Dev Tools · 1h ago
MCP vs CLI: Schema Overhead Makes Tools 10-32x Costlier
Benchmarks show CLI agents are 10 to 32 times cheaper and 100% reliable, while MCP agents fail on 28% of tasks. MCP tool descriptions consume up to 72% of context windows before any work begins. A 93-tool GitHub MCP server can cost $51,000/month in unused schema tax.
Meridian48 take
The MCP hype overlooks a hidden tax: tool schemas bloat token costs, making CLI a pragmatic choice for cost-sensitive deployments.
mcp-vs-clitoken-cost