Spend Brake

Name: Spend Brake
Author: KIvanow

by KIvanowversion 0.4.0i★ –iRuns on your computer

Registry nameio.github.KIvanow/spend-brake

Install

Overview

Description from the maker (original English)

Capped search, maps and other paid APIs over MCP, with hard dollar limits per key.

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

These three are never merged into one score: opinions, measurements and popularity are different things.

User voiceiNo reviews yetReviews open together with accounts in a later step
Our basic checksi1 of 1 passedChecked from public information; code not scanned yet
UsageiVery new★ –

What you can do with it

We have not written a plain-language summary for this one yet. Below are the facts we read from the registry.

Connection: Runs on your computer
Transport: stdio
Category: Travel, maps & weather
You need to fill in: BRAKE_KEY, BRAKE_URL, BRAKE_API_URL

Install

Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.

Before you install

Basic checks: 1 of 1 passed
Runs on your computer with your user’s permissions (files, network, apps).
You fill in yourself: BRAKE_KEY, BRAKE_URL, BRAKE_API_URL

Values marked secret are keys to your account. Never share them or paste them into a chat.

You need

npmNode.js installed (for the npx command)

Which app do you use?

ClaudeClaude CodeCursorVS CodeChatGPT

Pick your app above. We remember it, so next time the button says “Install in …”.

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config, and paste this into claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "spend-brake": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@spend-brake/mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BRAKE_KEY": "your-value",
        "BRAKE_URL": "your-value",
        "BRAKE_API_URL": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Run this in your terminal

claude mcp add spend-brake --env BRAKE_KEY=your-value --env BRAKE_URL=your-value --env BRAKE_API_URL=your-value -- npx -y @spend-brake/mcp

Fill in the empty values before running it.

Open in Cursor

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .cursor/mcp.json in your project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "spend-brake": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@spend-brake/mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BRAKE_KEY": "your-value",
        "BRAKE_URL": "your-value",
        "BRAKE_API_URL": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

Open in VS Code

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .vscode/mcp.json in your project

{
  "servers": {
    "spend-brake": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@spend-brake/mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BRAKE_KEY": "your-value",
        "BRAKE_URL": "your-value",
        "BRAKE_API_URL": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

This one runs on your computer, and ChatGPT can only connect to servers on the internet. Pick another app.

Your choice stays on this device in a cookie; no account needed.

Values you fill in

BRAKE_KEY secret required env
A Spend Brake virtual key (sb_live_…); its caps apply to every call
BRAKE_URL required env
The Spend Brake proxy, e.g. https://proxy.spendbrake.dev
BRAKE_API_URL required env
The Spend Brake admin API, for the budget tool and for --admin, e.g. https://app.spendbrake.dev

These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.

What it can do

Runs on your computer; the tool list appears in your AI app after you install it.

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 10, 2026

✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified with the GitHub account KIvanow, which owns the repo
… Not checked yet
Still maintained
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
… Not checked yet
Has a licence
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
– Not applicable
Endpoint responds
This one runs on your computer; there is no internet endpoint
– Not applicable
Sign-in with OAuth
Runs on your computer and uses local settings instead
… Not checked yet
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Runs on your computer; we can only read tool lists from internet endpoints

Compared with others in Travel, maps & weatheri

More stars than 0% of the other 1769 servers in this category
Published to the registry more recently than 99% of the other 1769 servers in this category
Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 1769 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 Spend Brake safe?

It passed 1 of 1 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?

You need to fill in: BRAKE_KEY, BRAKE_URL, BRAKE_API_URL

Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?

It runs on your computer. Your AI app starts it when needed, and data does not pass through the maker’s servers (unless it calls an online service itself).

Is it still maintained?

The GitHub repo last changed –, and the latest version (0.4.0) reached the registry today.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. You also need Node.js on your computer.

What can I use instead?

In the same category: CheckChinaTransit — China 24/240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Compliance Engine, Restaurant Health Inspections, OrangeRide Gatwick transfers

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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.

@spend-brake/mcp

Capped calls for AI agents, and a separate admin server, over MCP. The spend server offers Tavily, Exa, Brave and SerpApi search, the Google Maps commands, brake_call for the other priced APIs, and a read-only brake_budget. Every call goes through the Spend Brake proxy with a virtual key, so the provider key never reaches the agent and a call that would cross a cap is refused before it is sent.

Preview. stdio only. brake mcp --admin is a second process for the dashboard API; it is not combined with the spend tools.

Use it

Replace a Tavily or Exa MCP server entry, or add one:

"mcpServers": { "spend-brake": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@spend-brake/mcp"], "env": { "BRAKE_KEY": "sb_live_…", "BRAKE_URL": "https://proxy.spendbrake.dev", "BRAKE_API_URL": "https://app.spendbrake.dev" } } } }

and remove TAVILY_API_KEY / EXA_API_KEY from the agent's configuration: the provider keys are stored in Spend Brake. BRAKE_KEY, BRAKE_URL and BRAKE_API_URL are required for the spend server: without BRAKE_API_URL the budget tool would ask http://localhost:8081. On a self-hosted install, point BRAKE_URL and BRAKE_API_URL at your proxy and admin API. --tools tavily,exa is the previous search-only set. --tools tavily (or exa, brave, serpapi, maps, call) offers one group.

Admin is its own entry, with BRAKE_ADMIN_TOKEN and no virtual key. Add --owner for tokens, people, SSO, the license and orgs:

"mcpServers": { "spend-brake-admin": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@spend-brake/mcp", "--admin"], "env": { "BRAKE_ADMIN_TOKEN": "sbt_…", "BRAKE_API_URL": "https://app.spendbrake.dev" } } } }

What the agent sees

Each result carries its cost and the remaining budget.
When a cap, a kill switch or the loop breaker stops a call, the tool answers with an error that starts with STOP. and tells the model not to retry and not to switch tools.
A call that gets no answer within 60 s also answers STOP.: the proxy may have forwarded and charged it, so the model is told to check brake_budget rather than retry.
Any other failed call carries a short excerpt of the provider's error, so the model can fix its arguments.
brake_budget lists the caps that apply to the key and what is left; it cannot change them.
The named search and maps tools default to the cheap SKUs. brake_call can select an expensive one.
The spend tools are annotated as not read-only and not idempotent: each call spends money.
On the admin server, a result with pending is waiting for a second person and is not applied. A new key, session, token or webhook shows its secret once.
Tools that loosen spend safety (raising a cap, resuming a paused key, org pricing policy, SSO, roles, licenses) and brake_call are annotated destructive, so a client that asks before such tools asks for these. So are telemetry_set and custom_apis_update: stored collector headers and provider keys go to their endpoint, so a new host needs the headers given again, or moveOrigin: true for a custom API.

This package runs brake mcp from @spend-brake/cli. Docs: MCP clients.

Apache-2.0.

Spend Brake

Overview

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

What you can do with it

Install

Before you install

Values you fill in

What it can do

Basic checksi

Maker matches the repo

Still maintained

Has a licence

Endpoint responds

Sign-in with OAuth

No hidden instructions in tool descriptions

Compared with others in Travel, maps & weatheri

Common questions

Alternatives

CheckChinaTransit — China 24/240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Compliance Engine

Restaurant Health Inspections

OrangeRide Gatwick transfers

README from the maker

@spend-brake/mcp

Use it

What the agent sees