MCP runs either as a local stdio process or as a remote streamable HTTP endpoint — the choice decides auth, deployment and who can reach it.
2 min readupdated 2026-08-01
/ quick answer
stdio transport launches the server as a local subprocess: zero network exposure, ideal for developer tooling. Streamable HTTP exposes an endpoint any remote client can dial, which requires real authentication (OAuth 2.1 with bearer tokens) and rate limiting. Remote MCP without auth is a public API over your internal systems.
MCP runs either as a local stdio process or as a remote streamable HTTP endpoint — the choice decides auth, deployment and who can reach it. stdio transport launches the server as a local subprocess: zero network exposure, ideal for developer tooling. Streamable HTTP exposes an endpoint any remote client can dial, which requires real authentication (OAuth 2.1 with bearer tokens) and rate limiting. Remote MCP without auth is a public API over your internal systems. In practice: A Postgres MCP server runs over stdio in Cursor locally, while the company's CRM MCP server is deployed over HTTPS with OAuth and per-user scopes. This dictionary node is part of the Onexial knowledge graph and links to related concepts, workflows and tools below.
Definition
stdio transport launches the server as a local subprocess: zero network exposure, ideal for developer tooling. Streamable HTTP exposes an endpoint any remote client can dial, which requires real authentication (OAuth 2.1 with bearer tokens) and rate limiting. Remote MCP without auth is a public API over your internal systems.
Example
A Postgres MCP server runs over stdio in Cursor locally, while the company's CRM MCP server is deployed over HTTPS with OAuth and per-user scopes.
stdio transport launches the server as a local subprocess: zero network exposure, ideal for developer tooling. Streamable HTTP exposes an endpoint any remote client can dial, which requires real authentication (OAuth 2.1 with bearer tokens) and rate limiting. Remote MCP without auth is a public API over your internal systems.
What is an example of MCP Transport (stdio vs Streamable HTTP)?
A Postgres MCP server runs over stdio in Cursor locally, while the company's CRM MCP server is deployed over HTTPS with OAuth and per-user scopes.
Why does MCP Transport (stdio vs Streamable HTTP) matter for AI and automation?
MCP runs either as a local stdio process or as a remote streamable HTTP endpoint — the choice decides auth, deployment and who can reach it. It connects to the workflows, prompts and tool stacks linked on this page, so you can move from definition to execution without leaving Onexial.