API, MCP or CLI

What is right for you?

CLI vs MCP vs API: Which Should I Use?

Cuppa offers three programmatic interfaces: the CLI, the MCP server, and the REST API. They all hit the same backend, use the same API key, and write to the same database. The difference is how you interact with them.

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Quick Comparison

	CLI	MCP Server	REST API
Best for	Terminal workflows, AI agents with shell access, scripting	AI editors (Cursor, Claude Desktop, Windsurf)	Custom integrations, automation platforms
Interface	Shell commands	AI client tools (auto-discovered)	HTTP requests
Setup	npm install -g @cuppa-ai/cli	JSON config in AI client	Direct HTTP calls
Output	Tables or JSON	Structured text for AI reasoning	JSON
Auth	cuppa auth login or CUPPA_API_KEY env var	CUPPA_API_KEY in config	X-API-KEY header
Commands/Tools	75+ commands	45+ tools	60+ endpoints
Workflow commands	Yes (generate, optimize, publish, campaign, seo)	No (primitives only)	No (primitives only)
Interactive	Yes (prompts, spinners, progress)	No	No
Plan required	Solo+	Solo+	Solo+

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When to Use the CLI

Use the CLI when:

• Your AI agent has terminal/shell access (Claude Code, Cursor terminal, any CLI-based AI)

• You want high-level workflow commands that chain multiple operations (generate + grade, optimize + SERP research, full campaign creation)

• You are scripting content operations in bash, CI/CD pipelines, or cron jobs

• You want interactive feedback like progress spinners, formatted tables, and colored output

• You are a power user who prefers terminal over browser

Example:

cuppa generate "content marketing strategy" --model gpt-5 --grade
cuppa seo local --service "plumbing" --locations cities.txt --research-serps
cuppa campaign create --type mixed --images 5 --videos 3 --publish

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When to Use the MCP Server

Use the MCP server when:

• You work inside an AI editor (Cursor, Claude Desktop, Windsurf, Cline)

• You want your AI assistant to call Cuppa tools inline while you are coding or writing

• You prefer conversational interaction ("generate an article about X using my Brand DNA")

• You want tool auto-discovery where the AI client finds available tools automatically

Example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cuppa": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@cuppa-sh/mcp-server"],
      "env": { "CUPPA_API_KEY": "your-key" }
    }
  }
}

Then ask your AI assistant: "Using Cuppa, generate an article about cloud migration best practices and grade it for SEO."

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When to Use the REST API

Use the REST API when:

• You are building a custom integration (your own app, dashboard, or tool)

• You are connecting to automation platforms (Zapier, Make, n8n)

• You are building ChatGPT Actions or custom GPTs

• You need fine-grained control over every request and response

• Your programming language is not JavaScript (the API is language-agnostic)

Example:

curl -X POST "https://api.cuppa.ai/v1/contents" \
  -H "X-API-KEY: your-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"site_id": "abc", "target_keyword": "content marketing"}'

OpenAPI spec: cuppa.ai/static/cuppa-api-v1.yaml

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Can I Use More Than One?

Yes. They all share the same backend:

• Create an article via CLI, edit it in the Cuppa web app, publish it via MCP

• Grade content via the REST API, optimize it via the CLI

• Use MCP for day-to-day work in your editor, CLI for batch operations in scripts

Everything syncs. One API key unlocks all three interfaces.

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Feature Coverage Comparison

Feature	CLI	MCP	REST API
Content CRUD	Yes	Yes	Yes
Content grading	Yes	Yes	Yes
SERP analysis	Yes	Yes	Yes
Content optimization	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bulk projects	Yes	Yes	Yes
Publishing (CMS)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Social media	Yes	Yes	Yes
Image generation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Video generation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Brand DNA	Yes	Yes	Yes
Knowledge Bases	Yes	Yes	Yes
Research agents	Yes	Yes	Yes
Content planner	Yes	Yes	Yes
Link Engine	Yes	Yes	Yes
Templates/presets	Yes	Yes	Yes
Workflow commands	Yes	No	No
Campaign generation	Yes	No	No
SEO bulk workflows	Yes	No	No
Interactive prompts	Yes	No	No
Progress indicators	Yes	No	No

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Setup Links

• CLI Setup Guide

• API Keys

• OpenAI API Setup