AWS S3 Tables MCP Server vs Filesystem (Reference)

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

	AWS S3 Tables MCP Server Official AWS Labs MCP server to manage and query S3 Tables (table buckets, namespaces, tables). Verified stdio (local) API key Python	Filesystem (Reference) Official MCP reference server for secure local filesystem read/write within allowed directories. Verified stdio (local) No auth TypeScript
Category	Files & Storage	Files & Storage
Language	Python	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	None
GitHub stars	9.2k	74k
Last commit	1 month ago	5 months ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`uvx awslabs.s3-tables-mcp-server@latest`	`npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /absolute/path/to/dir`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick AWS S3 Tables MCP Server if you prefer its approach (official aws labs mcp server to manage and query s3 tables (table buckets, namespaces, tables)).

Pick Filesystem (Reference) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want zero-setup with no API key.

Add AWS S3 Tables MCP Server

Install / run

uvx awslabs.s3-tables-mcp-server@latest

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aws-s3-tables-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "awslabs.s3-tables-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 Filesystem (Reference)

Install / run

npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /absolute/path/to/dir

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem-reference": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/absolute/path/to/dir"
      ]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

AWS S3 Tables MCP Server or Filesystem (Reference) — which is better?

Pick AWS S3 Tables MCP Server if you prefer its approach (official aws labs mcp server to manage and query s3 tables (table buckets, namespaces, tables)). Pick Filesystem (Reference) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want zero-setup with no API key.

Can I use both AWS S3 Tables MCP Server and Filesystem (Reference)?

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 S3 Tables MCP Server and Filesystem (Reference) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View AWS S3 Tables MCP Server →View Filesystem (Reference) →More comparisons →