Calendar.app vs Temporal Cortex MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Calendar.app and Temporal Cortex MCP 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 Calendar.app 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_calendars, list_events, get_event.

Explore Calendar.app Details

Choose Temporal Cortex MCP when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Workplace & Productivity domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: other (Free / Open Source).
• You have access to required keys: GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID, GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET, MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID, TIMEZONE.
• Primary tools included: adjust_timestamp, book_slot, check_availability.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Calendar.app Workplace & Productivity	Temporal Cortex MCP temporal-cortex Workplace & Productivity
Summary	List, search, and manage calendar events via macOS Calendar.app across all configured accounts.	AI-native calendar middleware for scheduling, availability, and conflict-free booking across Google Calendar, Outlook, and CalDAV. 15 tools across 5 layers: temporal context, calendar operations, multi-calendar availability, open scheduling, and Two-Phase Commit booking. Deterministic datetime resolution and RRULE expansion powered by Truth Engine.
Category & Scope

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": {
    "calendar-app": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@p-l-ta/calendar-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "temporal-cortex-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@temporal-cortex/cortex-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID": "YOUR_GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID_HERE",
        "GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET": "YOUR_GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET_HERE",
        "MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID": "YOUR_MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID_HERE",
        "TIMEZONE": "YOUR_TIMEZONE_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

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