In-depth architectural comparison of the Excel Vision MCP and Trello Desktop 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.
At a Glance & Executive Verdict
Excel Vision MCP
Workplace & Productivity · Local stdio
Quality: 61/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required
Trello Desktop MCP
Workplace & Productivity · Local stdio
Quality: 65/100 (Great) | Auth: API Key required
Verdict Summary: Choose Excel Vision MCP if you need specialized Workplace & Productivity tools running via a local process. Choose Trello Desktop MCP if your workspace requires Workplace & Productivity integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.
Which MCP Server Should You Choose?
Choose Excel Vision MCP 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).
List all sheets in an Excel workbook with their dimensions and metadata.
Returns sheet names, row/column counts, data ranges, merged cell counts,
and total embedded image count. Use this to understand the structure of
an Excel file before reading its contents.
@param file_path: Absolute path to the .xlsx file.
@return: Formatted text with workbook structure overview.
read_excel_data
Read cell data from an Excel sheet with pagination for large files.
Returns cell values organized by row with coordinate labels and
formatting markers ([B]=bold, [S]=strikethrough, [HL:color]=highlight,
[C:color]=font color) that reveal the author's emphasis and status marks.
Hidden rows/columns are skipped by default — the author hid them for a
reason — except hidden cells that visible formulas depend on, which are
kept and marked [HIDDEN-REF].
@param file_path: Absolute path to the .xlsx file.
@param sheet_name: Sheet to read. None = first/active sheet.
@param start_row: Starting row number (1-indexed).
@param max_rows: Maximum rows to return (default 200).
@param include_hidden: Set true to also read hidden rows/columns.
@return: Formatted text table with cell values and formatting markers.
extract_images
Extract all embedded images from an Excel file.
Uses dual extraction strategy: cell-position mapping (primary) and
ZIP archive scanning (fallback) to ensure no images are missed.
Returns images as base64-encoded ImageContent that AI can visually analyze.
@param file_path: Absolute path to the .xlsx file.
@param sheet_name: Specific sheet, or None for all sheets.
@param max_width: Max width in pixels for image optimization (default 1024).
@param max_height: Max height in pixels for image optimization (default 1024).
@return: Mixed list of TextContent (metadata) and ImageContent (images).
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).
Excel Vision MCP is categorized under Workplace & Productivity and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Trello Desktop MCP belongs to Workplace & Productivity using local stdio subprocess. Select Excel Vision MCP when you need capabilities focused on workplace & productivity and Trello Desktop MCP when you require tools for workplace & productivity.
Read the FULL content of an Excel file including all text data AND embedded images.
This is the primary tool for comprehensive document analysis. Returns all sheet
data as structured text followed by all extracted images with their cell positions.
Ideal for analyzing documents where both text and diagrams/screenshots are
essential, such as requirement definitions, reports, or design specs.
For very large files, data is paginated per sheet. Image extraction uses
dual strategy (cell-mapping + archive) for maximum coverage. Cell text
carries formatting markers ([B]=bold, [S]=strikethrough, [HL:color]=
highlight) so emphasis and status marks survive into the analysis.
Hidden rows/columns are skipped by default, except hidden cells that
visible formulas depend on.
@param file_path: Absolute path to the .xlsx file.
@param max_rows_per_sheet: Max rows to read per sheet (default 500).
@param max_image_width: Max width for image optimization (default 1024).
@param max_image_height: Max height for image optimization (default 1024).
@param include_hidden: Set true to also read hidden rows/columns.
@return: Mixed list of TextContent and ImageContent covering entire workbook.
get_workbook_overview
Get a quick summary overview of an Excel workbook.
Returns file metadata, sheet list with dimensions, image count,
and merged cell information. Use this for a fast assessment
before deeper analysis.
@param file_path: Absolute path to the .xlsx file.
@return: Formatted text summary.
search_excel
Search for text content across all cells in an Excel workbook.
Performs case-insensitive substring search and returns matching cells
with their coordinates and values. Hidden rows/columns are excluded by
default. Limited to 100 results.
@param file_path: Absolute path to the .xlsx file.
@param query: Text to search for.
@param sheet_name: Limit to specific sheet, or None for all sheets.
@param include_hidden: Set true to also search hidden rows/columns.
@return: Formatted text with search results.
create_excel_file
Create a new empty .xlsx workbook.
@param file_path: Absolute destination path; parent directory must exist.
@param sheet_names: Sheet names to create in order. None = single "Sheet1".
@param overwrite: Set true to replace an existing file. Default false.
@return: Confirmation with the created sheet list.
add_excel_sheet
Add a new empty sheet to an existing workbook.
@param file_path: Absolute path to the .xlsx/.xlsm file.
@param sheet_name: Name for the new sheet; must not already exist.
@param position: 0-based index to insert at. None = append at the end.
