Home / Token cost / SmartBear MCP
// MCP TOKEN COST

The SmartBear MCP server costs 138,340 tokens before the first call.

Connect SmartBear and its 243 tool definitions are loaded into the model's context on every request — 69% of a 200k window spent before your agent does anything.

QUICK ANSWER The SmartBear MCP MCP server's tool definitions consume 138,340 tokens — 129× the median MCP server (1,075 tokens). A scoped grant exposing only the tools you use cuts that roughly in proportion.

MEASURED FROM SCHEMAS 243 tools · 138,340 tokens · 69% of 200k · 14% 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 69%
1M WINDOW 14%

Corpus context: SmartBear ranks #2 of 1,659 measured MCP servers by definition cost. The median is 1,075 tokens, p90 is 6,119, and the heaviest (Fusionauth) is 183,337 — 92% of a 200k window on its own.

// PER-TOOL BREAKDOWN

Where the 138,340 tokens go.

Each row is one tool definition as a tools/list entry — name, description and input schema — counted with o200k_base. Average: 569 tokens per tool.

ToolCategoryTokens% of server
qmetry_update_test_case Write 10,910 7.9%
qmetry_import_automation_test_results Write 4,574 3.3%
qmetry_bulk_update_test_case_execution_status Write 4,084 3.0%
qmetry_fetch_requirements Read 3,272 2.4%
qmetry_fetch_test_cases_linked_to_requirement Read 2,999 2.2%
qmetry_fetch_test_case_runs_by_test_suite_run Read 2,720 2.0%
qmetry_fetch_test_cases Read 2,647 1.9%
qmetry_fetch_linked_issues_of_test_case_run Read 2,520 1.8%
qmetry_fetch_test_suites Read 2,287 1.7%
qmetry_create_test_case Write 2,280 1.6%
qmetry_create_defect_or_issue Write 2,216 1.6%
qmetry_fetch_test_case_executions Read 2,187 1.6%
qmetry_fetch_executions_by_test_suite Read 2,158 1.6%
qmetry_fetch_defects_or_issues Read 2,030 1.5%
qmetry_fetch_test_suites_for_test_case Read 2,002 1.4%
qmetry_fetch_requirements_linked_to_test_case Read 1,962 1.4%
qmetry_fetch_issues_linked_to_test_case Read 1,738 1.3%
qmetry_create_cycle Write 1,715 1.2%
qmetry_create_test_suite Write 1,686 1.2%
qmetry_fetch_test_cases_linked_to_test_suite Read 1,660 1.2%
zephyr_update_test_cycle Write 1,653 1.2%
zephyr_create_test_execution Write 1,611 1.2%
bugsnag_list_project_errors Read 1,562 1.1%
qmetry_update_cycle Write 1,532 1.1%
zephyr_create_test_cycle Write 1,475 1.1%
contract-testing_generate_pact_tests Write 1,471 1.1%
zephyr_update_test_case Write 1,383 1.0%
bugsnag_update_error Write 1,369 1.0%
zephyr_get_test_executions Read 1,362 1.0%
qmetry_create_release Write 1,304 0.9%
qmetry_update_test_suite Write 1,282 0.9%
zephyr_create_test_case_steps Write 1,194 0.9%
qmetry_fetch_platforms Read 1,164 0.8%
contract-testing_review_pact_tests Read 1,147 0.8%
bugsnag_list_span_groups Read 1,088 0.8%
zephyr_create_test_case Write 1,087 0.8%
bugsnag_list_spans Read 1,014 0.7%
qmetry_fetch_qmetry_list_projects Read 979 0.7%
zephyr_update_test_execution Write 967 0.7%
qmetry_link_platforms_to_test_suite Read 888 0.6%
zephyr_get_test_cases Read 877 0.6%
bugsnag_get_error Read 847 0.6%
bugsnag_set_network_endpoint_groupings Write 844 0.6%
qmetry_fetch_builds Read 825 0.6%
qmetry_update_issue Write 817 0.6%
qmetry_fetch_test_case_details Read 810 0.6%
zephyr_get_test_cycles Read 788 0.6%
bugsnag_get_events_on_an_error Read 780 0.6%
swagger_create_portal_product Write 753 0.5%
qmetry_requirements_linked_test_cases_to_test_suite Read 748 0.5%
contract-testing_matrix Read 744 0.5%
bugsnag_get_trace Read 720 0.5%
qmetry_link_test_cases_to_test_suite Read 711 0.5%
zephyr_get_environments Read 710 0.5%
zephyr_get_test_execution_steps Read 678 0.5%
bugsnag_get_span_group Read 676 0.5%
swagger_create_portal Write 675 0.5%
bugsnag_list_releases Read 674 0.5%
qmetry_fetch_test_case_steps Read 668 0.5%
swagger_create_table_of_contents Write 666 0.5%
