Dns vs Imap MCP Server
A side-by-side look at the Dns and Imap MCP Server MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Dns for communication work as a local process; choose Imap MCP Server for communication as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Dns when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
check_mx, check_spf, check_dmarc.
Choose Imap MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: other.
- You want tools like
imap_add_account, imap_update_account, imap_list_accounts.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Communication | Communication |
| Quality signal | 61/100 · Good | 71/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | No auth required | other |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 9 | 112 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 8 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 81 | 40 |
| Full listing | View Dns | View Imap MCP Server |
Tools & capabilities
Dns tools 81
check_mxLook up MX records for a domain. Identifies which mail servers receive inbound email for the domain and which email hosting provider is used (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Proofpoint, etc.). Use when asked which email provider hosts inbound mail for a domain, or to see MX record configuration. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_spfLook up and validate the SPF record for a domain. Lists all IP addresses and third-party senders authorised to send email on behalf of the domain, flags syntax errors, and shows the trust surface (which mail servers are whitelisted). Use when you need to know who is permitted to send email as a domain. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_dmarcLook up and validate the DMARC record for a domain. Shows the enforcement level (none/quarantine/reject), alignment mode (strict/relaxed), and aggregate/forensic reporting destinations. Use to determine a domain's DMARC enforcement level, whether it sends aggregate reports, or if it is protected against email impersonation — distinct from check_shadow_domains (which checks TLD variants) and assess_spoofability (composite score). Part of the scan_domain audit.check_dkimLook up DKIM records for a domain. Probes common selectors, validates the signing algorithm used for outgoing email (RSA-1024/2048, Ed25519), and reports key strength. Use to verify that outbound email signatures are cryptographically sound. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_dnssecCheck DNSSEC status for a domain. Verifies whether DNS is tamper-proof and protected against cache poisoning and DNS spoofing attacks by validating DNSKEY and DS records. Reports whether DNSSEC is enabled and validating. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_sslCheck the HTTPS/TLS posture of a domain: HTTPS reachability, HSTS policy, and HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect. Also returns certificate metadata (issuer, expiry date, days remaining, SAN count) read from public Certificate Transparency logs — this describes the most recently LOGGED certificate, which may differ from the one currently served. Origin TLS protocol support and cipher suites are not assessed; legacy-TLS detection is withdrawn because the probe cannot observe the origin handshake. Use to verify HTTPS/HSTS configuration and certificate issuer/expiry. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_mta_stsCheck whether a domain enforces SMTP TLS for inbound mail via MTA-STS, protecting against downgrade attacks. Queries _mta-sts.<domain> and fetches the policy file, reports mode (enforce/testing/none) and MX coverage. Use to verify whether inbound SMTP is protected against TLS downgrade or MITM — distinct from check_dane which uses TLSA pinning. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_nsAudit a domain’s nameserver delegation and redundancy. Identifies the DNS hosting provider and, when the infrastructure probe is available, directly compares parent and child NS sets, verifies authoritative AA responses, and checks required glue addresses. Use to detect stale registrar delegations, lame nameservers, and intermittent resolution risk. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_caaLook up CAA records for a domain. Shows which Certificate Authorities are authorized to issue certificates. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_bimiCheck the BIMI brand-logo record at default._bimi.<domain>. Validates the logo URL (l=) and the presence of mark-certificate authority evidence (a=) — the a= tag is a bare URL, so the certificate type (VMC or CMC) is not determined — and verifies the DMARC enforcement prerequisite (p=quarantine/reject) that mail clients require before displaying a BIMI logo. Returns findings for a missing/malformed record or unmet prerequisites. Use to assess brand-indicator readiness in inboxes. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_tlsrptCheck whether a domain has SMTP TLS Reporting (TLS-RPT) configured. Queries _smtp._tls.<domain> for the v=TLSRPTv1 record and validates its reporting destination (rua= mailto:/https:), flagging a missing record, duplicate records, or an invalid/absent reporting URI. Complements MTA-STS by giving visibility into TLS delivery failures. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_http_securityAudit a domain's browser-facing HTTP security headers over HTTPS. Inspects Content-Security-Policy (flagging unsafe-inline/unsafe-eval/wildcards), X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy, Permissions-Policy, and the cross-origin isolation headers (COOP/COEP/CORP), and detects CDN/WAF interception. Returns per-header findings for missing or weak protections against XSS, clickjacking, and cross-origin attacks. Part of the scan_domain audit.- +69 more on the listing page
