Filesystem vs Google Drive
A side-by-side look at the Filesystem and Google Drive MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Filesystem for file systems work as a local process; choose Google Drive for file systems. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Filesystem when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the File Systems domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
create_entities, create_relations, add_observations.
Choose Google Drive when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the File Systems domain.
- You want tools like
get_account, get_file, list_folder.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Systems | File Systems |
| Quality signal | 90/100 · Excellent | 45/100 · Fair |
| Install command | Confirmed | Not confirmed yet |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | — |
| Auth | No auth required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Verified | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 91,405 | 0 |
| Directory activity | 8 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 9 | 35 |
| Full listing | View Filesystem | View Google Drive |
Tools & capabilities
Filesystem tools 9
create_entitiesCreate multiple new entities in the knowledge graphcreate_relationsCreate multiple new relations between entities in the knowledge graph. Relations should be in active voiceadd_observationsAdd new observations to existing entities in the knowledge graphdelete_entitiesDelete multiple entities and their associated relations from the knowledge graphdelete_observationsDelete specific observations from entities in the knowledge graphdelete_relationsDelete multiple relations from the knowledge graphread_graphRead the entire knowledge graphsearch_nodesSearch for nodes in the knowledge graph based on a queryopen_nodesOpen specific nodes in the knowledge graph by their names
Google Drive tools 35
get_accountWho is signed in, storage used, whether this account has shared drives, and which of this server's tools are registeredget_fileEverything about one file: kind, location, link, size, owner, who can see it, who cannot download it, and what you may do with itlist_folderOne page of a folder's contents, or a budgeted tree of everything below itsearch_filesFind files across My Drive, files shared with you, and every shared drive, or under one folder at any depthread_fileThe text of a file: a Doc as markdown, a Sheet as csv, a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file (or its OpenDocument counterpart) read here as text, a log or source file as itself, windowed with a continuationextract_textThe text in a PDF or an image, read by Google's OCR through a temporary Google Doc copy that is deleted againdownload_fileWrite a file to the local directory, converting a Google document on the way out, checksum-verifiedcreate_fileA new empty Google file, or one written from text you have here, with optional conversionupload_fileSend a local file, in one request or in chunks that survive a dropped connectionupdate_contentReplace what is inside a file, keeping its id, its place and everything that points at it, and refusing to lose the comments Google Docs keeps in a Markdown filecreate_folderA new folder, refusing a duplicate name unless you allow itupdate_fileRename, describe, star, color, set properties, restrict downloads and re-sharing, or give a folder limited access- +23 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.
Filesystem
{
"mcpServers": {
"filesystem": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@modelcontextprotocol/server-memory"
]
}
}
}
Google Drive
No confirmed install command for Google Drive yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
Frequently asked questions
Filesystem is categorized under File Systems and uses a local stdio subprocess. Google Drive belongs to File Systems and uses an install path we have not confirmed yet. Pick Filesystem for file systems work and Google Drive for file systems.
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. Google Drive has no confirmed install command yet — follow its own setup instructions.
Filesystem is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Google Drive has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. 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 filesystem and google-drive-3 as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Filesystem has a quality signal of 90/100 (Excellent) with 8 views, 0 installs and 91,405 GitHub stars. Google Drive has 45/100 (Fair) with 2 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.