swagger_update_portal Write 659 0.5%
qmetry_fetch_releases_and_cycles Read 649 0.5%
qmetry_link_issues_to_testcase_run Execute 644 0.5%
qmetry_fetch_test_case_version_details Read 630 0.5%
swagger_create_api_from_prompt Write 621 0.4%
qmetry_fetch_requirement_details Read 618 0.4%
zephyr_update_test_execution_steps Write 605 0.4%
contract-testing_create_webhook Write 602 0.4%
zephyr_get_statuses Read 593 0.4%
contract-testing_update_webhook Write 590 0.4%
qmetry_link_requirements_to_testcase Read 575 0.4%
zephyr_create_test_script Write 575 0.4%
zephyr_create_folder Write 547 0.4%
contract-testing_publish_provider_contract Write 507 0.4%
contract-testing_get_pacts_for_verification Read 503 0.4%
contract-testing_get_audit_log Read 496 0.4%
zephyr_get_priorities Read 478 0.3%
swagger_search_apis_and_domains Read 476 0.3%
zephyr_get_test_case_steps Read 475 0.3%
zephyr_get_projects Read 467 0.3%
contract-testing_admin_update_team Write 450 0.3%
zephyr_create_test_cycle_web_link Write 434 0.3%
swagger_update_portal_product Write 433 0.3%
contract-testing_publish_consumer_contracts Write 418 0.3%
qmetry_set_qmetry_project_info Write 415 0.3%
contract-testing_admin_create_team Write 414 0.3%
swagger_standardize_api Write 391 0.3%
reflect_connect_to_session Write 382 0.3%
zephyr_create_test_case_web_link Write 373 0.3%
zephyr_get_test_script Read 351 0.3%
bugsnag_get_build Read 341 0.2%
bugsnag_get_release Read 341 0.2%
qmetry_fetch_automation_status Read 336 0.2%
swagger_list_portal_product_sections Read 335 0.2%
swagger_create_or_update_api Write 333 0.2%
contract-testing_update_environment Write 325 0.2%
bugsnag_get_event_details_from_dashboard_url Read 322 0.2%
contract-testing_admin_create_user Write 322 0.2%
reflect_add_prompt_step Write 321 0.2%
contract-testing_admin_patch_team_users Write 318 0.2%
contract-testing_create_environment Write 314 0.2%
qmetry_fetch_qmetry_project_info Read 312 0.2%
collaborator_get_collaborator_reviews Read 311 0.2%
zephyr_create_test_execution_issue_link Write 302 0.2%
contract-testing_create_secret Write 297 0.2%
zephyr_create_test_cycle_issue_link Write 297 0.2%
swagger_list_table_of_contents Read 292 0.2%
swagger_update_document Write 277 0.2%
contract-testing_can_i_deploy Execute 274 0.2%
bugsnag_get_network_endpoint_groupings Read 272 0.2%
zephyr_get_test_cycle_links Read 271 0.2%
contract-testing_admin_update_user Write 270 0.2%
zephyr_get_test_execution_links Read 267 0.2%
bugsnag_list_project_event_filters Read 266 0.2%
swagger_get_api_definition Read 263 0.2%
zephyr_get_test_execution Read 263 0.2%
swagger_list_organizations Read 261 0.2%
contract-testing_create_pacticipant Write 259 0.2%
contract-testing_update_pacticipant Write 258 0.2%
bugsnag_get_event Read 257 0.2%
contract-testing_patch_pacticipant Write 253 0.2%
contract-testing_record_deployment Read 247 0.2%
zephyr_get_test_case Read 246 0.2%
contract-testing_admin_set_team_users Write 246 0.2%
zephyr_get_test_cycle Read 235 0.2%
swagger_publish_portal_product Write 231 0.2%
collaborator_create_collaborator_remote_system_configuration Write 229 0.2%
collaborator_create_collaborator_review Write 228 0.2%
bugsnag_get_current_project Read 226 0.2%
bugsnag_list_trace_fields Read 224 0.2%
zephyr_get_test_case_links Read 217 0.2%
zephyr_get_project Read 215 0.2%
swagger_scan_api_standardization Read 213 0.2%
swagger_delete_table_of_contents Destructive 207 0.1%
collaborator_edit_collaborator_remote_system_configuration Write 207 0.1%
contract-testing_get_bdct_provider_contract_verification_results_by_consumer_version Read 206 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_update_role Write 206 0.1%
contract-testing_get_bdct_consumer_contract_verification_results_by_consumer_version Read 205 0.1%
