What is the key difference between MCP Snowflake Server and Spark SQL?

MCP Snowflake Server belongs to the Databases category with local stdio execution, while Spark SQL belongs to the Databases category with local stdio execution.

How do I install MCP Snowflake Server or Spark SQL 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 MCP Snowflake Server and Spark SQL free or paid?

MCP Snowflake Server operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required). Spark SQL operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

MCP Snowflake Server lists 15 tools with 2 views and 185 GitHub stars. Spark SQL lists 4 tools with 1 views and 1 GitHub stars.

Can I use both MCP Snowflake Server and Spark SQL 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

MCP Snowflake Server vs Spark SQL

In-depth architectural comparison of the MCP Snowflake Server and Spark SQL 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

MCP Snowflake Server

Databases · Local stdio

Quality: 60/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Spark SQL

Databases · Local stdio

Quality: 47/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose MCP Snowflake Server if you need specialized Databases tools running via a local process. Choose Spark SQL if your workspace requires Databases integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose MCP Snowflake Server when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Databases 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: SNOWFLAKE_USER, SNOWFLAKE_ACCOUNT, SNOWFLAKE_ROLE, SNOWFLAKE_DATABASE, SNOWFLAKE_SCHEMA, SNOWFLAKE_WAREHOUSE, SNOWFLAKE_PASSWORD, SNOWFLAKE_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH.
Primary tools included: read_query, query, SELECT.

Explore MCP Snowflake Server Details

Choose Spark SQL when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Databases domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: list_databases, list_tables, describe_table.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	MCP Snowflake Server isaacwasserman Databases	Spark SQL Databases
Summary	Snowflake integration implementing read and (optional) write operations as well as insight tracking	Query Spark SQL clusters via Thrift/HiveServer2. Works with Spark, EMR, Hive, Impala.
Category & Scope	Databases	Databases

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

MCP Snowflake Server Tools (15)

read_query

query

SELECT

write_query

create_table

list_databases

list_schemas

database

list_tables

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).

MCP Snowflake Server Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "isaacwasserman-mcp-snowflake-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@smithery/cli"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SNOWFLAKE_USER": "YOUR_SNOWFLAKE_USER_HERE",
        "SNOWFLAKE_ACCOUNT": "YOUR_SNOWFLAKE_ACCOUNT_HERE",
        "SNOWFLAKE_ROLE": "YOUR_SNOWFLAKE_ROLE_HERE",
        "SNOWFLAKE_DATABASE": "YOUR_SNOWFLAKE_DATABASE_HERE",
        "SNOWFLAKE_SCHEMA": "YOUR_SNOWFLAKE_SCHEMA_HERE",
        "SNOWFLAKE_WAREHOUSE": "YOUR_SNOWFLAKE_WAREHOUSE_HERE",
        "SNOWFLAKE_PASSWORD": "YOUR_SNOWFLAKE_PASSWORD_HERE",
        "SNOWFLAKE_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH": "YOUR_SNOWFLAKE_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Spark SQL Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "spark-sql": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "spark-sql-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

MCP Snowflake Server is categorized under Databases and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Spark SQL belongs to Databases using local stdio subprocess. Select MCP Snowflake Server when you need capabilities focused on databases and Spark SQL when you require tools for databases.

More alternatives to MCP Snowflake Server More alternatives to Spark SQL Databases category hub