@return: Confirmation with the updated sheet list.
update_excel_cells
Set individual cells by coordinate, e.g. {"A1": "Title", "B2": 42}.
String values starting with "=" are written as formulas (e.g. "=SUM(A1:A5)").
Note: newly written formulas have no calculated value until the file is
opened in Excel. For cells inside a merged range, write to the range's
top-left anchor cell.
The save is atomic — a failed write never corrupts the original file.
@param file_path: Absolute path to the .xlsx/.xlsm file.
@param updates: Mapping of cell coordinate to value.
@param sheet_name: Target sheet. None = first sheet.
@return: Confirmation with the number of cells written.
write_excel_rows
Write a rectangular block of rows starting at start_cell.
Efficient for tabular data: pass a list of rows, each a list of values.
Existing cells in the target range are overwritten; cells outside it
are untouched. The save is atomic.
@param file_path: Absolute path to the .xlsx/.xlsm file.
@param rows: List of rows, each a list of cell values.
@param sheet_name: Target sheet. None = first sheet.
@param start_cell: Top-left coordinate of the block (default "A1").
@return: Confirmation with the written range.
insert_excel_image
Insert an image from a local file into a workbook, anchored at a cell.
@param file_path: Absolute path to the .xlsx/.xlsm file.
@param image_path: Absolute path to the image file (PNG/JPEG/GIF/BMP).
@param cell: Anchor cell coordinate (e.g. "B2").
@param sheet_name: Target sheet. None = first sheet.
@param width: Display width in pixels. None = natural size.
@param height: Display height in pixels. None = natural size.
@return: Confirmation with anchor position and display size.
format_excel_cells
Apply formatting to a cell range: font, colors, borders, alignment, number format.
Only the attributes you pass are changed; existing styling is preserved.
Example — style a header row: cell_range="A1:D1", bold=true,
font_color="FFFFFF", fill_color="4472C4", horizontal_align="center",
border_style="thin".
@param file_path: Absolute path to the .xlsx/.xlsm file.
@param cell_range: Range like "A1:C10" or a single cell like "B2".
@param sheet_name: Target sheet. None = first sheet.
@param font_name: Font family (e.g. "Calibri").
@param font_size: Font size in points.
@param bold: Bold on/off.
@param italic: Italic on/off.
@param font_color: Text color, RRGGBB hex (e.g. "FFFFFF").
@param fill_color: Background color, RRGGBB hex (e.g. "4472C4").
@param border_style: thin, medium, thick, double, dashed, or dotted.
@param border_edges: "all" = every cell; "outline" = outer edge of range only.
@param horizontal_align: left, center, right, or justify.
@param vertical_align: top, center, or bottom.
@param wrap_text: Enable/disable text wrapping.
@param number_format: Excel format code (e.g. "#,##0.00", "dd/mm/yyyy", "0%").
@return: Confirmation with the number of cells formatted.
+1 more tools listed on main page
Trello Desktop MCP Tools (50)
trello_search
Universal search across all Trello content (boards, cards, members). Use this to find specific items by keywords or phrases.
trello_get_user_boards
Get all boards accessible to the current user. This is the starting point for exploring your Trello workspace.
get_board_details
Get information about a Trello board. IMPORTANT: Start with includeDetails=false (default) to get board metadata and lists only. Then use get_card or trello_get_list_cards to drill into specific cards. Only set includeDetails=true for small boards when you need a full overview.
get_card
Get detailed information about a specific Trello card, including its content, status, members, and attachments.
trello_get_card_by_number
Find a card on a board by its board-local number, the "#N" Trello shows on the card (its idShort). Use this to resolve a number a person quoted, such as "card #168", into a real card without needing its ID or URL. Card numbers are unique within a board but not across boards, so the board must be given.
create_card
Create a new card in a Trello list. Use this to add tasks, ideas, or items to your workflow.
update_card
Update properties of an existing Trello card. Use this to change card details like name, description, due date, or status.
move_card
Move a card to a different list. Use this to change a card's workflow status (e.g., from "To Do" to "In Progress").
trello_add_comment
Add a comment to a Trello card. Use this to add notes, updates, or discussions to cards.
trello_update_comment
Edit the text of an existing comment on a Trello card. Takes the action ID of the comment, which is the "id" field that trello_get_card_actions and trello_get_board_actions return for a commentCard action, and that trello_add_comment returns when the comment is created. Only comments can be edited, and only ones written by the authenticated member.
trello_delete_comment
Permanently delete a comment from a Trello card. Takes the action ID of the comment, the same "id" that trello_get_card_actions, trello_get_board_actions and trello_add_comment return for a commentCard action. Only comments can be deleted, and only ones written by the authenticated member. Trello offers no undo for this, so prefer trello_update_comment when the intent is to correct rather than remove.
trello_get_list_cards
Get all cards in a specific Trello list. Use this to see all tasks/items in a workflow column.