contract-testing_get_bdct_cross-contract_verification_results_by_consumer_version Read 204 0.1%
zephyr_create_test_case_issue_link Write 203 0.1%
contract-testing_get_bdct_consumer_contract_by_consumer_version Read 201 0.1%
contract-testing_get_bdct_provider_contract_by_consumer_version Read 201 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_invite_users Write 201 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_list_users Read 194 0.1%
contract-testing_list_branches Read 193 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_create_role Write 184 0.1%
contract-testing_record_release Read 178 0.1%
zephyr_get_test_executions_linked_to_a_jira_issue Read 177 0.1%
contract-testing_get_branch_versions Read 175 0.1%
zephyr_get_test_cycles_linked_to_a_jira_issue Read 173 0.1%
contract-testing_update_secret Write 173 0.1%
zephyr_get_issue_link_test_cases Read 170 0.1%
bugsnag_list_projects Read 169 0.1%
reflect_list_segments Read 168 0.1%
contract-testing_check_pactflow_ai_entitlements Read 166 0.1%
contract-testing_update_pacticipant_version Write 163 0.1%
contract-testing_get_deployed_versions_for_version Read 161 0.1%
contract-testing_get_released_versions_for_version Read 161 0.1%
collaborator_reviewservice_action Execute 152 0.1%
contract-testing_get_latest_pacticipant_version Read 143 0.1%
collaborator_reject_collaborator_review Write 143 0.1%
contract-testing_list_pacticipant_versions Read 141 0.1%
reflect_get_suite_execution_status Read 141 0.1%
reflect_get_screenshot Read 140 0.1%
contract-testing_get_bdct_consumer_contract_verification_results Read 134 0.1%
contract-testing_get_bdct_cross-contract_verification_results Read 133 0.1%
contract-testing_get_bdct_provider_contract_verification_results Read 133 0.1%
contract-testing_get_bdct_consumer_contracts Read 132 0.1%
reflect_cancel_suite_execution Destructive 131 0.1%
contract-testing_get_bdct_provider_contract Read 130 0.1%
contract-testing_get_pacticipant_label Read 130 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_set_user_roles Write 130 0.1%
reflect_add_segment Write 130 0.1%
contract-testing_get_pacticipant_version Read 129 0.1%
contract-testing_delete_branch Destructive 127 0.1%
contract-testing_remove_label_from_pacticipant Destructive 127 0.1%
contract-testing_add_label_to_pacticipant Write 127 0.1%
contract-testing_get_branch Read 126 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_get_team_user Read 124 0.1%
contract-testing_list_pacticipants Read 123 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_remove_role_from_user Destructive 121 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_remove_user_from_team Destructive 121 0.1%
swagger_get_portal_product Read 121 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_add_role_to_user Write 121 0.1%
swagger_delete_portal_product Destructive 120 0.1%
collaborator_update_collaborator_remote_system_configuration_webhook Write 120 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_list_teams Read 118 0.1%
collaborator_test_collaborator_remote_system_configuration_connection Read 117 0.1%
contract-testing_delete_integration Destructive 116 0.1%
collaborator_delete_collaborator_remote_system_configuration Destructive 109 0.1%
contract-testing_get_pacticipant Read 105 0.1%
contract-testing_get_pacticipant_network Read 105 0.1%
swagger_get_document Read 105 0.1%
swagger_list_portal_products Read 104 0.1%
collaborator_find_collaborator_review_by_id Read 101 0.1%
contract-testing_delete_pacticipant Destructive 99 0.1%
swagger_get_portal Read 99 0.1%
reflect_get_test_status Read 96 0.1%
contract-testing_list_labels Read 95 0.1%
reflect_list_suite_executions Read 95 0.1%
reflect_delete_previous_step Destructive 93 0.1%
