What is the key difference between Gmail and Outlook Calendar?

Gmail belongs to the Communication category with local stdio execution, while Outlook Calendar belongs to the Communication category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Gmail or Outlook Calendar in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Gmail and Outlook Calendar free or paid?

Gmail operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Outlook Calendar operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Gmail lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Outlook Calendar lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Gmail and Outlook Calendar together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Gmail vs Outlook Calendar

In-depth architectural comparison of the Gmail and Outlook Calendar 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

Gmail

Communication · Local stdio

Quality: 21/100 (Emerging) | Auth: No auth required

Outlook Calendar

Communication · Local stdio

Quality: 23/100 (Emerging) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Gmail if you need specialized Communication tools running via a local process. Choose Outlook Calendar if your workspace requires Communication integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Gmail when:

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

Explore Gmail Details

Choose Outlook Calendar when:

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

Explore Outlook Calendar Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	G Gmail Communication	O Outlook Calendar Communication
Summary	Gmail MCP Pack	Outlook Calendar MCP Pack
Category & Scope	Communication	Communication
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Gmail Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

Outlook Calendar Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

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).

Gmail Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gmail-4": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "gmail-4"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Outlook Calendar Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "outlook-calendar": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "outlook-calendar"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Gmail is categorized under Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Outlook Calendar belongs to Communication using local stdio subprocess. Select Gmail when you need capabilities focused on communication and Outlook Calendar when you require tools for communication.

More alternatives to Gmail More alternatives to Outlook Calendar Communication category hub