--- language: - en license: mit tags: - mcp - benchmark - gradio - fastmcp - api-performance pretty_name: MCP Server Benchmark Results size_categories: - n<1K --- # 🔬 Gradio vs FastMCP Benchmark Report **Generated:** 2026-02-28T05:20:52.935313 **Total scenarios:** 360 ## Executive Summary - **echo**: Fastmcp wins (48.2 vs 192.8 RPS, 4.0x difference) - Gradio best config: concurrency_limit=10.0 - **fibonacci**: Fastmcp wins (36.2 vs 58.3 RPS, 1.61x difference) - Gradio best config: concurrency_limit=5.0 - **json_transform**: Fastmcp wins (50.8 vs 174.8 RPS, 3.44x difference) - Gradio best config: concurrency_limit=nan - **async_sleep**: Fastmcp wins (59.6 vs 99.2 RPS, 1.66x difference) - Gradio best config: concurrency_limit=5.0 - **payload_echo**: Fastmcp wins (46.9 vs 171.1 RPS, 3.65x difference) - Gradio best config: concurrency_limit=nan ## Throughput (Requests/Second) | | ('fastmcp', 'http_api') | ('fastmcp', 'mcp_streamable') | ('gradio', 'http_api') | ('gradio', 'mcp_streamable') | |:-----------------------|--------------------------:|--------------------------------:|-------------------------:|-------------------------------:| | ('async_sleep', 1) | 15.57 | 13.89 | 8.62 | 0.36 | | ('async_sleep', 10) | 99.16 | 52.92 | 59.65 | 3.64 | | ('async_sleep', 25) | 58.15 | 37.44 | 37.33 | 8.98 | | ('async_sleep', 50) | 53.35 | 30.79 | 34.05 | 29.91 | | ('echo', 1) | 192.82 | 74.57 | 11.66 | 0.36 | | ('echo', 10) | 74.9 | 43.59 | 48.22 | 3.62 | | ('echo', 25) | 75.61 | 38.04 | 38.25 | 9.05 | | ('echo', 50) | 65.28 | 31.81 | 31.34 | 30.06 | | ('fibonacci', 1) | 46.53 | 31.48 | 12.58 | 0.36 | | ('fibonacci', 10) | 58.27 | 44.81 | 36.24 | 3.63 | | ('fibonacci', 25) | 56.53 | 32.83 | 33.02 | 8.98 | | ('fibonacci', 50) | 47.45 | 28.91 | 30.01 | 29.94 | | ('json_transform', 1) | 174.8 | 69.46 | 11.39 | 0.37 | | ('json_transform', 10) | 78.21 | 44.07 | 50.81 | 3.62 | | ('json_transform', 25) | 55.76 | 39.04 | 39.54 | 9 | | ('json_transform', 50) | 63.12 | 32.64 | 33.62 | 30.12 | | ('payload_echo', 1) | 171.09 | 72.97 | 11.76 | 0.36 | | ('payload_echo', 10) | 77.13 | 47.08 | 46.87 | 3.63 | | ('payload_echo', 25) | 63.39 | 40 | 38.12 | 9 | | ('payload_echo', 50) | 66.41 | 34.28 | 33.98 | 29.97 | ## Latency p50 (ms) | | ('fastmcp', 'http_api') | ('fastmcp', 'mcp_streamable') | ('gradio', 'http_api') | ('gradio', 'mcp_streamable') | |:-----------------------|--------------------------:|--------------------------------:|-------------------------:|-------------------------------:| | ('async_sleep', 1) | 62.55 | 76.702 | 111.588 | 4120.86 | | ('async_sleep', 10) | 89.146 | 167.851 | 157.104 | 4083.55 | | ('async_sleep', 25) | 327.049 | 599.597 | 541.56 | 4097.19 | | ('async_sleep', 50) | 638.245 | 1346.07 | 1152.1 | 2120.95 | | ('echo', 1) | 5 | 12.999 | 79.26 | 4129.99 | | ('echo', 10) | 90.528 | 202.528 | 177.813 | 4100.18 | | ('echo', 25) | 219.384 | 561.208 | 564.806 | 4096.84 | | ('echo', 50) | 489.309 | 1171.99 | 1247.51 | 2106.4 | | ('fibonacci', 1) | 20.466 | 30.001 | 65.026 | 4128.83 | | ('fibonacci', 10) | 163.974 | 204.065 | 263.913 | 4064.71 | | ('fibonacci', 25) | 427.19 | 693.387 | 648.3 | 4121.86 | | ('fibonacci', 50) | 688.597 | 1308.94 | 1464.07 | 2091.53 | | ('json_transform', 1) | 5.133 | 13.556 | 78.729 | 4115.32 | | ('json_transform', 10) | 89.402 | 201.688 | 168.247 | 4114.56 | | ('json_transform', 25) | 373.373 | 561.928 | 504.812 | 4089.93 | | ('json_transform', 50) | 508.344 | 1244.63 | 1214.53 | 2107.65 | | ('payload_echo', 1) | 5.414 | 13.003 | 97.087 | 4119.44 | | ('payload_echo', 10) | 77.202 | 189.617 | 176.908 | 4109.25 | | ('payload_echo', 25) | 313.41 | 543.924 | 543.665 | 4078.82 | | ('payload_echo', 50) | 468.582 | 1149.26 | 1196.27 | 2118.73 | ## Gradio concurrency_limit Scaling How does Gradio's throughput change as concurrency_limit increases? | | 1.0 | 5.0 | 10.0 | |:-----------------------|--------:|--------:|--------:| | ('async_sleep', 1) | 4.4025 | 4.4475 | 4.315 | | ('async_sleep', 10) | 6.7975 | 30.11 | 23.1775 | | ('async_sleep', 25) | 8.7825 | 23.1125 | 19.5675 | | ('async_sleep', 50) | 20.295 | 31.5225 | 28.0425 | | ('echo', 1) | 5.34 | 5.9775 | 5.8675 | | ('echo', 10) | 10.9725 | 24.8075 | 25.4775 | | ('echo', 25) | 13.39 | 22.4475 | 22.7725 | | ('echo', 50) | 23.9525 | 29.7975 | 27.5275 | | ('fibonacci', 1) | 5.57 | 6.245 | 5.7525 | | ('fibonacci', 10) | 10.9175 | 19.72 | 19.7 | | ('fibonacci', 25) | 13.6075 | 20.255 | 19.3775 | | ('fibonacci', 50) | 24.4425 | 27.775 | 27.4 | | ('json_transform', 1) | 5.1075 | 5.65 | 5.2025 | | ('json_transform', 10) | 11.13 | 25.9975 | 23.0825 | | ('json_transform', 25) | 13.8575 | 23.365 | 20.8075 | | ('json_transform', 50) | 24.2775 | 31.5075 | 28.425 | | ('payload_echo', 1) | 5.1775 | 5.8375 | 4.93 | | ('payload_echo', 10) | 11.23 | 24.5025 | 21.6125 | | ('payload_echo', 25) | 13.68 | 22.19 | 20.47 | | ('payload_echo', 50) | 24.1675 | 31.21 | 28.0175 | ## Protocol Overhead: HTTP API vs MCP Comparing latency of the same tool called via REST API vs MCP protocol: | | http_api | mcp_streamable | |:------------------------------|-----------:|-----------------:| | ('fastmcp', 'async_sleep') | 279.248 | 547.556 | | ('fastmcp', 'echo') | 201.055 | 487.181 | | ('fastmcp', 'fibonacci') | 325.057 | 559.099 | | ('fastmcp', 'json_transform') | 244.063 | 505.451 | | ('fastmcp', 'payload_echo') | 216.152 | 473.951 | | ('gradio', 'async_sleep') | 942.756 | 3640.32 | | ('gradio', 'echo') | 709.837 | 3690 | | ('gradio', 'fibonacci') | 781.367 | 3640.18 | | ('gradio', 'json_transform') | 696.113 | 3641.42 | | ('gradio', 'payload_echo') | 706.047 | 3634.16 | ## Error Rates | scenario_id | error_rate_pct | |:---------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------:| | gradio__mcp_streamable__echo__vu50__cl1 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__echo__vu50__cl1__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__fibonacci__vu50__cl1 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__fibonacci__vu50__cl1__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__json_transform__vu50__cl1 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__json_transform__vu50__cl1__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__async_sleep__vu50__cl1 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__async_sleep__vu50__cl1__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__payload_echo__vu50__cl1 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__payload_echo__vu50__cl1__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__echo__vu50__cl5 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__echo__vu50__cl5__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__fibonacci__vu50__cl5 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__fibonacci__vu50__cl5__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__json_transform__vu50__cl5 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__json_transform__vu50__cl5__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__async_sleep__vu50__cl5 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__async_sleep__vu50__cl5__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__payload_echo__vu50__cl5 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__payload_echo__vu50__cl5__noq | 100 | | gradio__http_api__async_sleep__vu25__cl10 | 0.33 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__echo__vu50__cl10 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__echo__vu50__cl10__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__fibonacci__vu50__cl10 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__fibonacci__vu50__cl10__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__json_transform__vu50__cl10 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__json_transform__vu50__cl10__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__async_sleep__vu50__cl10 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__async_sleep__vu50__cl10__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__payload_echo__vu50__cl10 | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__payload_echo__vu50__cl10__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__echo__vu50__clunlimited | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__echo__vu50__clunlimited__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__fibonacci__vu50__clunlimited | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__fibonacci__vu50__clunlimited__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__json_transform__vu50__clunlimited | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__json_transform__vu50__clunlimited__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__async_sleep__vu50__clunlimited | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__async_sleep__vu50__clunlimited__noq | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__payload_echo__vu50__clunlimited | 100 | | gradio__mcp_streamable__payload_echo__vu50__clunlimited__noq | 100 | ## Resource Usage | server | ('mean', 'avg_cpu_pct') | ('mean', 'avg_memory_mb') | ('mean', 'peak_memory_mb') | ('max', 'avg_cpu_pct') | ('max', 'avg_memory_mb') | ('max', 'peak_memory_mb') | |:---------|--------------------------:|----------------------------:|-----------------------------:|-------------------------:|---------------------------:|----------------------------:| | fastmcp | 0 | 6.15475 | 6.15475 | 0 | 6.16 | 6.16 | | gradio | 0 | 6.15472 | 6.15484 | 0 | 6.17 | 6.19 | ## Benchmark Charts ![Throughput Comparison](plots/throughput_comparison.png) ![Latency Comparison](plots/latency_comparison.png) ![Gradio Concurrency Limit Scaling](plots/gradio_cl_scaling.png) ![Protocol Overhead](plots/protocol_overhead.png) ## Methodology - Both servers use identical tool implementations (imported from shared_tools.py) - Each scenario runs in an isolated server subprocess - Warmup period excluded from measurements - Load generated by async httpx workers (not external tools) - MCP tests use full protocol lifecycle (initialize → call_tool) - System metrics sampled every 1s via psutil --- *Benchmarks generated by [mcp-server-bench](https://github.com/Mandark-droid/mcp-server-bench)*