Lightning-paywall sidecar: wraps any stdio MCP server, requires paid invoices before tool calls.
To add paywall-mcp to Claude, run the install command below or copy the ready-made config for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and VS Code further down. Restart your client after adding it and its tools show up in your next conversation. It needs 5 environment variables, listed below.
Install
npx -y paywall-mcp@0.1.2Environment variables
PAYWALL_UPSTREAM_COMMANDSet in your MCP configPAYWALL_UPSTREAM_ARGSSet in your MCP configNWC_CONNECTION_STRINGSet in your MCP configPAYWALL_DEFAULT_PRICE_SATSSet in your MCP configPAYWALL_PRICE_MAPSet in your MCP configInstall with your client
claude mcp add paywall --env PAYWALL_UPSTREAM_COMMAND=<YOUR_PAYWALL_UPSTREAM_COMMAND> --env PAYWALL_UPSTREAM_ARGS=<YOUR_PAYWALL_UPSTREAM_ARGS> --env NWC_CONNECTION_STRING=<YOUR_NWC_CONNECTION_STRING> --env PAYWALL_DEFAULT_PRICE_SATS=<YOUR_PAYWALL_DEFAULT_PRICE_SATS> --env PAYWALL_PRICE_MAP=<YOUR_PAYWALL_PRICE_MAP> -- npx -y paywall-mcp@0.1.2
Run this in a terminal to add the server to Claude Code.
What this does
paywall-mcp exposes a set of tools to Claude over the Model Context Protocol. After you add it to claude_desktop_config.json (snippet above) and restart Claude Desktop, those tools become callable inside any conversation.
Requirements
This server needs the following environment variables to be set before it can run:
PAYWALL_UPSTREAM_COMMAND PAYWALL_UPSTREAM_ARGS NWC_CONNECTION_STRING PAYWALL_DEFAULT_PRICE_SATS PAYWALL_PRICE_MAP
Set these via the env object in your MCP config (see claude_desktop_config.json snippet above).
Frequently asked questions
How do I install paywall-mcp?
Run the Claude Code command in the install section to add paywall-mcp to Claude Code, or copy the ready-made config for your client from the install section on this page. Restart your client afterwards and the tools appear in your next conversation.
Which clients work with paywall-mcp?
This page carries setup and config for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and VS Code. Any other MCP client that accepts a standard server config can connect to paywall-mcp as well.
Does paywall-mcp need an API key?
Yes. Before it can run, set these environment variables: PAYWALL_UPSTREAM_COMMAND, PAYWALL_UPSTREAM_ARGS, NWC_CONNECTION_STRING, PAYWALL_DEFAULT_PRICE_SATS, PAYWALL_PRICE_MAP. They go in the env block of your MCP config.
Imported from the Official MCP Registry. The details above come from the registry entry; the maker can claim this listing to correct them, add docs, and see its traffic.
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