Short answer: A registry is a cloud-centered discovery layer; a local-first workflow keeps the contract in your repo and generates the server on save. The first is about finding and connecting to services; the second is about owning the source of truth and never depending on a snapshot. For your own API, local-first is the durable default.
What a registry centers on
The catalog, the connection, and the hosted gateway. It is a discovery and access product, and it assumes the server is something you connect to rather than something you maintain.
What local-first centers on
| Property | Registry | Local-first |
|---|---|---|
| Source of truth | Published entries | Spec in your repo |
| On change | Re-publish | Regenerate on save |
| Offline | Cloud-oriented | Works fully local |
| Account | Often required | Not required |
Why the source matters for your own API
When the contract is in the repo, the server is a build output, like generated code. It is current, reviewable, and versioned with the API. A registry entry is a copy that has to be kept in sync by hand.
The honest takeaway
Use a registry to find and connect to the world, and keep a local-first generator for the API you build. The boundary is the same as the one between a dependency and your own code.
Return to the Powerduck vs Smithery comparison, or read the MCP server guide.
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