Launchpad HQ

Find free alternatives

find_free_alternatives

Read-onlyIdempotent

Use this when the user wants a free or freemium alternative to a specific AI tool. Verified free tiers rank first; catalog-only matches are labeled unverified.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`limit`	No	Max alternatives (1-10, default 5).
`platform`	Yes	A Launchpad HQ platform slug or name.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`for`	Yes
`data_as_of`	Yes
`attribution`	Yes
`alternatives`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed5 schema fields changedOct 27, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / alternatives / items / properties / freshness_note
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": [
+    "string",
+    "null"
+  ]
+}
```

addedOutput schema / properties / alternatives / items / properties / resolution

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "enum": [
+        "compact",
+        "alias",
+        "spelling"
+      ],
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "null"
+    }
+  ]
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / alternatives / items / properties / resolved_from
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": [
+    "string",
+    "null"
+  ]
+}
```
addedOutput schema / properties / alternatives / items / properties / stale
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "boolean"
+}
```

changedOutput schema / properties / for / anyOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "additionalProperties": false,
-    "properties": {
-      "as_of": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "category": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "company": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "cost_tier": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "description": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "difficulty": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "free_tier": {
-        "additionalProperties": false,
-        "properties": {
-          "available": {
-            "type": [
-              "boolean",
-              "null"
-            ]
-          },
-          "summary": {
-            "type": [
-              "string",
-              "null"
-            ]
-          }
-        },
-        "required": [
-          "available",
-          "summary"
-        ],
-        "type": "object"
-      },
-      "launchpad_url": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "name": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "slug": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "source_url": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "sponsored": {
-        "const": false,
-        "type": "boolean"
-      },
-      "starting_price": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "tasks": {
-        "anyOf": [
-          {
-            "items": {
-              "type": "string"
-            },
-            "type": "array"
-          },
-          {
-            "type": "null"
-          }
-        ]
-      },
-      "verification": {
-        "enum": [
-          "verified",
-          "unverified",
-          "catalog_only"
-        ],
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "website": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      }
-    },
-    "required": [
-      "slug",
-      "name",
-      "category",
-      "launchpad_url",
-      "website",
-      "cost_tier",
-      "difficulty",
-      "free_tier",
-      "verification",
-      "as_of",
-      "source_url",
-      "sponsored"
-    ],
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "properties": {
+      "as_of": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "category": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "company": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "cost_tier": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "description": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "difficulty": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "free_tier": {
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "properties": {
+          "available": {
+            "type": [
+              "boolean",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "summary": {
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "available",
+          "summary"
+        ],
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "freshness_note": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "launchpad_url": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "name": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "resolution": {
+        "anyOf": [
+          {
+            "enum": [
+              "compact",
+              "alias",
+              "spelling"
+            ],
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "null"
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      "resolved_from": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "slug": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "source_url": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "sponsored": {
+        "const": false,
+        "type": "boolean"
+      },
+      "stale": {
+        "type": "boolean"
+      },
+      "starting_price": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "tasks": {
+        "anyOf": [
+          {
+            "items": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "type": "array"
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "null"
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      "verification": {
+        "enum": [
+          "verified",
+          "unverified",
+          "catalog_only"
+        ],
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "website": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "slug",
+      "name",
+      "category",
+      "launchpad_url",
+      "website",
+      "cost_tier",
+      "difficulty",
+      "free_tier",
+      "verification",
+      "as_of",
+      "source_url",
+      "sponsored"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

Changed2 schema fields changedOct 26, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / alternatives / items / properties / tasks

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "null"
+    }
+  ]
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / for / anyOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "additionalProperties": false,
-    "properties": {
-      "as_of": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "category": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "company": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "cost_tier": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "description": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "difficulty": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "free_tier": {
-        "additionalProperties": false,
-        "properties": {
-          "available": {
-            "type": [
-              "boolean",
-              "null"
-            ]
-          },
-          "summary": {
-            "type": [
-              "string",
-              "null"
-            ]
-          }
-        },
-        "required": [
-          "available",
-          "summary"
-        ],
-        "type": "object"
-      },
-      "launchpad_url": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "name": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "slug": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "source_url": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "sponsored": {
-        "const": false,
-        "type": "boolean"
-      },
-      "starting_price": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "verification": {
-        "enum": [
-          "verified",
-          "unverified",
-          "catalog_only"
-        ],
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "website": {
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      }
-    },
-    "required": [
-      "slug",
-      "name",
-      "category",
-      "launchpad_url",
-      "website",
-      "cost_tier",
-      "difficulty",
-      "free_tier",
-      "verification",
-      "as_of",
-      "source_url",
-      "sponsored"
-    ],
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "properties": {
+      "as_of": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "category": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "company": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "cost_tier": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "description": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "difficulty": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "free_tier": {
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "properties": {
+          "available": {
+            "type": [
+              "boolean",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "summary": {
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "available",
+          "summary"
+        ],
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "launchpad_url": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "name": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "slug": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "source_url": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "sponsored": {
+        "const": false,
+        "type": "boolean"
+      },
+      "starting_price": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "tasks": {
+        "anyOf": [
+          {
+            "items": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "type": "array"
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "null"
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      "verification": {
+        "enum": [
+          "verified",
+          "unverified",
+          "catalog_only"
+        ],
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "website": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "slug",
+      "name",
+      "category",
+      "launchpad_url",
+      "website",
+      "cost_tier",
+      "difficulty",
+      "free_tier",
+      "verification",
+      "as_of",
+      "source_url",
+      "sponsored"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

First observedOct 26, 2026

TDQS

A4/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already cover the safety profile (readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive, closed-world), so the description earns credit for adding genuinely new behavioral context: verified free tiers rank first and catalog-only matches are labeled unverified. That ranking/verification disclosure is exactly the value annotations cannot convey.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two tight sentences with the trigger condition front-loaded and the ranking behavior second. No filler, no repetition of the title or schema.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With a full schema and an output schema present, the description only needs to convey purpose, trigger, and ranking semantics, all of which it does. A note on whether results can be empty or how catalog-only matches differ would round it out, but nothing essential is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, with both 'platform' and 'limit' fully documented including bounds and default, so the baseline is 3. The description only implies that 'platform' refers to the AI tool being replaced, adding no syntax or slug-format detail beyond the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb+resource ('find free alternatives') and scopes it to 'a specific AI tool', which is clear. It does not explicitly contrast with siblings like search_tools or compare, but the alternative-finding intent is unambiguous.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

'Use this when the user wants a free or freemium alternative' gives an explicit trigger condition. It stops short of naming when-not-to-use or pointing to a sibling tool for the non-free case, so it is clear context without exclusions.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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