Imap MCP Server tools 40
imap_add_accountAdd a new IMAP account configurationimap_update_accountUpdate an existing IMAP account. Useful for fixing SMTP settings without removing and re-adding the account.imap_list_accountsList all configured IMAP accountsimap_remove_accountRemove an IMAP account configurationimap_connectConnect to an IMAP accountimap_disconnectDisconnect from an IMAP accountimap_test_accountTest an existing account connection without re-entering credentials. Validates IMAP connectivity and returns folder count and message count.imap_search_emailsNote: on some servers a 'flagged' or starred message carries a custom keyword (e.g. an Open-Xchange color label or Apple's $MailFlagBit*) instead of, or in addition to, the \Flagged system flag. After any flagged search, inspect each result's customKeywords field before concluding a message is or isn't flagged — do not rely on the flagged filter alone. Search for emails matching criteria (sender, recipient, subject, body text, date range, read/flagged status). Use this to FIND messages when you know something about them but not their UID — e.g. "emails from amazon last week", "unread invoices". By default searches a single folder (INBOX). Set searchAllFolders=true to scan every mailbox at once — this catches messages filed away by rules (e.g. a receipt routed to a custom folder); Trash/Spam/Drafts are skipped unless you opt in. By default returns lightweight headers (uid, from, subject, date, and folder when searching across folders); set `includeBody=true` to also return the parsed body in one round-trip instead of paying the N+1 cost of calling imap_get_email per match. For the newest messages without criteria, prefer imap_get_latest_emails.imap_get_emailRead the FULL content of a single email by its UID (body, sender/recipients, date, attachment list, optional raw headers and text-attachment previews). By default the body is returned as clean Markdown in markdownContent and raw HTML is omitted so it never crosses the boundary; set bodyFormat to "html" for the legacy raw htmlContent, or "text" for plain text only. Use after imap_search_emails or imap_get_latest_emails gives you a uid. Body text is truncated to maxContentLength to protect the context window — raise it for long messages. To fetch attachment bytes, use imap_download_attachment.imap_upload_fileUpload a file to the server for use as an email attachment. Returns a path that can be used with imap_send_email attachments. This allows sending large attachments without hitting context window limits. Max size: 26214400 bytes (configurable via IMAP_MAX_UPLOAD_SIZE). Uploads are auto-deleted after 86400000 ms (configurable via IMAP_UPLOAD_TTL_MS).imap_download_attachmentDownload a single attachment from an email (folder + uid + attachment filename/contentId, as listed by imap_get_email). Images are returned inline for viewing; PDFs are saved and their text is extracted inline (extractText); other files are saved to the shared downloads directory (or savePath). Use when the user wants the actual file contents, not just the message body.imap_mark_as_readMark one or many emails as read. Accepts a single UID or an array — pass an array to flag N messages in one IMAP STORE round-trip (useful when triaging).- +28 more on the listing page
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Dns
{
"mcpServers": {
"dns": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"-p",
"blackveil-dns",
"blackveil-dns-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Imap MCP Server
{
"mcpServers": {
"imap-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"imap-mcp-server"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Dns is categorized under Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. Imap MCP Server belongs to Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Dns for communication work and Imap MCP Server for communication.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Dns is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Imap MCP Server is listed as free. Auth: other. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add dns and imap-mcp-server as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Dns has a quality signal of 61/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 9 GitHub stars. Imap MCP Server has 71/100 (Great) with 8 views, 0 installs and 112 GitHub stars.