MCP Alchemy 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.

	MCP Alchemy Connect Claude directly to PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, Oracle, MS SQL and other SQLAlchemy databases. Unverified stdio (local) No auth Stale Python	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	Python	Go
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	OAuth
GitHub stars	410	16k
Last commit	10 months ago	15 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`uvx --from mcp-alchemy==2025.8.15.91819 --refresh-package mcp-alchemy mcp-alchemy`	`brew install mcp-toolbox && toolbox --prebuilt bigquery --stdio`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick MCP Alchemy if you want zero-setup with no API key.

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

Add MCP Alchemy

Install / run

uvx --from mcp-alchemy==2025.8.15.91819 --refresh-package mcp-alchemy mcp-alchemy

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-alchemy": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "mcp-alchemy==2025.8.15.91819",
        "--with",
        "psycopg2-binary",
        "--refresh-package",
        "mcp-alchemy",
        "mcp-alchemy"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DB_URL": "postgresql://user:password@localhost/dbname"
      }
    }
  }
}

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

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

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

Pick MCP Alchemy if you want zero-setup with no API key. 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 MCP Alchemy 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 MCP Alchemy 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 MCP Alchemy →View MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) →More comparisons →