Terraform MCP Server vs AWS API MCP Server

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

	Terraform MCP Server HashiCorp's official server for Terraform Registry providers, modules, and IaC workflows. Verified stdio (local) No auth Go	AWS API MCP Server Official AWS Labs server that lets agents call any AWS API via the AWS CLI surface. Verified stdio (local) API key Python
Category	DevOps & Cloud	DevOps & Cloud
Language	Go	Python
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	API key
GitHub stars	1.4k	9.3k
Last commit	8 days ago	7 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`docker run -i --rm hashicorp/terraform-mcp-server`	`uvx awslabs.aws-api-mcp-server@latest`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Terraform MCP Server if you want zero-setup with no API key, and you need the broadest set of tools.

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

Add Terraform MCP Server

Install / run

docker run -i --rm hashicorp/terraform-mcp-server

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "terraform-mcp-server": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "hashicorp/terraform-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Requires Docker to be installed and running.

Add AWS API MCP Server

Install / run

uvx awslabs.aws-api-mcp-server@latest

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aws-api-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "awslabs.aws-api-mcp-server@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AWS_REGION": "us-east-1",
        "AWS_PROFILE": "<your-aws-profile>"
      }
    }
  }
}

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

FAQ

Terraform MCP Server or AWS API MCP Server — which is better?

Pick Terraform MCP Server if you want zero-setup with no API key, and you need the broadest set of tools. Pick AWS API MCP Server if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Can I use both Terraform MCP Server and AWS API 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 Terraform MCP Server and AWS API MCP Server work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Terraform MCP Server →View AWS API MCP Server →More comparisons →