Protocol workload
MCP hosting by trust boundary
MCP hosting is an application-security and operations decision before it is a compute decision. The host needs the right credential boundary, transport, tenancy, and audit trail.
Standing answer
Use a managed application runtime for a stateless remote MCP server with standard HTTP transport. Use a private network or customer-local process when the server holds sensitive credentials or reaches internal systems.
Priced from the dataset
What each boundary costs for an always-on MCP server
An MCP server over HTTP is an always-on process, so it is priced as one. The trust boundary above decides which of these rows you are allowed to use; this decides what the row costs.
Workload priced: One always-on instance at 2 vCPU and 4 GB, 100 GB egress. No disk, no database.
| Boundary | Lowest complete bill | Provider and plan | Providers priced | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPS | $4.25 | HostBrrEPYC-4GBrr | 6 providers1 more listed without a price | 2026-07-25 |
Each figure is the cheapest plan in that boundary whose every mandatory charge for this workload we could verify, read from the vendor's own page, most recently on 2026-07-25. It is not a recommendation: this dataset knows what a provider bills, not whether a plan runs your stack. Kubernetes carries no complete bill for this workload, so it is shown without a number rather than estimated. Compare every provider on your own workload.
Working comparison
Compare the options that fit this decision
| Pattern | Fit | Credential boundary | Operate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local stdio | Single-user desktop integration | User machine | Packaging and updates |
| Managed HTTP service | Stateless shared tools | Service secret store | Auth, tenancy, audit, limits |
| Private network service | Internal systems and data | Private environment | Network path and identity |
Decision test
What changes the answer
- 01Place credentials in the smallest trust boundary that can perform the tool call.
- 02Separate tenants when tool credentials or data access differ.
- 03Log tool identity, outcome, latency, and policy decision without logging secrets.
- 04Treat local stdio and remote HTTP as different deployment products.
Shareable result receipt
Fixed for this page: the same formula, assumptions and sources every visitor sees.
Use a managed application runtime for a stateless remote MCP server with standard HTTP transport. Use a private network or customer-local process when the server holds sensitive credentials or reaches internal systems.
Formula
Monthly infrastructure bill = runtime + network + secret management + observability. Optional and separate, never ranked: policy operations and incident response at your own team rate.
Assumptions
- Remote HTTP transport for shared service
- No protocol-specific hosting premium
- Priced as one always-on container; team time excluded
Explicit unknowns
- Tool-call volume
- Tenant isolation requirement
- Credential rotation and audit burden
Sources and freshness
- Model Context Protocol specification retrieved 2026-07-25