GitLab MCP Server vs MCP Gitlab

In-depth architectural comparison of the GitLab MCP Server and MCP Gitlab 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.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

G

Choose GitLab MCP Server when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Version Control domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore GitLab MCP Server Details

Choose MCP Gitlab when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Version Control domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore MCP Gitlab Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	G GitLab MCP Server Version Control	MCP Gitlab Version Control
Summary	GitLab MCP server with 44 tools for projects, MRs, pipelines, and more	Secure MCP server for GitLab projects, merge requests, issues, and pipelines
Category & Scope	Version Control	Version Control
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

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).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab-mcp-server-2": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "gitlab-mcp-server-2"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-gitlab": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-gitlab-crunchtools"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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