Google Drive vs Google Drive Files MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Google Drive and Google Drive Files 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.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

G

Choose Google Drive when:

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

Explore Google Drive Details

Choose Google Drive Files MCP when:

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

Explore Google Drive Files MCP Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	G Google Drive File Systems	Google Drive Files MCP File Systems
Summary	Google Drive + Workspace MCP — Docs, Sheets, Slides, Shared Drives, Labels, Approvals, DWD	Minimal MCP server for Google Drive file management and Google Sheets editing.
Category & Scope	File Systems	File Systems
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": {
    "google-drive-5": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@us-all/google-drive-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-drive-files-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "google-drive-files-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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