HOL Guard vs Snyk MCP Server
Two MCP servers from our security ranking, compared on live data - updated nightly, never sponsored.
Bottom line · 2026-08-25
Snyk MCP Server records significantly more monthly package installs (2,811,260 vs 82,400); both are actively maintained, with commits inside the last month.
How they differ in kind
HOL Guard focuses on: HOL Guard brings antivirus-style runtime protection to AI agents. Snyk MCP Server focuses on: Easily find and fix security issues in your applications leveraging Snyk platform capabilities. Implementation languages differ (Python vs Go).
What each one does
HOL Guard
HOL Guard brings antivirus-style runtime protection to AI agents. It evaluates supported agent actions and local artifacts for secret exposure, prompt injection, unsafe commands, malicious packages, and MCP risks. Guard can allow safe work, block known threats, pause ambiguous actions for approval, and record security receipts for later review.
From the project's README.
Snyk MCP Server
Easily find and fix security issues in your applications leveraging Snyk platform capabilities. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.
From the project's README.
14 signals, side by side
| Signal | HOL Guard | Snyk MCP Server |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly installs | 82,400 | 2,811,260 |
| GitHub stars | 470 | 54 |
| Last commit | 2026-08-25 | 2026-08-19 |
| Releases · last 90 days | 0 | 10+ |
| In the registry since | Aug 2026 | Sep 2025 |
| Registry versions | 78 | 2 |
| Documented tools | not extracted - see README | not extracted - see README |
| Env vars extracted | none extracted - see README | none extracted - see README |
| Runs | local (stdio) | local (stdio) |
| Endpoint auth | local only | local only |
| Maintenance | actively maintained | actively maintained |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Category rank | #2 of 182 | #1 of 182 |
Which one, for what
Derived from the signals above, not hands-on testing.
Pick HOL Guard if…
- → you prefer a Python codebase to extend or audit
- → category standing - #2 of 182 maintained security servers
Pick Snyk MCP Server if…
- → you want the more widely installed option - 2,811,260 monthly installs vs 82,400
- → release velocity matters - 10+ releases in 90 days vs 0
Who's behind them
HOL Guard - hashgraph-online: 2 MCP servers tracked, 2 maintained, 483 combined stars. Full record.
Snyk MCP Server - snyk: 2 MCP servers tracked, 2 maintained, 61 combined stars. Full record.
Not sold on either?
The next-ranked security servers we track:
Quick answers
Is HOL Guard better than Snyk MCP Server?
Package installs favor Snyk MCP Server: 2,811,260 monthly installs to 82,400. HOL Guard still ranks #2 of 182 maintained security servers. Data as of 2026-08-25; we haven't hands-on tested either.
Can I use HOL Guard and Snyk MCP Server together?
Yes - MCP clients accept multiple servers in one config, so you can enable both security servers side by side. If their tools overlap, keep the one whose toolset fits to keep your agent's tool list lean.
Keep exploring: best security servers · Python servers · Go servers · all comparisons · every server
Methodology: package-usage signal = npm/PyPI installs (last month, platform APIs) · maintenance = commit recency + release cadence (GitHub) · tool lists and environment-variable names extracted from each project's README · endpoint auth from our own nightly probes. We haven't hand-tested these servers; everything here is data as of 2026-08-25.