Protocol
MCP integration: connect tools to Nebula agents
MCP is the Model Context Protocol, an open standard for connecting AI applications to external systems. It is a protocol rather than a product, so there is no licence fee. Nebula supports agents that reach tools through MCP and your own APIs, and those agents get one bare message per turn. A Nebula seat costs $25 a month with a 7-day free trial.
MCP at a glance
- What it is
- An open-source standard for connecting AI applications to external systems: data sources, tools and workflows. Its own documentation describes it as a USB-C port for AI applications.
- What it needs
- A server that exposes the data or tools, and a client that speaks the protocol.
- Published price
- No licence fee, because the protocol is an open standard. A hosted server costs whatever its operator charges. Read 2026-10-21.
- Current specification
- Version 2026-07-28.
- In Nebula
- An MCP or API agent reaches tools through the protocol or your own API. It receives one bare message per turn and is never handed instructions, so it shows no Instructions section.
MCP in Nebula, and what it is not
Nebula's catalog of app connections is a different layer. Those are the accounts you attach in Nebula, such as Gmail, Slack, GitHub, Notion, Linear and Stripe, and each connection is yours, used by agents only on your behalf. MCP is the protocol underneath tool access, not the thing you connect.
- An MCP agent gets no standing brief.
- MCP and API agents receive one bare message per turn and are never handed instructions, so they show no Instructions section. A coding agent runtime is the one that gets a standing brief.
- No licence fee is not the same as no cost.
- The protocol is free. A hosted MCP server costs whatever its operator charges, and Nebula does not resell or bill for it.
- The specification moves.
- Version 2026-07-28 is current as of the read date on this page. If you are building a server, check the specification on modelcontextprotocol.io rather than relying on a version quoted here.
FAQ
- Is MCP an integration I can buy?
- No. MCP is an open standard with no licence fee. What you connect are either an MCP server that exposes tools and data, or an account in Nebula's catalog such as Slack or GitHub.
- Do MCP agents in Nebula get Nebula's instructions, skills or memory?
- No. MCP and API agents get one bare message per turn and are never handed instructions, so they show no Instructions section, and they do not read skills or learned memory saved in Nebula.
- Which MCP specification version does Nebula follow?
- Nebula refers to the 2026-07-28 specification, which was current when this page was last checked on 2026-10-21. Confirm the version against modelcontextprotocol.io before you build against it.
- Does connecting tools through MCP cost extra in Nebula?
- Nebula charges for the seat at $25 per seat per month with a 7-day free trial, plus Credits for tasks you give Nebula's own agents. A hosted MCP server is billed by whoever operates it.
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