# Why MCP Was Always a Bad Idea

> MCP protocol outdated as AI agents now handle APIs directly.
- Title: Why MCP Was Always a Bad Idea · Maharshi Patel | Shortify
- Summary: MCP protocol outdated as AI agents now handle APIs directly. AI agents can now access APIs without MCP servers, ending the protocol's relevance.
- Keywords: mcp, ai agents, http apis, clis, cloudflare, vercel, shopify, agentic ai, technology, startups, Always, Bad
- Source: Maharshi Patel — https://maharship.com/blog/why-mcp-was-always-a-bad-idea
- Published: 2026-09-14T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mcp, ai agents, http apis, clis, cloudflare, vercel, shopify, agentic ai, technology, startups
## MCP's origins
MCP started in 2024 for simple agent tool access.

> MCP was released in november 2024 by the anthropic team
## Early MCP growth
Users quickly adopted MCP for productivity gains.

> We saw an explosion in mcp adoption
## MCP's context bloat
Too many tools overloaded agent memory.

> Each server would come with multiple tools, each with its own schema
## Model improvements
Agents now write scripts and call APIs directly.

> The models got better. They are now able to execute code on a computer
## Cloudflare's Code Mode
Cloudflare offers better mcp alternatives with scripts.

> Cloudflare even launched code mode, a better way to use mcp
## CLIs replace mcp
Agents use, help to discover services without mcp.

> The llms have figured out how to use the, help command to discover clis
## What now?
Delete mcp servers; use http apis directly.

> We delete most of our mcp servers. That’s it.
## Key takeaway

AI agents can now access APIs without MCP servers, ending the protocol's relevance.