MCP vs API: the integration-math answer that survives AI engineering interviews
Ok-News-7546 · reddit · 2026-11-05
- Key distinction: an API lets one program call one service with hand-written calls; MCP is a standard protocol for AI apps to discover and use tools at runtime, with APIs still underneath.
- Mnemonic: the model thinks, the client asks, the server acts.
- Integration math: 3 AI apps × 4 tools = 12 custom integrations direct, vs 3 clients + 4 servers = 7 pieces via MCP.
- Postman's 2025 State of the API survey (5,700+ respondents): 89% use generative AI daily, 24% design APIs for agents, only 10% use MCP regularly.
- The author's companion guide covers 2026 spec changes (MCP is now stateless) and 6 related interview questions.
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