The open, direct alternative to MCP for tool calling
UTCP (Universal Tool Calling Protocol) is an open standard for AI agents to call tools directly, positioned as a lightweight alternative to MCP. It eliminates the "wrapper tax" for lower latency by using a simple JSON manifest to connect to native APIs.
Hi everyone!
In the world of AI agents, the Model Context Protocol (MCP) has quickly become the dominant, industry-backed standard for tool calling. But a new, community-driven challenger has emerged with a completely different philosophy: the Universal Tool Calling Protocol (UTCP).
UTCP's approach is all about direct connection. Instead of requiring a wrapper server like MCP, it lets an agent call a tool's native endpoint (like a REST API) directly. This means lower latency, no "wrapper tax," and you can reuse all your existing security and auth.
While UTCP is still in its early days and doesn't have MCP's massive ecosystem backing, I don't expect it to challenge that dominance overnight. But sometimes the opposite of a good strategy is also a good strategy. I believe UTCP has the potential to grow a new ecosystem. After all, change, innovation, and competition are what ultimately make everything better.
