TEND / Compare
Fair answers. Each of these is good at its job; TEND does a different one.
MCP leaves consent to each host, and a prompt in one host is often enough for one person. It covers MCP tools only, has no shared policy across hosts and keeps no common record. TEND’s MCP proxy is one way in, beside hooks, SDK adapters and an HTTP API.
When it’s the better choice
Use MCP prompts alone when one person runs one host and needs no record.
Claude Code’s permission rules, modes and hooks are precise, and TEND builds on those same hooks. They govern Claude Code; they don’t hold credentials for the agent, and the record is whatever your hooks write.
When it’s the better choice
Use them alone when Claude Code is your only agent and you don’t need one record across agents.
A sandbox limits what a process can reach, which TEND does not do. It can’t decide whether one payment or email should go out, or prove that a person said yes.
When it’s the better choice
Use one anyway. Sandbox the agent, and put the credential behind TEND’s gateway.
Works across agents
Holds credentials
Provable record
| What you need | TEND | MCP host prompts | Claude Code approvals | Sandbox |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works across agents | 13 integrations verified | MCP tools, per host | Claude Code only | Any process |
| Holds credentials | Yes, in gateway mode | No | No | Can keep them out of reach |
| Provable record | Hash-chained log | Up to each host | What your hooks write | No |
Checked against each product’s documentation on 29 October 2026. If something is out of date, tell us.