B4 Index MCP Server

ai.benroberts/b4-index

answering

B4 Index is answering right now. Last checked 10 min ago. It exposes 5 tools.

Independent build-vs-buy index: score software categories BUILD/BUY/BRIDGE/BEWARE.

Uptime history 45 hours of history · worst hour 0%

45 hours agonow

35.2%

Uptime 24h

32 of 91 checks

Tools

read from the server

251 ms

Response time

average over 24h

open, no key

Access

streamable-http

Connect this server

Endpoint below is the one we actually reach during checks — not the one copied from a README. Last verified 10 min ago.

Claude Code Claude Desktop Codex Cursor VS Code

run in your terminal

claude mcp add b4-index --transport http https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "b4-index": {
      "url": "https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}

~/.codex/config.toml

[mcp_servers.b4-index]
url = "https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp"

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "b4-index": {
      "url": "https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "b4-index": {
      "url": "https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Available tools 5

Read directly from the server with tools/list, grouped by what they act on. If a tool disappears, we record the date.

audit

b4_audit

Analyze a software stack against the B4 Index. Provide a list of tool/category names, and get per-tool scoring plus a portfolio summary with quadrant distribution, BEWARE spend, and priority actions. [B4 Pro — the free tier includes b4_browse and b4_score.]

browse

b4_browse

Search and filter the B4 Index's 1,600+ independently scored software categories. Browse by keyword, domain, quadrant, or industry. When filtering by industry, returns all vertical categories for that industry PLUS all horizontal categories (which apply to every industry).

compare

b4_compare

Compare build vs buy for a specific software category. Returns side-by-side analysis with the category's scores, vendor options, AI replacement approach, and action steps for each path. [B4 Pro — the free tier includes b4_browse and b4_score.]

recommend

b4_recommend

Get B4 Index recommendations from a natural language description of a software need or business context. Matches the description to relevant categories and returns top matches with scores, quadrants, and actionable recommendations. [B4 Pro — the free tier includes b4_browse and b4_score.]

score

b4_score

Score a software category using the B4 Index. Provide a known category name to get pre-computed scores, or provide raw dimension scores (1-5 each) for a custom evaluation. Returns quadrant placement, axes, urgency level, and a concise breakdown. The default result is intentionally lean — set includeEvidence: true to also get the full research trail and source URLs behind each score.

Endpoints

URL	Transport	State	Latency	Checked
https://b4-index.vercel.app/mcp	streamable-http	answering	219 ms	10 min ago

B4 Index — questions

Answers built from our own checks of this server.

What can B4 Index do?

It exposes 5 tools, read directly from the server on our last check. Among them: b4_audit, b4_browse, b4_compare, b4_recommend, b4_score. The full list with descriptions is on this page — we take it from the server itself via tools/list, not from a README. How MCP servers expose tools in the first place →

Is B4 Index working right now?

We send a real MCP handshake every 15 minutes. Over the last 24 hours 32 of 91 checks got a reply (35.2%), average response time 251 ms. The bar chart above shows every period we have measured.

How do I connect B4 Index?

Copy the ready config from this page — we generate it for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Cursor and VS Code, each with the file path that client actually reads. It is a remote server, so there is nothing to install — the client connects to the address.

Does B4 Index need an API key?

No. B4 Index completed a full MCP handshake with us as an anonymous client and listed its tools without asking for anything. All 5 of them are readable on this page. This is what we observed, not what the docs claim.

How fast is B4 Index?

It answers our handshake in 251 ms on average, which is faster than 53% of all working MCP servers we measure. The comparison comes from our own checks across the whole registry, every 15 minutes.