Docker MCP Server vs Grafana MCP Server

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

	Docker MCP Server Community server to manage Docker containers, images, volumes, and Compose stacks via agents. Verified stdio (local) No auth Python	Grafana MCP Server Grafana's official server for dashboards, Prometheus/Loki queries, alerts, and incidents. Verified stdio (local) API key Go
Category	DevOps & Cloud	DevOps & Cloud
Language	Python	Go
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	API key
GitHub stars	720	2.1k
Last commit	3 months ago	8 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`uvx mcp-server-docker`	`docker run --rm -i -e GRAFANA_URL -e GRAFANA_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN grafana/mcp-grafana -t stdio`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Docker MCP Server if you want zero-setup with no API key.

Pick Grafana MCP Server if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Add Docker MCP Server

Install / run

uvx mcp-server-docker

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "docker-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-server-docker"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

Add Grafana MCP Server

Install / run

docker run --rm -i -e GRAFANA_URL -e GRAFANA_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN grafana/mcp-grafana -t stdio

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "grafana-mcp-server": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e",
        "GRAFANA_URL",
        "-e",
        "GRAFANA_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN",
        "grafana/mcp-grafana",
        "-t",
        "stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GRAFANA_URL": "https://your-grafana-instance.example.com",
        "GRAFANA_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN": "<your-grafana-service-account-token>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires Docker to be installed and running.

FAQ

Docker MCP Server or Grafana MCP Server — which is better?

Pick Docker MCP Server if you want zero-setup with no API key. Pick Grafana MCP Server if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Can I use both Docker MCP Server and Grafana 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 Docker MCP Server and Grafana MCP Server work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Docker MCP Server →View Grafana MCP Server →More comparisons →