Best of Agent Harnesses
A curated, ranked list of agent harnesses with an MCP server and ready subagents to pick a harness for a task
Medium risk
We rate an entry medium when the tool runs code, makes network calls or reads project files. Check what exactly it does before installing.
Why this level
- Runs an MCP server and subagents
- Can deliver results to external services when connected
Install
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add mcp/best-of-agent-harnessesDetects the agents on your machine, checks the risk and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Run in a terminal
claude mcp add --transport stdio agent-harnesses -- uvx agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0Or add to the file .mcp.json, in the project
{
"mcpServers": {
"agent-harnesses": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0"
]
}
}
}If the file already exists, add the server inside the mcpServers key.
The button opens the agent and offers to add the server. If nothing happens, copy the config below.
Add to the file ~/.cursor/mcp.json, for all projects
{
"mcpServers": {
"agent-harnesses": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0"
]
}
}
}If the file already exists, add the server inside the mcpServers key. For a single project, put the same block into .cursor/mcp.json.
The button opens the agent and offers to add the server. If nothing happens, copy the config below.
Run in a terminal
code --add-mcp '{"name":"agent-harnesses","type":"stdio","command":"uvx","args":["agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0"]}'Or add to the file .vscode/mcp.json, in the project
{
"servers": {
"agent-harnesses": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0"
]
}
}
}If the file already exists, add the server inside the servers key.
Run in a terminal
codex mcp add agent-harnesses -- uvx agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0Or add to the file ~/.codex/config.toml, for all projects
[mcp_servers.agent-harnesses]
command = "uvx"
args = ["agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0"]If the file already exists, append the block to the end.
Run in a terminal
gemini mcp add -s user agent-harnesses uvx agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0Or add to the file ~/.gemini/settings.json, for all projects
{
"mcpServers": {
"agent-harnesses": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0"
]
}
}
}If the file already exists, add the server inside the mcpServers key.
Add to the file ~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json, for all projects
{
"mcpServers": {
"agent-harnesses": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0"
]
}
}
}If the file already exists, add the server inside the mcpServers key. Legacy Cascade keeps the MCP config in ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json.
Formerly Windsurf.
Add to the file cline_mcp_settings.json, for all projects
{
"mcpServers": {
"agent-harnesses": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0"
]
}
}
}If the file already exists, add the server inside the mcpServers key. Open the settings file in Cline: MCP Servers tab, Configure MCP Servers.
Add to the file .roo/mcp.json, in the project
{
"mcpServers": {
"agent-harnesses": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0"
]
}
}
}If the file already exists, add the server inside the mcpServers key.
A fork of Roo Code, same .roo folders.
Add to the file opencode.json, in the project
{
"mcp": {
"agent-harnesses": {
"type": "local",
"command": [
"uvx",
"agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0"
]
}
}
}If the file already exists, add the server inside the mcp key.
Add to the file ~/.config/zed/settings.json, for all projects
{
"context_servers": {
"agent-harnesses": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0"
]
}
}
}If the file already exists, add the server inside the context_servers key.
Add to the file .codeassistant/mcp.json, in the project
{
"mcpServers": {
"agent-harnesses": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"agent-harnesses-mcp==0.6.0"
]
}
}
}If the file already exists, add the server inside the mcpServers key.
Add the MCP server: claude mcp add agent-harnesses -- uvx agent-harnesses-mcp. It needs uv installed. Take the subagents from the repo's agents folder.
Other ways from the author
claude mcp add agent-harnesses -- uvx agent-harnesses-mcpIt needs uv installed.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
The project maintains a curated, weekly-rescored list of agent harnesses and orchestrators, and above all lets an agent work with that list directly. An MCP server lets you query and compare harnesses against current data, and the data is also published as llms.txt and JSON. The repo separately ships three ready subagents: harness-scout picks a harness for what you are building, with reasoning and a check for abandoned projects; stack-auditor reviews your current stack; harness-radar watches for changes. The subagents run on a subscription you already have and can deliver to Slack or Notion when connected.
Who it is for. For developers and architects choosing an agent harness or orchestrator for a project.
Good fit when
- You need to pick an agent harness for a specific task
- You need to compare orchestrators on fresh data
- You want an agent to recommend a harness with reasoning
Not a fit when
- You already picked a harness and are not changing it
- You need a tool itself, not help choosing among tools
Example request
Pick an agent harness for building a coding assistant and justify the choiceLimitations
This is first of all a curated list of third-party projects, with the MCP server and subagents giving convenient access to it. Recommendations rely on the list's data and scores, and the final choice is yours. The MCP server needs uv, and delivery to Slack or Notion requires connecting those services.
How to disable. Remove the agent-harnesses MCP server from your config and delete the subagent files.
MCP
- Transport
- stdio
- Authentication
- not required
Security check
- Runs an MCP server and subagents
- Can deliver results to external services when connected
README in short
The README presents a curated, ranked list of agent harnesses and techniques, rescored weekly. The data is available to agents via an MCP server, llms.txt and JSON so it can be queried and recommended. The agents folder holds three subagents: harness-scout, stack-auditor and harness-radar, working on current data and able to deliver to Slack or Notion. The MCP installs via uvx. CC-BY-SA-4.0 licensed.
FAQ
Is it just a list?
The list is the base, but it comes with an MCP server for queries and three ready subagents that pick and audit harnesses.
What do the subagents do?
harness-scout picks a harness for a task, stack-auditor reviews a stack, harness-radar watches for changes.
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