Trello Desktop MCP vs Trello MCP Server

In-depth architectural comparison of the Trello Desktop MCP and Trello MCP Server MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Trello Desktop MCP when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Workplace & Productivity domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
• You have access to required keys: TRELLO_API_KEY, TRELLO_TOKEN, TRELLO_READ_ONLY.
• Primary tools included: trello_search, trello_get_user_boards, get_board_details.

Explore Trello Desktop MCP Details

Choose Trello MCP Server when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Workplace & Productivity domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: list_my_boards, get_board, get_board_lists.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Trello Desktop MCP agrath Workplace & Productivity	Trello MCP Server Workplace & Productivity
Summary	Comprehensive Trello integration: 46 tools covering boards, cards, lists, labels, checklists, attachments, members, custom fields, and search. Read-only mode, image attachment	MCP server for the Trello REST API – manage boards, lists, cards, labels, checklists and more
Category & Scope	Workplace & Productivity

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "agrath-trello-desktop-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "atlassian-trello-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "YOUR_TRELLO_API_KEY_HERE",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "YOUR_TRELLO_TOKEN_HERE",
        "TRELLO_READ_ONLY": "YOUR_TRELLO_READ_ONLY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello-mcp-server-3": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "trello-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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