01 · ABOUT

What MCP does

Adds MCP provider authentication to an application and provides a framework-agnostic remote auth client for verifying tokens and protecting resources when the MCP server is separate from Better Auth.

Why teams reach for it: Adds MCP provider authentication to your app.

Worth knowing

MCP plugin will be deprecated in favor of the OAuth Provider Plugin

Self-hostedOpen SourceTypeScriptMCP Server
02 · TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

How MCP compares

Fields the vendor doesn't document are left blank here rather than guessed — a blank means nothing verified, not a "no."

Oauth Version
OAuth 2.1
Client Registration
DCR only
Protected Resource Metadata (RFC 9728)
Yes
Authorization Server Metadata (RFC 8414)
Yes
Pkce
Supported
Upstream Token Vault
No
Self Hostable
Yes
03 · NEW TO MCP?
Who can connect, and what may they do?

Authorization & identity tools control who — or which AI agent — is allowed to connect, and what they're allowed to do once connected.