mcpauth vs. Descope
Both mcpauth and Descope can add OAuth to an MCP server, and both support Dynamic Client Registration (RFC 7591). The real difference is scope: Descope is a full non-human identity platform with MCP auth as one feature among many, while mcpauth is a narrow, purpose-built OAuth layer that does one job — OAuth 2.1 + DCR for MCP servers — and nothing else.
What Descope is
Descope's Agentic Identity Hub is built for organizations that need to manage identity across a much bigger surface than a single MCP server: non-human/agent identity management, SIEM audit log integration, and multi-tenant organization management, alongside OAuth and DCR support for MCP. If you're already standardizing on Descope for broader identity infrastructure, or you need SIEM integration and multi-tenant org management on day one, Descope is a credible, well-built platform for that job.
What mcpauth is
mcpauth doesn't try to be an identity platform. It's an OAuth 2.1 authorization server plus an SDK, scoped specifically to what an MCP server needs: Dynamic Client Registration, the browser-facing authorize/consent flow, token issuance and refresh, revocation, introspection, and RFC 8414 discovery — wired into the official@modelcontextprotocol/sdkvia a single Express middleware call. There's no broader identity platform to adopt, no non-human identity graph to configure, and no SIEM integration to set up — just the OAuth layer your MCP server needs, dropped in.
Side by side
| mcpauth | Descope | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Purpose-built: OAuth 2.1 + DCR for MCP servers only | Full Agentic Identity Hub — non-human identity, MCP auth is one feature |
| Dynamic Client Registration (RFC 7591) | Yes | Yes |
| OAuth discovery (RFC 8414) | Yes | Yes |
| SIEM audit log integration | No | Yes |
| Multi-tenant org management | No | Yes |
| Server-to-server token exchange for existing users | Yes — /api/oauth/token/exchange | Part of the broader platform |
| Starting price | Free (1 project, 1,000 monthly active tokens) | Paid plans start at $249/mo |
| Next paid tier | $29/mo — unlimited projects, 10,000 monthly active tokens included, $5 per additional 1,000 | Custom / enterprise pricing above $249/mo |
Where Descope is the better fit
If your organization needs SIEM integration, multi-tenant organization management, or a broader non-human identity graph spanning more than just an MCP server, mcpauth doesn't try to replace that. Descope has built real, deeper enterprise features in those areas, and if you need them, Descope is the right choice — say so plainly rather than pretend a narrow OAuth layer covers the same ground.
Where mcpauth is the better fit
If you just need to add real OAuth and Dynamic Client Registration to an MCP server — without adopting a full identity platform or paying enterprise platform pricing to get there — mcpauth is built for exactly that. It wraps the official MCP SDK's bearer-auth middleware directly, so unauthenticated requests are rejected with a spec-correct 401 before they ever reach your handlers, and you can be running with real OAuth in about the time it takes to read the quickstart.
When to choose which
Choose Descope if you're standardizing on a full Agentic Identity Hub across many services, or you need SIEM audit logging and multi-tenant org management now. Choose mcpauth if you want the narrowest possible OAuth 2.1 + DCR layer for your MCP server, a free tier to start on, and transparent, predictable pricing as you grow — without committing to a larger identity platform you don't yet need.