Linear MCP Server vs Cua Driver

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

	Linear MCP Server Let LLMs create, search, update, and comment on Linear issues through the Model Context Protocol. Unverified stdio (local) API key Stale JavaScript	Cua Driver Background computer-use MCP server that drives native macOS, Windows, and Linux desktop apps without stealing focus. Unverified stdio (local) No auth Rust
Category	Productivity	Productivity
Language	JavaScript	Rust
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	None
GitHub stars	344	19k
Last commit	1 year ago	12 hours ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx @smithery/cli install linear-mcp-server --client claude`	`/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/trycua/cua/main/libs/cua-driver/scripts/install.sh)"`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Linear MCP Server if you prefer its approach (let llms create, search, update, and comment on linear issues through the model context protocol).

Pick Cua Driver if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want zero-setup with no API key.

Add Linear MCP Server

Install / run

npx @smithery/cli install linear-mcp-server --client claude

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "linear-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "linear-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "LINEAR_API_KEY": "your_linear_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add Cua Driver

Install / run

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/trycua/cua/main/libs/cua-driver/scripts/install.sh)"

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cua-driver": {
      "command": "cua-driver",
      "args": [
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Linear MCP Server or Cua Driver — which is better?

Pick Linear MCP Server if you prefer its approach (let llms create, search, update, and comment on linear issues through the model context protocol). Pick Cua Driver if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want zero-setup with no API key.

Can I use both Linear MCP Server and Cua Driver?

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 Linear MCP Server and Cua Driver work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Linear MCP Server →View Cua Driver →More comparisons →