MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) vs Redis MCP Server

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

	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	Redis MCP Server Official Redis server: natural-language access to keys, search, and data structures in Redis. Verified stdio (local) API key Python
Category	Databases	Databases
Language	Go	Python
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	OAuth	API key
GitHub stars	16k	700
Last commit	1 month ago	2 months ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`brew install mcp-toolbox && toolbox --prebuilt bigquery --stdio`	`uvx --from redis-mcp-server@latest redis-mcp-server --url redis://localhost:6379/0`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Pick Redis MCP Server if you prefer its approach (official redis server: natural-language access to keys, search, and data structures in redis).

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>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add Redis MCP Server

Install / run

uvx --from redis-mcp-server@latest redis-mcp-server --url redis://localhost:6379/0

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "redis-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "redis-mcp-server@latest",
        "redis-mcp-server",
        "--url",
        "redis://<user>:<password>@<host>:6379/0"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

FAQ

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

Pick MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option. Pick Redis MCP Server if you prefer its approach (official redis server: natural-language access to keys, search, and data structures in redis).

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

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

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

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