Terraform MCP Server vs Kubernetes MCP Server

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

	Terraform MCP Server HashiCorp's official server for Terraform Registry providers, modules, and IaC workflows. Verified stdio (local) No auth Go	Kubernetes MCP Server Popular community server wrapping kubectl and Helm for cluster management via natural language. Verified stdio (local) No auth TypeScript
Category	DevOps & Cloud	DevOps & Cloud
Language	Go	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	None
GitHub stars	1.4k	1.4k
Last commit	8 days ago	6 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`docker run -i --rm hashicorp/terraform-mcp-server`	`npx -y mcp-server-kubernetes`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Terraform MCP Server if you want the official, vendor-maintained server.

Pick Kubernetes MCP Server if you prefer its approach (popular community server wrapping kubectl and helm for cluster management via natural language).

Add Terraform MCP Server

Install / run

docker run -i --rm hashicorp/terraform-mcp-server

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "terraform-mcp-server": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "hashicorp/terraform-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Requires Docker to be installed and running.

Add Kubernetes MCP Server

Install / run

npx -y mcp-server-kubernetes

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kubernetes-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-server-kubernetes"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALLOW_ONLY_NON_DESTRUCTIVE_TOOLS": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Terraform MCP Server or Kubernetes MCP Server — which is better?

Pick Terraform MCP Server if you want the official, vendor-maintained server. Pick Kubernetes MCP Server if you prefer its approach (popular community server wrapping kubectl and helm for cluster management via natural language).

Can I use both Terraform MCP Server and Kubernetes MCP Server?

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 Terraform MCP Server and Kubernetes MCP Server work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Terraform MCP Server →View Kubernetes MCP Server →More comparisons →