GitHub MCP Server vs MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery)

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

	GitHub MCP Server GitHub's official server for repos, issues, PRs, and Actions — local Docker or hosted remote. Verified stdio (local) API key Go	MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) Google's official MCP server with prebuilt BigQuery tools, querying datasets via Application Default Credentials. Verified stdio (local) OAuth Go
Category	DevOps & Cloud	Databases
Language	Go	Go
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	OAuth
GitHub stars	31k	16k
Last commit	5 days ago	13 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`docker run -i --rm -e GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server`	`brew install mcp-toolbox && toolbox --prebuilt bigquery --stdio`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick GitHub MCP Server if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Pick MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) if you need the broadest set of tools.

Add GitHub MCP Server

Install / run

docker run -i --rm -e GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-mcp-server": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
        "ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<your-github-pat>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires Docker to be installed and running.

Add MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery)

Install / run

brew install mcp-toolbox && toolbox --prebuilt bigquery --stdio

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-toolbox-for-databases-bigquery": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/toolbox",
      "args": [
        "--prebuilt",
        "bigquery",
        "--stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BIGQUERY_PROJECT": "<your-gcp-project-id>"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

GitHub MCP Server or MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) — which is better?

Pick GitHub MCP Server if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option. Pick MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) if you need the broadest set of tools.

Can I use both GitHub MCP Server and MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery)?

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 GitHub MCP Server and MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View GitHub MCP Server →View MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) →More comparisons →