Deep Dive Comparison: Langfuse MCP Server vs. Dify Langfuse Plugin in Dify

Langfuse MCP Server Arrives as a Tool for Handling Langfuse Prompts in Dify

The release of the Langfuse MCP Server has opened a new avenue for accessing Langfuse's prompt management capabilities from external tools. Following this release, some may wonder about the role of the "Dify Langfuse Plugin" developed by our company and which solution is better.

This article provides an in-depth comparison of the setup and features of the Langfuse MCP Server and the Dify Langfuse Plugin within Dify, offering the optimal choice for prompt management in your LLM development.

Note: This comparison is focused solely on leveraging Langfuse Prompts within Dify workflows. The use of the MCP Server in other clients like Claude Code or Cursor is not covered here.

Note: The information in this article is current as of December 2025.

Langfuse MCP Server

The Langfuse MCP Server provides a unified HTTP API endpoint for retrieving and manipulating prompts managed in Langfuse from external applications like Dify. By utilizing this server, applications can directly integrate the benefits of Langfuse's prompt management features, such as version control and A/B testing, into their workflows. Basic Authentication using project-scoped API keys ensures secure and efficient prompt lifecycle management.

Setup in Dify

After creating your Langfuse API Key in advance, here are the steps to configure the MCP Server for use in your Dify workflow:

1. Click [Tools] at the top of the Dify screen, and select [MCP] from the sidebar.

2. Click [Add MCP Server (HTTP)] to open the new configuration screen.

   

   MCP server setting step 1

3. For Server URL, enter the URL corresponding to your Langfuse domain (e.g., https://cloud.langfuse.com/api/public/mcp or "{your_domain}/api/public/mcp").

4. For [Name & Icon], enter an arbitrary name like langfuse-mcp and set an icon.

5. For [Server Identifier] , enter an arbitrary identifier. Use an example like {organization_name}_{project_name} to easily identify your Langfuse project.

6. Click [Add Header] in the Headers section.

7. For [HEADER NAME], enter Authorization, and for [HEADER VALUE], enter Basic {your-base64-token}.

   • The your-base64-token used here is generated by executing the following command with your Langfuse public and secret keys:

echo -n "pk-lf-your-public-key:sk-lf-your-secret-key" | base64

MCP server setting step 2

Dify Langfuse Plugin

The Dify Langfuse Plugin is a custom plugin specifically developed for Dify workflows, allowing users to directly call, search, and update prompts managed in Langfuse. This plugin integrates Langfuse’s robust version control capabilities into Dify, facilitating easier tracking of prompt history and team sharing.

Usage

Installation and authentication of the plugin follow these steps:

1. Click [+ Install Plugin] in the top right corner of the Dify screen.

2. Select [GitHub] as the installation source and paste the GitHub repository URL: https://github.com/gao-ai-com/dify-plugin-langfuse.

3. After installation, enter the credentials from the plugin settings screen. The required authentication information is: "Langfuse Secret Key", "Langfuse Public Key", and "Langfuse Host".

Comparison of the Two Tools

These two integration methods exhibit clear differences in functionality, configuration flexibility, and detailed tool specifications.

Available Tools

In addition to getting and listing prompts, the MCP server provides two creation tools, createTextPrompt and createChatPrompt, as well as updatePromptLabels, which updates the labels attached to existing prompt versions.

In contrast, the Plugin is limited to three tools: retrieval, search, and Text prompt update/creation. The updatePromptLabels tool found in the MCP Server was intentionally omitted from the Dify Langfuse Plugin's design. Furthermore, the createChatPrompt tool is exclusive to the MCP Server, meaning the Plugin cannot manipulate Chat-type prompts.

Tool List

Multiple Registrations

The Langfuse MCP Server identifies the project from which to retrieve prompts using the authentication information (API key). However, due to Dify's specifications, multiple MCP servers cannot be registered using the same Server URL, restricting simultaneous operation across multiple Langfuse organizations or projects to one setting per project.

Error when registering multiple MCP servers

Conversely, the Dify Langfuse Plugin offers high flexibility, allowing authentication settings to be configured per block using separate API keys. This enables simultaneous operation across multiple Langfuse projects.

You can change the API key

Prompt Variable Substitution

There is a functional difference between the two when it comes to the dynamic utilization of prompt templates:

• Langfuse MCP Server: The getPrompt tool does not include dynamic variable substitution. After retrieving the prompt body, you must use a Dify Code Block or similar mechanism to manually perform variable transformation.

• Dify Langfuse Plugin: The variable substitution feature is built into the Get Prompt tool. By passing variables in JSON format, you receive the substituted prompt body immediately, simplifying your Dify workflow.

  

  Prompt variable substitution feature

Which Tool Should You Use?

Use Case	Recommended Choice	Reason
Want to create or update Chat-type prompts	Langfuse MCP Server	The createChatPrompt tool is provided.
Want to manipulate prompt labels from Dify	Langfuse MCP Server	The updatePromptLabels tool is provided, allowing control over prompt promotion/demotion.
Want to easily substitute prompt variables	Dify Langfuse Plugin	The variable substitution feature is built into the Get Prompt tool, simplifying the workflow.
Want to handle multiple Langfuse projects/organizations simultaneously in Dify	Dify Langfuse Plugin	Authentication settings can be registered per block, allowing operation without switching projects.

Summary

The Langfuse MCP Server integrates Langfuse's official prompt operation API into Dify, excelling particularly in Chat prompt creation and strict label management. Meanwhile, the Dify Langfuse Plugin provides high flexibility tailored to specific Dify user needs, such as simplified workflows through variable substitution and concurrent operation across multiple projects. Choose the optimal tool based on your development structure and prompt usage.

Reference Links

• Dify Langfuse Plugin: https://github.com/gao-ai-com/dify-plugin-langfuse

• Langfuse Official Documentation (MCP Server): https://langfuse.com/docs/api-and-data-platform/features/mcp-server

GAO,Inc. is the only company that sells the Langfuse Enterprise plans to businesses in Japanese Yen and provides support and implementation assistance in Japanese.

If you are interested in Langfuse, please contact us at contact@gao-ai.com.