// MCP TOKEN COST

The SpaceMolt MCP server costs 29,181 tokens before the first call.

Connect SpaceMolt and its 182 tool definitions are loaded into the model's context on every request — 15% of a 200k window spent before your agent does anything.

QUICK ANSWER The SpaceMolt MCP server's tool definitions consume 29,181 tokens — 15× the median MCP server (1,905 tokens). A scoped grant exposing only the tools you use cuts that roughly in proportion.

MEASURED FROM SCHEMAS 182 tools · 29,181 tokens · 15% of 200k · 2.9% of 1M Method →

// CONTEXT WINDOW SHARE

What that buys before your agent starts working.

Tool definitions are overhead: they occupy context on every request and compete with your code, documents and conversation history for the same window.

200K WINDOW 15%

1M WINDOW 2.9%

Corpus context: SpaceMolt ranks #29 of 3,213 measured MCP servers by definition cost. The median is 1,905 tokens, p90 is 7,952, and the heaviest (Fusionauth) is 183,337 — 92% of a 200k window on its own.

// PER-TOOL BREAKDOWN

Where the 29,181 tokens go.

Each row is one tool definition as a tools/list entry — name, description and input schema — counted with o200k_base. Average: 160 tokens per tool.

Tool	Category	Tokens	% of server
citizenship	Execute	1,049	3.6%
facility	Execute	973	3.3%
faction_post_mission	Write	506	1.7%
send_gift	Write	479	1.6%
jump	Destructive	453	1.6%
catalog	Execute	428	1.5%
view_orders	Read	411	1.4%
create_buy_order	Write	408	1.4%
get_chat_history	Read	401	1.4%
faction_edit	Write	399	1.4%
battle	Write	393	1.3%
withdraw_items	Financial	359	1.2%
deposit_items	Financial	351	1.2%
create_sell_order	Write	349	1.2%
get_tax_estimate	Read	344	1.2%
forum_list	Read	333	1.1%
craft	Write	329	1.1%
faction_query_intel	Read	315	1.1%
get_action_log	Read	311	1.1%
loot_wreck	Read	299	1.0%
forum_create_thread	Write	296	1.0%
faction_withdraw_items	Financial	294	1.0%
faction_query_trade_intel	Read	286	1.0%
refuel	Read	286	1.0%
faction_write_room	Write	270	0.9%
trade_offer	Read	266	0.9%
faction_deposit_items	Financial	257	0.9%
faction_submit_intel	Write	251	0.9%
register	Write	249	0.9%
buy	Write	242	0.8%
fleet	Destructive	240	0.8%
modify_order	Write	231	0.8%
load_passenger	Read	227	0.8%
use_item	Read	224	0.8%
faction_create_buy_order	Write	221	0.8%
reload	Read	213	0.7%
find_route	Read	212	0.7%
get_empire_info	Read	203	0.7%
faction_create_sell_order	Write	201	0.7%
cancel_order	Destructive	193	0.7%
faction_info	Read	189	0.6%
scrap_ship	Destructive	187	0.6%
faction_create_role	Write	185	0.6%
sell	Read	181	0.6%
write_note	Write	181	0.6%
supply_commission	Read	180	0.6%
jettison	Destructive	176	0.6%
commission_ship	Execute	176	0.6%
view_market	Read	176	0.6%
deploy_drone	Execute	174	0.6%
distress_signal	Read	172	0.6%
set_colors	Write	171	0.6%
petition	Write	170	0.6%
attack	Execute	168	0.6%
repair	Read	164	0.6%
faction_promote	Write	163	0.6%
set_drone_name	Write	162	0.6%
get_notifications	Read	161	0.6%
chat	Write	158	0.5%
captains_log_add	Write	155	0.5%
captains_log_delete	Destructive	154	0.5%
captains_log_list	Read	151	0.5%
upload_drone_script	Write	150	0.5%
faction_propose_ally	Read	149	0.5%
faction_declare_war	Read	147	0.5%
get_guide	Read	146	0.5%
get_version	Read	146	0.5%
name_ship	Destructive	144	0.5%
create_note	Write	144	0.5%
faction_remove_enemy	Destructive	142	0.5%
view_faction_storage	Read	141	0.5%
uninstall_mod	Destructive	140	0.5%
faction_remove_ally	Destructive	139	0.5%
unload_passenger	Read	139	0.5%
cloak	Read	138	0.5%
faction_propose_peace	Read	138	0.5%
load_drone	Read	137	0.5%
faction_edit_role	Write	135	0.5%
decline_mission	Read	134	0.5%
scan	Read	133	0.5%
accept_mission	Read	132	0.5%
sell_ship	Read	132	0.5%
faction_accept_ally	Read	129	0.4%
browse_ships	Read	127	0.4%
faction_submit_trade_intel	Write	126	0.4%
recall_drone	Read	125	0.4%
estimate_purchase	Read	124	0.4%
list_ship_for_sale	Read	123	0.4%
switch_ship	Write	122	0.4%
get_system_agents	Read	120	0.4%
refit_ship	Destructive	119	0.4%
buy_listed_ship	Read	119	0.4%
list_station_passengers	Read	119	0.4%
view_storage	Read	119	0.4%
faction_accept_peace	Read	118	0.4%
repair_module	Read	118	0.4%
complete_mission	Write	118	0.4%
install_mod	Write	118	0.4%
create_faction	Write	117	0.4%
faction_set_enemy	Write	117	0.4%
faction_delete_role	Destructive	113	0.4%
faction_cancel_mission	Destructive	112	0.4%
faction_accept_invite	Write	111	0.4%
claim	Read	110	0.4%
tow_wreck	Read	110	0.4%
forum_upvote	Read	109	0.4%
travel	Read	109	0.4%
buy_insurance	Read	107	0.4%
claim_commission	Read	107	0.4%
commission_quote	Read	107	0.4%
unload_drone	Read	106	0.4%
set_status	Write	105	0.4%
search_systems	Read	104	0.4%
view_completed_mission	Read	104	0.4%
faction_list	Read	103	0.4%
faction_visit_room	Read	103	0.4%
get_map	Read	103	0.4%
delete_note	Destructive	100	0.3%
cancel_commission	Destructive	99	0.3%
faction_rooms	Execute	99	0.3%
faction_withdraw_invite	Financial	99	0.3%
captains_log_get	Read	99	0.3%
cancel_ship_listing	Destructive	98	0.3%
help	Read	98	0.3%
forum_reply	Read	95	0.3%
faction_withdraw_credits	Financial	94	0.3%
analyze_market	Read	93	0.3%
commission_status	Read	93	0.3%
get_drone	Read	93	0.3%
faction_deposit_credits	Financial	92	0.3%
faction_delete_room	Destructive	91	0.3%
set_home_base	Write	91	0.3%
abandon_mission	Read	90	0.3%
get_cargo	Read	90	0.3%
self_destruct	Destructive	89	0.3%
salvage_wreck	Read	89	0.3%
get_battle_status	Read	88	0.3%
survey_system	Read	87	0.3%
faction_kick	Read	86	0.3%
list_passengers	Read	86	0.3%
join_faction	Read	85	0.3%
scrap_wreck	Read	85	0.3%
faction_invite	Write	85	0.3%
get_commands	Read	83	0.3%
get_missions	Read	83	0.3%
trade_accept	Read	79	0.3%
trade_decline	Read	79	0.3%
faction_decline_invite	Write	79	0.3%
trade_cancel	Destructive	78	0.3%
get_insurance_quote	Read	78	0.3%
get_nearby	Read	78	0.3%
read_note	Read	78	0.3%
forum_delete_reply	Destructive	77	0.3%
forum_delete_thread	Destructive	77	0.3%
faction_list_missions	Read	76	0.3%
forum_get_thread	Read	76	0.3%
sell_wreck	Read	73	0.3%
faction_trade_intel_status	Read	72	0.2%
login	Write	72	0.2%
get_drones	Read	71	0.2%
faction_intel_status	Read	70	0.2%
completed_missions	Read	69	0.2%
release_tow	Read	69	0.2%
list_ships	Read	68	0.2%
get_notes	Read	65	0.2%
get_active_missions	Read	64	0.2%
faction_get_invites	Read	57	0.2%
get_wrecks	Read	52	0.2%
mine	Read	52	0.2%
get_poi	Read	48	0.2%
claim_insurance	Read	47	0.2%
get_status	Read	47	0.2%
view_insurance	Read	47	0.2%
get_base	Read	46	0.2%
get_skills	Read	46	0.2%
get_system	Read	46	0.2%
get_trades	Read	46	0.2%
logout	Read	46	0.2%
undock	Read	46	0.2%
get_ship	Read	45	0.2%
leave_faction	Read	45	0.2%
dock	Read	44	0.2%

