# An MCP Registry vs a Local-First MCP Workflow

**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](https://www.powerduck.com/blog/powerduck-vs-smithery/), or read the [MCP server guide](https://www.powerduck.com/blog/mcp-server-guide-hub/).