MCP or API? Which is correct for you?! I recently had a conversation with someon
By Joeglyshaw · October 15, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
MCP or API? Which is correct for you?!
I recently had a conversation with someone well known in the AI industry.
He had mentioned how he doesn't like MCP servers.
In that, if he had the choice between an MCP and an API, he would choose an API.
And I asked, "Why is it one or the other? Shouldn't it be situational?"
An API is a one-time communication between two software programs.
Think of it like when you want to download a report from Amazon PPC: you send an API request to start the report and then an API request to get the report.
Or if you just needed to download data from software and put it into your own database, you would use an API.
There are a lot of situations where API makes sense.
It is single-directional and mostly used for tasks that are single-directional.
Whereas an MCP server opens up the gateway for your LLM to communicate within that server.
When I want my LLM to write a LinkedIn post, grab the actions and knowledge for that, create an image that matches it, and have my LLM review it, I'll use an MCP server for my LLM to be able to do all of those actions at the same time (without needing to go back and forth).
I always use the concept of a library for understanding.
If you walked into the library, grabbed a book, and walked out, that would be an API.
But if you walked into the library, sat there, grabbed multiple books, read the books, analyzed, and did everything you needed to do, that would be an MCP.
Great MCP servers also add in knowledge and memory as context.
If I want an action to be done the exact same way every time, then I will create an action in a file and folder structure that completes that task the same way every time.
For example, Amazon bid optimization. If I wanted to complete it a certain way at a certain time and under certain parameters, then I will have an action explain that specifically.
It isn't one or the other. It depends upon the situation.
Who here disagrees with me?