Google Cloud Storage MCP vs Filesystem (Reference)

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

	Google Cloud Storage MCP Google's gcloud-mcp Storage server for managing GCS buckets and objects via natural language. Verified stdio (local) OAuth TypeScript	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	TypeScript	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	OAuth	None
GitHub stars	900	74k
Last commit	4 months ago	5 months ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @google-cloud/storage-mcp`	`npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /absolute/path/to/dir`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Google Cloud Storage MCP if you prefer its approach (google's gcloud-mcp storage server for managing gcs buckets and objects via natural language).

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

Add Google Cloud Storage MCP

Install / run

npx -y @google-cloud/storage-mcp

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-cloud-storage-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@google-cloud/storage-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

Google Cloud Storage MCP or Filesystem (Reference) — which is better?

Pick Google Cloud Storage MCP if you prefer its approach (google's gcloud-mcp storage server for managing gcs buckets and objects via natural language). 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 Google Cloud Storage MCP 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 Google Cloud Storage MCP and Filesystem (Reference) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Google Cloud Storage MCP →View Filesystem (Reference) →More comparisons →