MCP vs REST API (for agent integration)

MCP is the agent-native protocol; REST is the everywhere protocol. Mission Control supports both — pick based on what your agent runtime expects.

Dimension	MCP server	REST API
Best agent runtime	Claude Desktop, Cursor, MCP-compatible clients.	Anything that can make HTTP requests.
Tool discovery	Native — tools/list returns the catalog.	Out-of-band — read OpenAPI.
Streaming	Native via SSE.	Polling or SSE per endpoint.
Setup	One config block in MCP client.	API key + base URL.
Best for	Tight integration with agent runtimes that natively speak MCP.	Custom agent code, server-to-server calls, browser apps.

Takeaway

Agent runtimes that already speak MCP get cheaper integration via the MCP server. Custom code or browser apps are simpler over REST. Mission Control ships both — they share the same backend.

Terms used

Mission

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