What is the key difference between MCP Cyclops and Kubernetes MCP Server?

MCP Cyclops belongs to the Cloud Platforms category with local stdio execution, while Kubernetes MCP Server belongs to the Cloud Platforms category with local stdio execution.

How do I install MCP Cyclops or Kubernetes MCP Server 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 MCP Cyclops and Kubernetes MCP Server free or paid?

MCP Cyclops operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Kubernetes MCP Server operates under a Free / Open Source model (other).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

MCP Cyclops lists 7 tools with 2 views and 30 GitHub stars. Kubernetes MCP Server lists 53 tools with 3 views and 2,113 GitHub stars.

Can I use both MCP Cyclops and Kubernetes MCP Server 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

MCP Cyclops vs Kubernetes MCP Server

In-depth architectural comparison of the MCP Cyclops and Kubernetes 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.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

MCP Cyclops

Cloud Platforms · Local stdio

Quality: 45/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Kubernetes MCP Server

Cloud Platforms · Local stdio

Quality: 64/100 (Good) | Auth: other

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

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose MCP Cyclops when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Cloud Platforms domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: KUBECONFIG, CYCLOPS_KUBE_CONTEXT, CYCLOPS_MODULE_NAMESPACE, CYCLOPS_HELM_RELEASE_NAMESPACE, CYCLOPS_MODULE_TARGET_NAMESPACE.
Primary tools included: create_module, get_module, list_modules.

Explore MCP Cyclops Details

Choose Kubernetes MCP Server when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Cloud Platforms domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: other (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: configuration_contexts_list, targets_list, configuration_view.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	MCP Cyclops cyclops-ui Cloud Platforms	Kubernetes MCP Server manusa Cloud Platforms
Summary	An MCP server that allows AI agents to manage Kubernetes resources through Cyclops abstraction	A - powerful Kubernetes MCP server with additional support for OpenShift. Besides providing CRUD operations for any Kubernetes resource, this server provides specialized tools to interact with your cluster.
Category & Scope	Cloud Platforms

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

MCP Cyclops Tools (7)

create_module

Create new Module. Before calling this tool, make sure to call `get_template_schema` to validate values for the given template

get_module

Fetch Module by name

list_modules

List all Cyclops Modules

update_module

Update Module by Name. Before calling this tool, make sure to call `get_template_schema` to validate values for the given template

get_template_schema

Returns JSON schema for the given template. Needs to be checked before calling `create_module` tool

get_template_store

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).

MCP Cyclops Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cyclops-ui-mcp-cyclops": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "cyclops-ui-mcp-cyclops"
      ],
      "env": {
        "KUBECONFIG": "YOUR_KUBECONFIG_HERE",
        "CYCLOPS_KUBE_CONTEXT": "YOUR_CYCLOPS_KUBE_CONTEXT_HERE",
        "CYCLOPS_MODULE_NAMESPACE": "YOUR_CYCLOPS_MODULE_NAMESPACE_HERE",
        "CYCLOPS_HELM_RELEASE_NAMESPACE": "YOUR_CYCLOPS_HELM_RELEASE_NAMESPACE_HERE",
        "CYCLOPS_MODULE_TARGET_NAMESPACE": "YOUR_CYCLOPS_MODULE_TARGET_NAMESPACE_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Kubernetes MCP Server Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "manusa-kubernetes-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "If"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

MCP Cyclops is categorized under Cloud Platforms and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Kubernetes MCP Server belongs to Cloud Platforms using local stdio subprocess. Select MCP Cyclops when you need capabilities focused on cloud platforms and Kubernetes MCP Server when you require tools for cloud platforms.

More alternatives to MCP Cyclops More alternatives to Kubernetes MCP Server Cloud Platforms category hub