# MCP Bench Router

Sends design and frontend prompts to whichever model currently leads the designarena.ai board, through OpenRouter. Useful when your assistant's UI output looks flat.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 7
- Author: K1ta141k
- License: MIT · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/K1ta141k/mcp-bench-router
- Updated: 2026-02-08
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/mcp-bench-router

## What it does

Four tools ship with the server. `get_best_design_model` returns the current number one and can be narrowed to a category. `get_leaderboard` lists the full ranking with a filter and paging. `query_design_model` forwards a prompt to the best model available, while `query_specific_model` targets one you name yourself.

Rankings come from designarena.ai and sit in a two-hour cache. Arena names are then matched to OpenRouter IDs — some from a static table, some resolved on the fly, the rest by fuzzy comparison. Codename and unreleased entries get skipped, so the answer names a model you can actually call. Fourteen categories are available: `website`, `gamedev`, `3d`, `dataviz`, `uicomponent`, `image`, `logo`, `svg`, `video`, `imagetoimage`, `slides`, `graphicdesign`, `tts` and `allcategories`.

Node.js 18 or newer is required. The two query tools need an OpenRouter key: without `OPENROUTER_API_KEY` they fail, while browsing the leaderboard still works. Pass the key as an environment variable when you register the server.

## Requirements
- Needs: Node.js (commands run via npx)
- Environment variables: `OPENROUTER_API_KEY` — keys and tokens: ask the human for the values, never commit them or put them in shared files.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add mcp-bench-router -e OPENROUTER_API_KEY=<OPENROUTER_API_KEY> -- npx -y mcp-bench-router
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Codex

**Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add mcp-bench-router --env OPENROUTER_API_KEY=<OPENROUTER_API_KEY> -- npx -y mcp-bench-router
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mcp-bench-router": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "mcp-bench-router"
            ],
            "env": {
                "OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "<OPENROUTER_API_KEY>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "mcp-bench-router": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "mcp-bench-router"
            ],
            "env": {
                "OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "<OPENROUTER_API_KEY>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add -e OPENROUTER_API_KEY=<OPENROUTER_API_KEY> mcp-bench-router npx -y mcp-bench-router
```
Replace <…> with your own values

## When to use it
- find the model currently best at UI work
- browse design rankings for one category
- send a prompt to the leader without leaving the editor
- compare two models on the same design brief
- generate a logo or SVG through an outside model

## Example prompts
- Use get_best_design_model to show me the current top design model
- Show the top 20 website design models with get_leaderboard
- Use query_design_model to build a landing page for a SaaS product

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