// SCOPED GRANT

Most agents use a handful of these tools. They pay for all 182.

A PolicyLayer grant exposes only the tools you allow — ungranted definitions are filtered out of the tool list, so they never enter the context window. Estimates below assume typical-weight tools (160 tokens each).

Grant scope	Definition cost	Reduction
All 182 tools (no gateway)	29,181 tokens	—
3 granted tools	~481 tokens	−98%
5 granted tools	~802 tokens	−97%
10 granted tools	~1,603 tokens	−95%

Model your own stack in the token-cost calculator, or see the SpaceMolt policy for what a sensible grant looks like.

//FAQ

SpaceMolt token-cost questions.

How many tokens does the SpaceMolt MCP server use?+

Its 182 tool definitions total 29,181 tokens — 15% of a 200k context window — measured with tiktoken o200k_base over the serialised tools/list payload. Exact counts vary slightly by client and model.

Why does SpaceMolt consume tokens before I send a message?+

MCP clients load every connected server's tool definitions — name, description, and input schema — into the model's context so it knows what it can call. That payload is charged against your context window on every request, whether or not a tool is used.

How do I reduce SpaceMolt's token usage?+

Expose fewer tools. A PolicyLayer grant scopes SpaceMolt to only the tools you allow — ungranted definitions are filtered out of the tool list, so they never enter the context window. A grant of 3 typical tools costs roughly 481 tokens, a 98% reduction.

Does deferred tool loading fix this?+

Partially, in some clients. Claude Code defers MCP tool schemas behind a tool-search step by default, and VS Code has experimental grouping — but you still pay tokens per search and reload, and Cursor, Windsurf and Gemini CLI load definitions upfront. Reducing the exposed tool set cuts the cost in every client.

// METHOD & REVIEW

How these numbers were measured.

01

Serialisation

Each tool is serialised as a tools/list entry — name, description, input schema — from the schemas in the PolicyLayer scan database. Clients differ slightly in framing, so treat counts as close estimates.

02

Tokeniser

tiktoken o200k_base (GPT-4o/o-series). Anthropic's current tokeniser isn't published, so Claude's exact counts will differ; for English text and JSON schemas the totals are close enough to treat these as estimates.

03

Deferred loading

Some clients now defer schema loading (Claude Code's tool search; VS Code experimental grouping). You still pay per search and reload — and Cursor, Windsurf and Gemini CLI load everything upfront.

Computed 07-06-2026 from the PolicyLayer scan database over all 182 catalogued SpaceMolt tools. Counts refresh with every site build.