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Aggregators and gateways · MCP server

OpenWork MCP Gateway: MCP server, setup and security

OpenWork MCP Gateway is an MCP server published on GitHub that lets an AI agent access your OpenWork organization's skills, plugins, workflows, and connections. Its repository has 24,243 stars and its last commit is from October 24, 2026, but it declares no licence.

Score
81/100
Adoption (stars) 40/40
Maintenance 30/30
Framework (licence, registry, official) 11/30
Actively maintainedNo licenceRemote serverTop 10% by stars

What OpenWork MCP Gateway does

According to its repository: “Your OpenWork org's skills, plugins, workflows, and connections through one OAuth MCP URL.”

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a standard plug between an AI agent and an outside service: once the server is connected, its tools show up in the agent, which decides when to call them. OpenWork MCP Gateway is listed under Aggregators and gateways, a category of 141 servers in the directory, where it ranks #2 by stars.

Installing and connecting OpenWork MCP Gateway

Distribution modes declared in the official MCP registry:

  • remote server (streamable-http): you connect to it by URL, with nothing to install locally

It works with any MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and most recent agents). You add one entry to the client's MCP configuration: server name, start command or URL, environment variables. Project language: TypeScript.

Security: what to check

Connecting an MCP server means installing software that talks straight to your agent: it runs with your rights and the model trusts its tool descriptions. The risk therefore depends on what it can touch and how far its code can be trusted.

Points found for OpenWork MCP Gateway:

  • No licence: without a licence the code is not legally reusable, even if it is public. Avoid it in a company setting without the author's agreement.

Good practice: grant only the rights needed (least privilege), require human approval for irreversible actions, and run the AI agent security check.

Project activity and maintenance

Created on January 14, 2026, the different-ai/openwork repository has 24,243 stars and 2,456 forks, with 313 open issues. It is one of the most starred servers in the directory. It received changes this month. Version published in the registry: 1.0.0 (September 26, 2026).

Stars measure attention, not quality: a recent, heavily promoted project can collect them fast, while a useful but niche server will have few.

PaperclipPaperclip : 106.8K106.8KOpenWork MCP GatewayOpenWork MCP Gateway : 24.2K24.2KGitDiagramGitDiagram : 18.4K18.4KAIHOTAIHOT : 8.5K8.5KBasebalance.cloud — x402 RPCBasebalance.cloud — x402 RPC : 7.5K7.5KTreg.toTreg.to : 6K6KMockserver monorepoMockserver monorepo : 5K5KDBHubDBHub : 3.7K3.7K
GitHub stars of the most followed servers in the category (log scale); OpenWork MCP Gateway in orange. Checked October 25, 2026.

Verdict

OpenWork MCP Gateway is one of the most solid servers in its category: followed, maintained and well framed.

Strengths

  • Active project: recent commit
  • Widely followed: 24.2K stars
  • Listed in the official MCP registry
  • Usable remotely, without installation

Limitations

  • No licence declared

Avoid if…

  • Company use without the author's agreement

Alternatives

Learn more

Frequently asked questions

How do I install OpenWork MCP Gateway?

OpenWork MCP Gateway is distributed as a remote server. Add it to your client's MCP configuration (Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code…) following the README of different-ai/openwork.

Is OpenWork MCP Gateway free?

The code is public but has no declared licence: it is not formally free to reuse.

Is OpenWork MCP Gateway safe?

Points to watch: no licence. Give it minimum rights and approve sensitive actions.

Is it an official server?

It is published in the MCP registry under the verified namespace com.openworklabs, which shows the publisher controls that domain.

What are the alternatives to OpenWork MCP Gateway?

In the same category: GitDiagram, Mockserver monorepo, Paperclip, and Basebalance.cloud — x402 RPC & MCP gateway.

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Neutrality. No affiliate links. No vendor pays to be reviewed, rated or ranked. Reviews are directed by François Chollet, neutral and factual, and every data point is dated and sourced. How we score