If you're building an AI agent that needs its own server, you'll hit a fork: talk to the infrastructure over MCP or over a REST API? Both work. They solve the same problem from different angles. Here's a clear way to decide — and why with EQVPS you don't actually have to pick one.
What each one is
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard that lets an AI agent discover and call tools natively inside a host like Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Cline. You register one MCP server, and the model sees a list of typed tools it can call directly — no glue code. EQVPS exposes 16 MCP tools (e.g. list_plans, register_account, topup_balance, order_vps, get_vps_status, power_vps) over Streamable HTTP at https://mcp.eqvps.com/mcp.
REST API is the universal fallback: plain HTTP endpoints you call from any language, script, cron job or CI pipeline. No MCP host required — just curl, requests, fetch, whatever you have. EQVPS serves REST at https://api.eqvps.com/api/v1/eqvps.
When to use MCP
- Your agent runs inside an MCP host — Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, or any MCP-compatible client.
- You want the model to call tools natively, with typed arguments and results, inside its reasoning loop — no wrapper code to maintain.
- You want a conversational/session flow: "find me a cheap plan, order it, give me the SSH details" — the agent chains tool-calls on its own.
- You want the shortest path: add one server entry, done.
When to use REST
- You're writing a custom agent or script in Python, Node, Go, Rust — anything that speaks HTTP.
- You need it in a non-MCP context: a backend service, a cron job, a CI/CD pipeline, a serverless function.
- You want full control over retries, logging, and error handling in your own code.
- You're integrating EQVPS into an existing app that already has its own HTTP client.
Side by side
| MCP | REST API | |
|---|---|---|
| Endpoint | mcp.eqvps.com/mcp | api.eqvps.com/api/v1/eqvps |
| Best for | Agents inside Claude/Cursor/Cline | Scripts, custom agents, CI, any language |
| Integration | Add one server entry, native tool-calls | HTTP calls you write yourself |
| Transport | Streamable HTTP | HTTPS (JSON) |
| Auth | register_account → Bearer | POST /auth/register → Bearer |
| Tool/endpoint count | 16 tools | Equivalent endpoints |
| Session flow | Model chains tool-calls | You orchestrate calls |
With EQVPS: you get both
EQVPS was built agent-first, so it ships both transports over the same backend. Same account, same prepaid balance, same servers — whether the agent calls order_vps over MCP or POST /orders over REST. Top up once with USDC/USDT, and the agent provisions a VPS and reads its SSH access — no card, no human approving each step.
- In Claude Desktop / Cursor / Cline → use MCP. See Connect EQVPS to your MCP client.
- In your own script → use REST. See Order a VPS in 4 API calls.
The rule of thumb: MCP if your agent lives in an MCP host, REST if it lives in your own code. With EQVPS the door is open either way — pick what's convenient, switch any time.