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. It connects by URL, so apps that accept remote MCP servers work too, such as ChatGPT on the web (full MCP on Business and above; Pro read-only).
What can I use instead?
In the same category: World Monitor, openstatus, Oh My Posh Validator, Strata, Jitsu
Similar alternatives
Same category, other makers, commands already checked. Official ones first, then by stars.
Reading a card:↓ Downloads per weeki★ GitHub starsiThree pillars: reviews · checks · usageiUpdated = latest version published to the registryi
openstatus
Manage monitors, status pages, incidents and maintenances in your openstatus workspace.
Runs in the cloud✓ service owner · openstatus.dev
Oh My Posh Validator
Validate oh-my-posh configurations and segment snippets against the official schema.
Runs in the cloud✓ service owner · ohmyposh.dev
Strata
MCP server for progressive tool usage at any scale (see https://klavis.ai)
Runs in the cloudRepo archived✓ klavis.ai
Jitsu
Manage Jitsu data pipelines: destinations, streams, connections, functions, live events.
Runs in the cloud✓ service owner · jitsu.com
- World Monitor — Runs in the cloud, nothing to install · No key needed
- openstatus — Runs in the cloud, nothing to install · No key needed
- Oh My Posh Validator — Runs in the cloud, nothing to install · No key needed
- Strata — Runs in the cloud, nothing to install · No key needed
- Jitsu — Runs in the cloud, nothing to install · No key needed
README from the maker
Open the README
Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.
CostBench MCP Server
Verified software-pricing intelligence for any MCP client — true costs, hidden fees, negotiation data, price history, side-by-side comparisons, a dated price-change feed, and total cost of ownership for 3,390+ products. Read-only, free, no API key, no signup.
Powered by CostBench.com. Every figure the server returns carries its source and date — the data is only as trustworthy as its provenance, so CostBench publishes the provenance with each number. Responses include an attribution field and per-entity links back to the sourced page.
Tools
| Tool | Description | |
|---|---|---|
get_pricing | Full sourced pricing record for a product: tiers, hidden costs, contract terms, market data, sentiment, negotiation tips, TCO scenarios, and price history — each claim with its sources. Args: slug, optional depth (summary\ | full). |
get_hidden_costs | The documented hidden / implementation / add-on costs (uplifts, onboarding fees, overages), each with a sourced quote + date. Args: slug. | |
get_negotiation_tips | Sourced negotiation tactics with success-likelihood. Args: slug. | |
get_price_history | Per-quarter price snapshots + trend — has the price changed? Args: slug. | |
compare_software | Side-by-side pricing for 2–4 products (starting price, median annual cost, free tier, ratings). Args: slugs (array). | |
discover_software | Find products by category, maxPrice, hasFreeTier. Returns matching slugs to look up. | |
calculate_tco | Total cost of ownership for a product and team size: sourced line items, year-one + multi-year totals, effective per-seat cost. Args: slug, seats, optional tier, termYears. | |
estimate_llm_cost | Cost of an LLM/API workload (input + output tokens) for a usage-priced provider, from its real rate card. Args: slug, inputTokens, outputTokens, optional model. | |
get_price_changes | Recent pricing changes CostBench detected against vendor pricing pages — dated, before/after bands, source link. Args: optional slug, category, days (default 30), limit (default 25). Same data as the public feed at https://costbench.com/data/pricing-changes.json. |
All tools are read-only (readOnlyHint: true). Products are addressed by slug (e.g. salesforce, microsoft-teams, openai-api); use discover_software if you don't know one.
Option 1 — Remote endpoint (recommended, no install)
The server is hosted at https://costbench.com/mcp using streamable HTTP transport (MCP spec 2025-03-26). If your client supports remote MCP servers, point it straight at the endpoint:
{"mcpServers": { "costbench": { "type": "streamable-http", "url": "https://costbench.com/mcp" } } }
Claude Code:
claude mcp add --transport http costbench https://costbench.com/mcpOption 2 — Local stdio server (this package)
For clients that only speak stdio, this package bridges stdio ↔ the hosted endpoint:
{"mcpServers": { "costbench": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "github:aadilr/costbench-mcp"] } } }
Or clone and run directly:
git clone https://github.com/aadilr/costbench-mcp.gitcd costbench-mcp npm install node index.js
Option 3 — Agent Skill / Claude Code plugin
This repo doubles as an Agent Skill and Claude Code plugin.
Any skills-capable agent (Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Copilot, and more):
npx skills add aadilr/costbench-mcpClaude Code plugin (bundles the MCP server + the skill):
/plugin marketplace add aadilr/costbench-mcp/plugin install costbench@costbench
The software-pricing skill prefers the MCP tools when connected and otherwise falls back to a bundled script (skills/software-pricing/scripts/pricing.sh) that talks to the hosted endpoint over plain HTTPS — no MCP client required.
Option 4 — Docker
docker build -t costbench-mcp .docker run -i --rm costbench-mcp
Quick test
# List the toolscurl -X POST https://costbench.com/mcp \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/list","params":{}}'
Get pricing for a product
curl -X POST https://costbench.com/mcp \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"get_pricing","arguments":{"slug":"salesforce","depth":"summary"}}}'
The get_pricing call above returns a record like:
{"slug": "salesforce", "name": "Salesforce", "category": { "slug": "crm", "name": "CRM" }, "priceRange": { "low": 0, "median": 100, "high": 550, "currency": "USD" }, "priceUnit": "user/month", "tiers": [ { "name": "Starter Suite", "priceMonthly": 25, "priceAnnual": 300, "priceUnit": "user/month" }, { "name": "Pro Suite", "priceMonthly": 100, "priceAnnual": 1200, "priceUnit": "user/month" } ], "attribution": "Source: CostBench (https://costbench.com) — verified, sourced software pricing intelligence." }
What's in the data
| Products | 3,390+ |
| Categories | 255 |
| Comparisons | 5,850+ |
| Coverage | Tiers, hidden costs, contract terms, negotiation data, price history, TCO, LLM rate cards |
Each field carries a license marker (owned \| restricted): CostBench's own sourced research is owned; a small number of third-party market-data medians are restricted — surfaceable to a user but not licensed for commercial redistribution.
Environment variables
| Variable | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
COSTBENCH_MCP_URL | https://costbench.com/mcp | Override the upstream endpoint |
Privacy & limits
- No authentication or account required. All tools are read-only — the server never writes anything.
- Per-IP rate limiting: 60 requests/minute.
- Data is sourced and dated; cite the
links.pageURL a response returns, not the bare number.
License
MIT