AI Developer Tools

Conduit

A local-first MCP gateway that reduces token usage by ~90% by exposing 3 meta-tools instead of hundreds, working across all major AI clients.

What is Conduit?

Conduit is a local MCP gateway that aggregates all your MCP servers into a single endpoint, replacing hundreds of tool definitions with just three meta-tools to drastically reduce token overhead in AI agents.

Conduit vs Similar AI Tools

Pricing ModelFreeFreeFreeFree
Free Credits
Key Features
  • Reduces token overhead by ~90% via 3 meta-tools
  • Works with Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Codex, and more
  • Local-first with secrets in OS keychain
  • Seven breakable boxes covering OWASP Agentic Top-10 vulnerabilities
  • Three guided simulations for cascading failures, human-agent trust, and rogue agents
  • Network-isolated Docker containers for safe execution
  • Code-to-runtime reasoning across cloud, Git, and Kubernetes
  • Action-gate enforces read-only policy on every API call
  • Sandboxed JavaScript execution for concurrent research
  • Append-only, SHA-256-addressed event history through Jaybase
  • AES-256-GCM encryption for stored node payloads
  • Unified RBAC for ledger, notes, snapshots, and audit reads
Pros
  • Dramatically reduces token usage (up to ~90%)
  • Works with multiple AI clients without reconfiguration
  • Covers full OWASP Agentic Top-10 in a realistic manner
  • Docker isolation prevents accidental damage
  • Read-only by construction prevents accidental writes
  • Evidence-backed verification cross-checks every finding
  • Opinionated and secure accounting CLI with immutable audit trail
  • Designed for AI agent integration with JSON output
Cons
  • Requires initial setup and server configuration
  • Limited to MCP-compatible servers and clients
  • Requires Docker and technical setup
  • Not for production use; only for lab environments
  • Requires an LLM API key, incurring token costs
  • Limited to read-only operations, cannot remediate
  • Pre-1.0, limited feature set
  • No native QuickBooks import (agents must normalize data)
Best For
  • Developers using AI coding assistants like Claude, Cursor, or Codex
  • Teams managing multiple MCP servers across different tools
  • Security researchers focusing on AI agent vulnerabilities
  • Developers building MCP-based applications
  • Security engineers
  • DevOps teams
  • Small teams needing secure, auditable accounting with AI agent support
  • Developers integrating automated bookkeeping workflows

How to use Conduit?

  1. 1Download and install Conduit from GitHub releases.
  2. 2Add your MCP servers in the Conduit app.
  3. 3Authenticate each server once (keys stored in OS keychain).
  4. 4Point your AI client (Claude, Cursor, VS Code, etc.) to Conduit's local endpoint.
  5. 5Use the client as usual; Conduit handles tool selection in the background.

Conduit Key Features

  • Reduces token overhead by ~90% via 3 meta-tools
  • Works with Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Codex, and more
  • Local-first with secrets in OS keychain
  • Per-tool governance to enable/disable any tool across all clients
  • Live observability with per-server latency, errors, and audit trail
  • No Docker or cloud required; runs as a native desktop app

Conduit Use Cases

  • Optimizing AI agent performance when using many MCP servers
  • Centralizing MCP server management for a team of developers
  • Reducing API costs by minimizing token usage
  • Enhancing security by keeping API keys out of client configs

Conduit Pricing & Free Credits

Conduit currently operates on a Free model.

This tool is completely free to use

Free & Open Source

Free

Conduit is free and open source, available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Conduit Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Dramatically reduces token usage (up to ~90%)
  • Works with multiple AI clients without reconfiguration
  • Local-first architecture ensures data privacy
  • API keys stored securely in OS keychain
  • Granular tool governance for safety
  • Built-in observability tools

Cons

  • Requires initial setup and server configuration
  • Limited to MCP-compatible servers and clients
  • May not be suitable for non-developer users

What is Conduit best for?

  • Developers using AI coding assistants like Claude, Cursor, or Codex
  • Teams managing multiple MCP servers across different tools
  • Users looking to reduce token costs and improve agent speed

Conduit FAQ

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