Membrane MCP Server vs n8n-MCP

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

	Membrane MCP Server Expose actions from your connected Membrane integrations to AI agents as MCP tools. Unverified HTTP (remote) API key TypeScript	n8n-MCP Gives AI assistants deep knowledge of 2,000+ n8n nodes, plus optional workflow management on your own n8n instance. Unverified stdio (local) API key TypeScript
Category	Productivity	Productivity
Language	TypeScript	TypeScript
Transport	HTTP (remote)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	API key
GitHub stars	38	22k
Last commit	5 months ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`git clone https://github.com/membranehq/mcp-server.git`	`npx n8n-mcp`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Membrane MCP Server if you want a hosted/remote server with nothing to install.

Pick n8n-MCP if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a local (stdio) server that keeps data on your machine.

Add Membrane MCP Server

Install / run

git clone https://github.com/membranehq/mcp-server.git

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "membrane-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://<HOSTED_MCP_SERVER_URL>/sse?token={ACCESS_TOKEN}"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

Add n8n-MCP

Install / run

npx n8n-mcp

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "n8n-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MCP_MODE": "stdio",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "error",
        "DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT": "true",
        "N8N_API_URL": "<your-n8n-instance-url>",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "<your-n8n-api-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Membrane MCP Server or n8n-MCP — which is better?

Pick Membrane MCP Server if you want a hosted/remote server with nothing to install. Pick n8n-MCP if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a local (stdio) server that keeps data on your machine.

Can I use both Membrane MCP Server and n8n-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 Membrane MCP Server and n8n-MCP work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Membrane MCP Server →View n8n-MCP →More comparisons →