contract-testing_list_pacticipants_by_label Read 93 0.1%
contract-testing_regenerate_api_token Read 93 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_get_system_account_tokens Read 91 0.1%
contract-testing_get_currently_supported_versions Read 91 0.1%
contract-testing_get_currently_deployed_versions Read 90 0.1%
contract-testing_get_integrations_by_team Read 90 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_create_system_account Write 90 0.1%
contract-testing_get_provider_states Read 89 0.1%
contract-testing_execute_webhook Execute 88 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_get_role Read 88 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_get_team Read 88 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_get_user Read 88 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_list_team_users Read 88 0.1%
contract-testing_get_webhook Read 88 0.1%
contract-testing_delete_webhook Destructive 85 0.1%
reflect_execute_suite Execute 85 0.1%
reflect_run_test Execute 85 0.1%
contract-testing_get_environment Read 85 0.1%
contract-testing_get_secret Read 85 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_delete_user Destructive 84 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_delete_role Destructive 83 0.1%
contract-testing_admin_delete_team Destructive 83 0.1%
contract-testing_delete_environment Destructive 82 0.1%
contract-testing_delete_secret Destructive 82 0.1%
swagger_list_portals Read 67 0.0%
contract-testing_test_execute_webhooks Read 59 0.0%
contract-testing_list_environments Read 57 0.0%
contract-testing_admin_reset_roles Destructive 54 0.0%
contract-testing_delete_all_integrations Destructive 54 0.0%
contract-testing_admin_list_roles Read 54 0.0%
contract-testing_list_integrations Read 54 0.0%
contract-testing_get_current_user Read 53 0.0%
contract-testing_list_webhooks Read 53 0.0%
contract-testing_admin_list_permissions Read 52 0.0%
contract-testing_list_api_tokens Read 52 0.0%
contract-testing_list_secrets Read 52 0.0%
contract-testing_get_user_preferences Read 50 0.0%
contract-testing_get_metrics Read 49 0.0%
contract-testing_get_system_preferences Read 49 0.0%
contract-testing_get_team_metrics Read 49 0.0%
reflect_list_suites Read 46 0.0%
reflect_list_tests Read 41 0.0%
// SCOPED GRANT

Most agents use a handful of these tools. They pay for all 243.

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 (569 tokens each).

Grant scopeDefinition costReduction
All 243 tools (no gateway) 138,340 tokens —
3 granted tools ~1,708 tokens −99%
5 granted tools ~2,847 tokens −98%
10 granted tools ~5,693 tokens −96%

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

//FAQ

SmartBear MCP token-cost questions.

How many tokens does the SmartBear MCP server use?+

Its 243 tool definitions total 138,340 tokens — 69% 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 SmartBear MCP 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 SmartBear MCP's token usage?+

Expose fewer tools. A PolicyLayer grant scopes SmartBear MCP 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 1,708 tokens, a 99% 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 05-06-2026 from the PolicyLayer scan database over all 243 catalogued SmartBear MCP tools. Counts refresh with every site build.

THIS SERVER: All SmartBear MCP tools SmartBear MCP policy Token-cost calculator

Expose only the tools you use — the rest never enter your context.

A PolicyLayer grant scopes SmartBear MCP to the tools you actually allow. Ungranted definitions never load, and every call that does run is checked against policy first.

SCOPE YOUR GRANT →

Free to start. No card required.

4,600+ MCP servers and 31,000+ tools scanned and risk-classified.

// GET IN TOUCH

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