Local RAG (shinpr) vs Australian Tax MCP
Two MCP servers from our AI & ML ranking, compared on live data - updated nightly, never sponsored.
Bottom line · 2026-09-18
Australian Tax MCP records significantly more monthly package installs (848,015 vs 14,904); both are actively maintained, with commits inside the last month.
How they differ in kind
Local RAG (shinpr) focuses on: Search private documents from an MCP client or the terminal without sending them to an embedding API. Australian Tax MCP focuses on: The Australian tax knowledge base for AI agents. Australian Tax MCP offers a remote endpoint; Local RAG (shinpr) is local stdio. Environment-variable extraction: Local RAG (shinpr) yielded 3 variables; Australian Tax MCP yielded no variables extracted.
What each one does
Local RAG (shinpr)
Search private documents from an MCP client or the terminal without sending them to an embedding API. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.
From the project's README.
Australian Tax MCP
The Australian tax knowledge base for AI agents. Connect your AI agent to 34,500+ ATO documents (guidance, legislation, and public rulings) and get cited answers to the tax questions you'd otherwise pay your accountant to answer.
From the project's README.
14 signals, side by side
| Signal | Local RAG (shinpr) | Australian Tax MCP |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly installs | 14,904 | 848,015 |
| GitHub stars | 398 | 10 |
| Last commit | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-15 |
| Releases · last 90 days | 10+ | 10+ |
| In the registry since | Oct 2025 | Jul 2026 |
| Registry versions | 52 | 3 |
| Documented tools | not extracted - see README | not extracted - see README |
| Env vars extracted | 3 | none extracted - see README |
| Runs | local (stdio) | local or remote |
| Endpoint auth | local only | yes (verified) |
| Maintenance | actively maintained | actively maintained |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Category rank | #2 of 106 | #1 of 106 |
Environment variables found in the READMEs
These are extracted names, not a requiredness check. Project docs may mark them optional or require other setup.
Local RAG (shinpr)
- BASE_DIR
- RAG_HYBRID_WEIGHT
- BASE_DIRS
Australian Tax MCP
No environment variables were extracted from the README setup. Check the project documentation for other authentication or configuration steps.
Which one, for what
Derived from the signals above, not hands-on testing.
Pick Local RAG (shinpr) if…
- → category standing - #2 of 106 maintained AI & ML servers
Pick Australian Tax MCP if…
- → you want the more widely installed option - 848,015 monthly installs vs 14,904
- → you want a hosted endpoint instead of running a local process
Who's behind them
Local RAG (shinpr) - shinpr: 3 MCP servers tracked, 3 maintained, 662 combined stars. Full record.
Australian Tax MCP - william-laverty: 1 MCP server tracked, 1 maintained, 10 combined stars.
Not sold on either?
The next-ranked AI & ML servers we track:
Quick answers
Is Local RAG (shinpr) better than Australian Tax MCP?
Package installs favor Australian Tax MCP: 848,015 monthly installs to 14,904. Local RAG (shinpr) still ranks #2 of 106 maintained AI & ML servers. Data as of 2026-09-18; we haven't hands-on tested either.
Can I use Local RAG (shinpr) and Australian Tax MCP together?
Yes - MCP clients accept multiple servers in one config, so you can enable both AI & ML servers side by side. If their tools overlap, keep the one whose toolset fits to keep your agent's tool list lean.
What environment variables do their READMEs document?
Local RAG (shinpr): 3 environment variables extracted from the README setup; Australian Tax MCP: no environment variables extracted from the README setup. Extraction does not rule out other authentication or configuration steps; check each project's current documentation.
Keep exploring: best AI & ML servers · TypeScript servers · all comparisons · every server
Methodology: package-usage signal = npm/PyPI installs (last month, platform APIs) · maintenance = commit recency + release cadence (GitHub) · tool lists and environment-variable names extracted from each project's README · endpoint auth from our own nightly probes. We haven't hand-tested these servers; everything here is data as of 2026-09-18.