Firebase MCP vs MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery)

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

	Firebase MCP Let AI assistants work directly with Firebase Firestore, Storage, and Authentication. Unverified stdio (local) API key Stale TypeScript	MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) Google's official MCP server with prebuilt BigQuery tools, querying datasets via Application Default Credentials. Verified stdio (local) OAuth Go
Category	Databases	Databases
Language	TypeScript	Go
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	OAuth
GitHub stars	245	16k
Last commit	7 months ago	15 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @gannonh/firebase-mcp`	`brew install mcp-toolbox && toolbox --prebuilt bigquery --stdio`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Firebase MCP if you prefer its approach (let ai assistants work directly with firebase firestore, storage, and authentication).

Pick MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Add Firebase MCP

Install / run

npx -y @gannonh/firebase-mcp

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "firebase-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@gannonh/firebase-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_PATH": "/absolute/path/to/serviceAccountKey.json",
        "FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET": "your-project-id.firebasestorage.app"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery)

Install / run

brew install mcp-toolbox && toolbox --prebuilt bigquery --stdio

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-toolbox-for-databases-bigquery": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/toolbox",
      "args": [
        "--prebuilt",
        "bigquery",
        "--stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BIGQUERY_PROJECT": "<your-gcp-project-id>"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Firebase MCP or MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) — which is better?

Pick Firebase MCP if you prefer its approach (let ai assistants work directly with firebase firestore, storage, and authentication). Pick MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Can I use both Firebase MCP and MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery)?

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 Firebase MCP and MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Firebase MCP →View MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) →More comparisons →