Bench Router MCP Server

MCP server that delegates design tasks to whichever model currently tops designarena.ai's crowdsourced leaderboard, via OpenRouter. Its 4 documented tools cover model, design. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

People connecting design tools to Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in TypeScript.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-02-08 · ★ 7 · #52 OF 74 MAINTAINED DESIGN · VERIFIED 2026-08-25

MIT · TypeScript servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install Bench Router

before you install - you'll need

Set OPENROUTER_API_KEY before connecting.

Claude Code

claude mcp add k1ta141k-mcp-bench-router -- npx -y mcp-bench-router

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "k1ta141k-mcp-bench-router": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-bench-router"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions

license MIT - declared in the repository

npm package mcp-bench-router - unscoped; check the name against the project README before installing

registry namespace io.github.K1ta141k is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Bench Router can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

The 4 tools it gives your agent

Extracted from the project's README - what MCP Bench Router lets an agent do.

get_best_design_model: - Get the current #1 design model, optionally by category
get_leaderboard: - Browse full rankings with category filter and pagination
query_design_model: - Send a prompt to the best available model via OpenRouter
query_specific_model: - Send a prompt to a specific model via OpenRouter

04 · Who maintains Bench Router

MCP Bench Router is maintained by k1ta141k. It's the only MCP server we track from this author; the repo dates to Feb 2026.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/k1ta141k/mcp-bench-router
category: design - ranked #52 of 74 actively-maintained design servers as of 2026-08-25.
registry: io.github.K1ta141k/mcp-bench-router (active, first published 2026-02-07)
packages: npm:mcp-bench-router

06 · Bench Router FAQ

Is Bench Router still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-08-25, its last commit was 2026-02-08. We re-verify nightly.

What can Bench Router do?

Its README documents 4 tools, including get_best_design_model, get_leaderboard, query_design_model.

How do I install Bench Router?

Run `npx -y mcp-bench-router`. The README documents one environment variable (OPENROUTER_API_KEY) to set first. Set OPENROUTER_API_KEY before connecting. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Bench Router run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via npx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Bench Router

Alternatives to Bench Router

Maintained design servers if Bench Router isn't the fit.

More design MCP servers · edumints SCORM MCP · Design Token Bridge MCP · Canicode · Liquefy UI · Openroad MCP (luarss)

More TypeScript MCP servers · Power Automate · Auto Mobile · Kagan · Kage · Luogu MCP Server · see all