AWS API MCP Server vs Portainer MCP

A side-by-side comparison of two DevOps & Cloud servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	AWS API MCP Server Official AWS Labs server that lets agents call any AWS API via the AWS CLI surface. Verified stdio (local) API key Python	Portainer MCP Official Portainer MCP server: manage Docker, Kubernetes, and GitOps environments via the Portainer REST API. Unverified stdio (local) API key Python
Category	DevOps & Cloud	DevOps & Cloud
Language	Python	Python
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	API key
GitHub stars	9.3k	182
Last commit	1 month ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`uvx awslabs.aws-api-mcp-server@latest`	`uvx --from "mcp-portainer~=2.42.0" mcp-portainer`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick AWS API MCP Server if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a verified, documented setup.

Pick Portainer MCP if you need the broadest set of tools.

Add AWS API MCP Server

Install / run

uvx awslabs.aws-api-mcp-server@latest

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aws-api-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "awslabs.aws-api-mcp-server@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AWS_REGION": "us-east-1",
        "AWS_PROFILE": "<your-aws-profile>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

Add Portainer MCP

Install / run

uvx --from "mcp-portainer~=2.42.0" mcp-portainer

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "portainer-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "mcp-portainer~=2.42.0",
        "mcp-portainer"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PORTAINER_URL": "https://portainer.example.com",
        "PORTAINER_API_KEY": "ptr_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

FAQ

AWS API MCP Server or Portainer MCP — which is better?

Pick AWS API MCP Server if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a verified, documented setup. Pick Portainer MCP if you need the broadest set of tools.

Can I use both AWS API MCP Server and Portainer MCP?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do AWS API MCP Server and Portainer MCP work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View AWS API MCP Server →View Portainer MCP →More comparisons →