Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison
Arcgis Irvine vs Bts
In-depth architectural comparison of the Arcgis Irvine and Bts 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.
At a Glance & Executive Verdict
Arcgis Irvine
Developer Tools · Local stdio
Quality: 44/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required
Bts
Developer Tools · Local stdio
Quality: 45/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required
Verdict Summary: Choose Arcgis Irvine if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a local process. Choose Bts if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's
mcpServers manifest.Which MCP Server Should You Choose?
A
Choose Arcgis Irvine when:
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
- You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
- Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
- Primary tools included: search_datasets, query_layer, layer_info.
B
Choose Bts when:
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
- You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
- Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
- Primary tools included: search_datasets, dataset_columns, query_dataset.
Feature & Specification Comparison
Tools & Capabilities Breakdown
Arcgis Irvine Tools (3)
search_datasets
Search City of Irvine GIS open geospatial datasets (parcels, zoning, parks & city services) by keyword. Returns each dataset's name, summary, record_count, owner/org, and its Feature Service `url` — pass that url to query_layer / layer_info.
query_layer
Query an ArcGIS Feature Service / Map Service layer by its url (from search_datasets). SQL-like `where`, comma-separated `out_fields`, `order_by`, `limit`, `offset`. Returns attribute rows (and geometry). Use where="1=1" + out_fields="*" to sample.
layer_info
Get an ArcGIS Feature/Map Service layer's schema by url: fields (name + type), geometry type, total record count, and capabilities.
Bts Tools (3)
search_datasets
Search datasets published on the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics open-data portal (data.bts.gov). Returns each dataset's Socrata 4x4 id (e.g. "crem-w557"), name, and description. Use the id with dataset_columns and query_dataset. BTS covers aviation (passenger counts, on-time performance,…
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).
Arcgis Irvine Configuration
Bts Configuration