Snowflake MCP Server 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.

	Snowflake MCP Server Query Snowflake databases over MCP — read/write SQL, schema discovery, and data-insight memos. Unverified stdio (local) API key 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	API key	OAuth
GitHub stars	183	16k
Last commit	8 months ago	15 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @smithery/cli install mcp_snowflake_server --client claude`	`brew install mcp-toolbox && toolbox --prebuilt bigquery --stdio`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Snowflake MCP Server if you prefer its approach (query snowflake databases over mcp — read/write sql, schema discovery, and data-insight memos).

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

Add Snowflake MCP Server

Install / run

npx -y @smithery/cli install mcp_snowflake_server --client claude

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "snowflake-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--python=3.12",
        "mcp_snowflake_server",
        "--account",
        "your_account",
        "--warehouse",
        "your_warehouse",
        "--user",
        "your_user",
        "--password",
        "your_password",
        "--role",
        "your_role",
        "--database",
        "your_database",
        "--schema",
        "your_schema"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

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

Pick Snowflake MCP Server if you prefer its approach (query snowflake databases over mcp — read/write sql, schema discovery, and data-insight memos). 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 Snowflake MCP Server 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 Snowflake MCP Server 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 Snowflake MCP Server →View MCP Toolbox for Databases (BigQuery) →More comparisons →