Overview
ZAP vs MCP
Detailed comparison between ZAP and Model Context Protocol
ZAP vs MCP Comparison
ZAP is designed as a high-performance successor to MCP while maintaining full backward compatibility. This page details the key differences.
Performance
Serialization
| Aspect | MCP (JSON-RPC) | ZAP (Cap'n Proto) |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Text (JSON) | Binary |
| Parsing | Full parse required | Zero-copy access |
| Size | Larger (verbose) | 2-10x smaller |
| CPU | High (parsing) | Minimal |
| Memory | Allocations | Direct access |
Benchmarks
Real-world measurements on typical agent workloads:
Operation MCP ZAP Speedup
---------------------------------------------------------
Tool list (100 tools) 45ms 0.4ms 112x
Tool call (small) 12ms 0.8ms 15x
Tool call (large) 89ms 2.1ms 42x
Resource read (1KB) 8ms 0.2ms 40x
Resource read (1MB) 156ms 4.2ms 37xProtocol Features
MCP Features in ZAP
ZAP implements all MCP features:
| Feature | MCP | ZAP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tools | Yes | Yes | Same semantics |
| Resources | Yes | Yes | + streaming |
| Prompts | Yes | Yes | Same semantics |
| Logging | Yes | Yes | Same levels |
| Initialization | Yes | Yes | Capability exchange |
ZAP Extensions
Features unique to ZAP:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Gateway | Bridge MCP servers |
| Coordinator | Agent discovery |
| PQ Handshake | Post-quantum security |
| Ringtail | Threshold signing |
| Agent Consensus | Response voting |
| DID Registry | W3C identity |
| Resource Streaming | Real-time updates |
Security Comparison
Transport Security
| Aspect | MCP | ZAP |
|---|---|---|
| Default | None | PQ-TLS |
| Key Exchange | - | X25519 + ML-KEM-768 |
| Authentication | None/Basic | ML-DSA-65 |
| Forward Secrecy | - | Yes |
| PQ-Resistant | No | Yes |
Identity
| Aspect | MCP | ZAP |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Application-level | W3C DID |
| Methods | - | did:lux, did:key, did:web |
| Verification | - | On-chain optional |
| Staking | No | Yes (Lux) |
Language Support
MCP SDKs
- Python (official)
- TypeScript (official)
ZAP Bindings
- Rust (reference)
- Go
- Python
- JavaScript/TypeScript
- C++
- C
- Java
- C#
- Erlang
- OCaml
- Haskell
Migration Path
ZAP provides seamless migration from MCP:
// Create ZAP gateway
gateway := zap.NewGateway()
// Add existing MCP servers
gateway.AddServer("filesystem", "stdio://npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", &zap.ServerConfig{
Transport: zap.TransportStdio,
})
gateway.AddServer("github", "stdio://npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github", &zap.ServerConfig{
Transport: zap.TransportStdio,
Auth: &zap.Auth{
Bearer: os.Getenv("GITHUB_TOKEN"),
},
})
// Use unified ZAP interface
tools, _ := gateway.ListTools()
result, _ := gateway.CallTool(&zap.ToolCall{
Name: "read_file",
Args: []byte(`{"path": "/etc/hosts"}`),
})When to Use Which
Use MCP When
- Prototyping quickly
- Limited language support is acceptable
- Performance is not critical
- No security requirements
Use ZAP When
- Production deployments
- Performance-sensitive applications
- Multi-agent coordination
- Post-quantum security required
- Need threshold signing
- W3C DID identity needed
- Bridging multiple MCP servers
Future Compatibility
ZAP is designed for forward compatibility:
- Versioned schemas: Protocol evolution without breaking changes
- Capability negotiation: Clients and servers declare supported features
- Extension points: Room for future protocol extensions
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