Google Maps Places vs Google Custom Search MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Google Maps Places and Google Custom Search 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?

Choose Google Maps Places when:

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

Explore Google Maps Places Details

G

Choose Google Custom Search MCP when:

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

Explore Google Custom Search MCP Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Google Maps Places Developer Tools	G Google Custom Search MCP Developer Tools
Summary	Allow AI systems to search for places and get business info via Google Maps Places API.	MCP server for Google Custom Search: web and image search via a Programmable Search Engine.
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools

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-maps-places": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "google-maps-places"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-custom-search-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-google-custom-search@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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