Firebase MCP vs InstantDB MCP

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

	Firebase MCP Let AI assistants work directly with Firebase Firestore, Storage, and Authentication. Unverified stdio (local) API key Stale TypeScript	InstantDB MCP Create, manage, and query your InstantDB apps, schemas, permissions, and data from your AI editor. Unverified HTTP (remote) OAuth TypeScript
Category	Databases	Databases
Language	TypeScript	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	HTTP (remote)
Auth	API key	OAuth
GitHub stars	245	10k
Last commit	9 months ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @gannonh/firebase-mcp`	`npx -y @instantdb/mcp --token <token>`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Firebase MCP if you want a local (stdio) server that keeps data on your machine, and you need the broadest set of tools.

Pick InstantDB MCP if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a hosted/remote server with nothing to install.

Add Firebase MCP

Install / run

npx -y @gannonh/firebase-mcp

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "firebase-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@gannonh/firebase-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_PATH": "/absolute/path/to/serviceAccountKey.json",
        "FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET": "your-project-id.firebasestorage.app"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add InstantDB MCP

Install / run

npx -y @instantdb/mcp --token <token>

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instantdb-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.instantdb.com/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop connects to remote servers through the `mcp-remote` proxy (installed on first run via npx). Restart Claude Desktop after saving.

FAQ

Firebase MCP or InstantDB MCP — which is better?

Pick Firebase MCP if you want a local (stdio) server that keeps data on your machine, and you need the broadest set of tools. Pick InstantDB MCP if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a hosted/remote server with nothing to install.

Can I use both Firebase MCP and InstantDB 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 Firebase MCP and InstantDB MCP work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Firebase MCP →View InstantDB MCP →More comparisons →