Best MCP Gateway in 2026: self-hosted vs hosted, compared

If you want your HTTP API callable from Claude, Cursor, Doubao and other agents, you need an MCP gateway. This guide compares the three ways to get one — and why a hosted gateway is usually the best trade-off.

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The three ways to expose tools over MCP

	Self-hosted MCP server	Directory listing only	Hosted gateway (JiZhiMCP)
Setup time	Days (write code, deploy, maintain)	Minutes (just list)	Minutes (paste your API)
Multi-platform adaptation	You write each adapter	None	Auto (Doubao, Tongyi, Claude…)
Auth & API keys	You build it	None	Built-in, unified
Usage metering / dashboard	You build it	None	Built-in
Cross-agent settlement	—	—	Built-in ledger
Ongoing maintenance	Yours forever	None	Handled for you

What to look for in an MCP gateway

• Standard MCP transport — support Streamable HTTP so modern clients connect cleanly.
• One endpoint, many platforms — adapt one tool to Doubao, Tongyi, Wenxin, Claude, Cursor without rewriting.
• Built-in auth & metering — centralized API keys and per-call tracking instead of building your own.
• Cross-agent settlement — if you run multi-agent workflows, a tamper-evident ledger for task credits saves you from building accounting yourself.

Why JiZhiMCP is the simplest hosted gateway

JiZhiMCP turns a plain HTTP API into a standard MCP tool in minutes — no code, no deployment. Connect once and it auto-adapts to mainstream agent platforms, with unified auth and a usage dashboard. It also ships a built-in cross-agent settlement ledger, so multiple agents can settle task credits with each other.

See how to host an API as MCP for a step-by-step walkthrough.

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What is an MCP gateway? · Gateway endpoint · GitHub