Box MCP Server vs Filesystem MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Box MCP Server and Filesystem 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 Box MCP Server when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the File Systems domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: API Key required (BYOK (Pay Provider Direct)).
• You have access to required keys: BOX_USER_ID, BOX_JWT_BASE64, BOX_JWT_CONFIG_PATH, BOX_JWT, BOX_DEV_TOKEN.
• Primary tools included: File search capability within Box storage, File reading support for PDF and Word formats, Supports JWT and developer token authentication.

Explore Box MCP Server Details

Choose Filesystem 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).
• Primary tools included: .

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Box MCP Server hmk File Systems	Filesystem MCP LincolnBurrows2017 File Systems
Summary	Box integration for listing, reading and searching files	Model Context Protocol server for file system operations. Supports read, write, search, copy, move with security path restrictions.
Category & Scope	File Systems

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": {
    "hmk-box-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "hmk-box-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BOX_USER_ID": "YOUR_BOX_USER_ID_HERE",
        "BOX_JWT_BASE64": "YOUR_BOX_JWT_BASE64_HERE",
        "BOX_JWT_CONFIG_PATH": "YOUR_BOX_JWT_CONFIG_PATH_HERE",
        "BOX_JWT": "YOUR_BOX_JWT_HERE",
        "BOX_DEV_TOKEN": "YOUR_BOX_DEV_TOKEN_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lincolnburrows2017-filesystem-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "filesystem-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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