A side-by-side look at the Power Bi MCP and Pbirb MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Power Bi MCP for data visualization work; choose Pbirb MCP for data visualization as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
PBIRB_MCP_LOG_FILE.describe_report, get_datasets, list_data_sources.Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Data Visualization | Data Visualization |
| Quality signal | 43/100 · Fair | 51/100 · Good |
| Install command | Not confirmed yet | Confirmed |
| Transport | — | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | OAuth 2.0 | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | PBIRB_MCP_LOG_FILE |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 2 | 6 |
| Directory activity | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | Not listed | 80 |
| Full listing | View Power Bi MCP | View Pbirb MCP |
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
describe_reportTop-level inventory: data sources, datasets, parameters, tablixes, page setupget_datasetsFull DAX command text, fields, query parameters, dataset filters (all, or one by name)list_data_sourcesData source inventory; one source's connection detailsget_parametersReport parameters with data type, prompt, and flags (multi-value, hidden, nullable, allow-blank)get_tablixesTablix layout: columns, row/column groups, sort expressions, filters, visibilitylist_tablix_filtersFilters in document order with stable indiceslist_body_itemsNamed report items in each regionget_textboxFull properties of a named report itemlist_embedded_imagesEmbedded image names + MIME types; base64 bytes of oneget_expression_referenceCheat-sheet of common RDL expression patterns (`count_where`, `sum_where`, `iif_format` helpers build these)set_datasource_connectionRepoint a `<DataSource>` at a Power BI XMLA endpoint. `DataProvider=SQL` (the AS provider id).add_data_sourceManage `<DataSource>` elementsPaste 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.
No confirmed install command for Power Bi MCP yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
{
"mcpServers": {
"pbirb-mcp": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"pbirb-mcp"
],
"env": {
"PBIRB_MCP_LOG_FILE": "YOUR_PBIRB_MCP_LOG_FILE_HERE"
}
}
}
}