What is the key difference between ClickHouse and MCP Clickhouse?

ClickHouse belongs to the Databases category with local stdio execution, while MCP Clickhouse belongs to the Databases category with local stdio execution.

How do I install ClickHouse or MCP Clickhouse in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are ClickHouse and MCP Clickhouse free or paid?

ClickHouse operates under a Free / Open Source model (other). MCP Clickhouse operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

ClickHouse lists 8 tools with 3 views and 0 GitHub stars. MCP Clickhouse lists 3 tools with 3 views and 857 GitHub stars.

Can I use both ClickHouse and MCP Clickhouse together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

ClickHouse vs MCP Clickhouse

In-depth architectural comparison of the ClickHouse and MCP Clickhouse 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

ClickHouse

Databases · Local stdio

Quality: 53/100 (Good) | Auth: other

MCP Clickhouse

Databases · Local stdio

Quality: 65/100 (Great) | Auth: API Key required

Verdict Summary: Choose ClickHouse if you need specialized Databases tools running via a local process. Choose MCP Clickhouse if your workspace requires Databases integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose ClickHouse when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Databases domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: other (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: MCP_CLICKHOUSE_DSN.
Primary tools included: list_profiles, get_cluster_properties, run_query.

Explore ClickHouse Details

Choose MCP Clickhouse when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Databases domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: CLICKHOUSE_ALLOW_WRITE_ACCESS, CLICKHOUSE_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN, CLICKHOUSE_MCP_AUTH_DISABLED, FASTMCP_SERVER_AUTH, FASTMCP_SERVER_AUTH_AZURE_TENANT_ID, FASTMCP_SERVER_AUTH_AZURE_CLIENT_ID, FASTMCP_SERVER_AUTH_AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	ClickHouse Databases	MCP Clickhouse ClickHouse Databases
Summary	Read-only MCP server for ClickHouse metadata, parameterized queries, and plan analysis.	ClickHouse database integration with schema inspection and query capabilities
Category & Scope	Databases	Databases

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

ClickHouse Tools (8)

list_profiles

List configured profiles. Each entry includes name and optional description.

get_cluster_properties

Get cluster properties and execution limits. Returns ClickHouse server version plus enforced limits (max rows, timeouts) for the profile.

run_query

Execute read-only SELECT or WITH … SELECT. One statement; DML, DDL, SET, SYSTEM, and similar are rejected. Returns `{data, row_count}` where `data` is an RFC 4180 CSV string. Pass `snapshot=true` to persist the result to disk and receive `{snapshot_uri, row_count}` instead; fetch the CSV via the sn…

run_show

Execute SHOW introspection statement. One statement per call; INTO OUTFILE rejected. Interactive row limits apply (default 500, hard ceiling 1 000). Same timeout as run_query.

analyze_query

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).

ClickHouse Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "clickhouse": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/inspector"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MCP_CLICKHOUSE_DSN": "YOUR_MCP_CLICKHOUSE_DSN_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

MCP Clickhouse Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "clickhouse-mcp-clickhouse": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-clickhouse"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CLICKHOUSE_ALLOW_WRITE_ACCESS": "YOUR_CLICKHOUSE_ALLOW_WRITE_ACCESS_HERE",
        "CLICKHOUSE_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN": "YOUR_CLICKHOUSE_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN_HERE",
        "CLICKHOUSE_MCP_AUTH_DISABLED": "YOUR_CLICKHOUSE_MCP_AUTH_DISABLED_HERE",
        "FASTMCP_SERVER_AUTH": "YOUR_FASTMCP_SERVER_AUTH_HERE",
        "FASTMCP_SERVER_AUTH_AZURE_TENANT_ID": "YOUR_FASTMCP_SERVER_AUTH_AZURE_TENANT_ID_HERE",
        "FASTMCP_SERVER_AUTH_AZURE_CLIENT_ID": "YOUR_FASTMCP_SERVER_AUTH_AZURE_CLIENT_ID_HERE",
        "FASTMCP_SERVER_AUTH_AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET": "YOUR_FASTMCP_SERVER_AUTH_AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

ClickHouse is categorized under Databases and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, MCP Clickhouse belongs to Databases using local stdio subprocess. Select ClickHouse when you need capabilities focused on databases and MCP Clickhouse when you require tools for databases.

More alternatives to ClickHouse More alternatives to MCP Clickhouse Databases category hub