AWS API 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.

	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	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	API key	API key
GitHub stars	9.3k	2.1k
Last commit	7 days ago	8 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`uvx awslabs.aws-api-mcp-server@latest`	`docker run --rm -i -e GRAFANA_URL -e GRAFANA_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN grafana/mcp-grafana -t stdio`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

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

Pick Grafana MCP Server if you need the broadest set of tools.

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.

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

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

Pick AWS API MCP Server if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option. Pick Grafana MCP Server if you need the broadest set of tools.

Can I use both AWS API 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 AWS API 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 AWS API MCP Server →View Grafana MCP Server →More comparisons →