filesystem vs photon
Side-by-side comparison to help you pick between these two MCP servers.
filesystem by modelcontextprotocol | photon by portel-dev | |
|---|---|---|
| Stars | ★ 85,748 | ★ 94 |
| 30d uses | — | — |
| Score | 77 | 47 |
| Official | ✓ | — |
| Categories | File SystemDeveloper ToolsProductivity | Developer ToolsAI / LLM ToolsProductivity |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last commit | this month | this month |
filesystem · Summary
A feature-rich MCP server for filesystem operations with dynamic directory access control.
photon · Summary
Photon turns TypeScript files into MCP servers, CLI tools, and web interfaces with minimal boilerplate.
filesystem · Use cases
- Enable AI models to read and write project files during development
- Allow Claude or other MCP clients to browse and analyze codebases
- Provide secure sandboxed access to specific directories for content generation
photon · Use cases
- Building AI-accessible tools without MCP server expertise
- Creating multi-interface tools with a single codebase
- Rapid prototyping of functionality for both humans and AI
filesystem · Install
Installation
Using NPX
{
"mcpServers": {
"filesystem": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
"/path/to/allowed/directory"
]
}
}
}Using Docker
{
"mcpServers": {
"filesystem": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"--mount", "type=bind,src=/path/to/allowed/dir,dst=/projects/allowed/dir",
"mcp/filesystem",
"/projects"
]
}
}
}VS Code Extension
Click the installation buttons in the README to install directly in VS Code.
photon · Install
Install Photon globally:
bun add -g @portel/photonCreate a new photon:
photon new my-toolInstall as MCP server for Claude Desktop:
photon mcp install my-toolAdd to Claude Desktop config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"my-tool": {
"command": "photon",
"args": ["mcp", "my-tool"]
}
}
}