Spellwarden and Cisco MCP Scanner compared
Last updated 7 November 2026
Both tools check MCP servers for security problems. They differ in how many kinds of target they take, which analysers they run and what each needs before it starts. Statements about Cisco MCP Scanner come from its public README, read on 7 November 2026, and each one links its source. Statements about Spellwarden cite this site or the scanner's repository. Neither tool is ranked.
What each tool is
Cisco MCP Scanner is a Python tool, for Python 3.11 or newer with uv, that scans MCP servers and their tools, prompts, resources and server instructions. (Cisco MCP Scanner README) It can also scan source code, PyPI and npm packages, binaries and offline JSON files. (Cisco MCP Scanner README)
The Spellwarden scanner is Apache-2.0, free and works without a Spellwarden account. (Spellwarden docs: open-source scanner) It checks skills, MCP servers, agent configuration and A2A agent cards with 65 rules, run on your machine or CI runner. (Spellwarden docs: open-source scanner)
What each does well
Cisco MCP Scanner
- It can also scan source code, PyPI and npm packages, binaries and offline JSON files. (Cisco MCP Scanner README)
- It runs as a command line tool or as a REST API server. (Cisco MCP Scanner README)
- Its other analysers use YARA rules, behavioural analysis of source code, VirusTotal hash lookups, with file upload off by default, and pip-audit. (Cisco MCP Scanner README)
- It scans PyPI and npm packages inside a Docker sandbox by default. (Cisco MCP Scanner README)
Spellwarden
- It runs from the command line, in CI through a GitHub Action or a GitLab component, or from a container image. (Spellwarden docs: open-source scanner)
- With its probe option it sends the protocol's own requests, without credentials, to each remote MCP server whose address is HTTPS, from your machine or runner. (Spellwarden docs: open-source scanner)
- Its code is Apache-2.0 and public. (Spellwarden scanner repository)
- The hosted product runs on AWS in Frankfurt, Germany. (Spellwarden docs: security and data handling)
Side by side
| Question | Cisco MCP Scanner | Spellwarden |
|---|---|---|
| What it scans | Cisco MCP Scanner is a Python tool, for Python 3.11 or newer with uv, that scans MCP servers and their tools, prompts, resources and server instructions. (Cisco MCP Scanner README) It can also scan source code, PyPI and npm packages, binaries and offline JSON files. (Cisco MCP Scanner README) | It checks skills, MCP servers, agent configuration and A2A agent cards with 65 rules, run on your machine or CI runner. (Spellwarden docs: open-source scanner) |
| Where analysis runs and what is sent | Its Cisco AI Defense API analyser needs a key and an endpoint. (Cisco MCP Scanner README) Its analysis by a language model needs a provider key variable, and local endpoints such as Ollama are supported. (Cisco MCP Scanner README) | With its probe option it sends the protocol's own requests, without credentials, to each remote MCP server whose address is HTTPS, from your machine or runner. (Spellwarden docs: open-source scanner) |
| Account or key needed | Its Cisco AI Defense API analyser needs a key and an endpoint. (Cisco MCP Scanner README) Its analysis by a language model needs a provider key variable, and local endpoints such as Ollama are supported. (Cisco MCP Scanner README) Each of these keys is optional, and its YARA, language model and Cisco AI Defense engines can be used together or independently. (Cisco MCP Scanner README) | The Spellwarden scanner is Apache-2.0, free and works without a Spellwarden account. (Spellwarden docs: open-source scanner) |
| Licence | It is licensed Apache-2.0. (Cisco MCP Scanner README) | Its code is Apache-2.0 and public. (Spellwarden scanner repository) |
| How it runs | It runs as a command line tool or as a REST API server. (Cisco MCP Scanner README) | It runs from the command line, in CI through a GitHub Action or a GitLab component, or from a container image. (Spellwarden docs: open-source scanner) |
| Other features | Its other analysers use YARA rules, behavioural analysis of source code, VirusTotal hash lookups, with file upload off by default, and pip-audit. (Cisco MCP Scanner README) | The hosted product turns findings into policy packs that export to Claude Code hooks, Kong or Zuplo MCP Gateway. (Spellwarden docs: rules, policy packs and exports) It also runs evals and exports them to AWS AgentCore, Microsoft Foundry or Claude Managed Agents. (Spellwarden docs: eval exports) Its private registry admits only the skills and MCP servers whose latest scan meets the organisation's policy. (Spellwarden docs: the private registry) |
The Cisco README does not fully describe what is sent to which party, so this page says what each analyser needs and does not summarise a data flow.
Which fits
A team that wants one tool for MCP servers, source code, packages and binaries, with analysers it can switch on one by one, has a reason to start with Cisco MCP Scanner. A team that wants a scan of skills, MCP servers, agent configuration and agent cards that runs on its own machine without an account, and a hosted product in the EU for policy, evals and a private registry, has a reason to start with Spellwarden. See Check MCP servers and plan their migration for what a Spellwarden server check reports.
Sources
- Cisco MCP Scanner README, read on 7 November 2026
- Spellwarden docs: open-source scanner, read on 7 November 2026
- Spellwarden docs: rules, policy packs and exports, read on 7 November 2026
- Spellwarden docs: eval exports, read on 7 November 2026
- Spellwarden docs: the private registry, read on 7 November 2026
- Spellwarden docs: security and data handling, read on 7 November 2026
- Spellwarden scanner repository, read on 7 November 2026