Gitlab MCP Server vs Gitlab Ci MCP
A side-by-side look at the Gitlab MCP Server and Gitlab Ci MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Gitlab MCP Server for version control work as a local process; choose Gitlab Ci MCP for version control as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Gitlab MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Version Control domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
GITLAB_TOKEN. - You want tools like
gitlab_execute_action, gitlab_find_action.
Choose Gitlab Ci MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Version Control domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You have the keys it needs:
GITLAB_URL, GITLAB_TOKEN, GITLAB_PROJECT_PATH, GITLAB_SSL_VERIFY, GITLAB_NO_PROXY_DOMAINS. - You want tools like
gitlab_list_branches, gitlab_list_tags, gitlab_compare_branches.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Version Control | Version Control |
| Quality signal | 63/100 · Good | 57/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | API key required |
| Pricing | Not declared | BYOK (pay the provider) |
| Required env vars | GITLAB_TOKEN | GITLAB_URLGITLAB_TOKENGITLAB_PROJECT_PATHGITLAB_SSL_VERIFYGITLAB_NO_PROXY_DOMAINS |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 45 | 2 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 3 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 2 | 23 |
| Full listing | View Gitlab MCP Server | View Gitlab Ci MCP |
Tools & capabilities
Gitlab MCP Server tools 2
gitlab_execute_actionExecute one GitLab catalog action by canonical ID or alias. Always pass params as an object. Destructive actions require top-level confirm=true. Use find first only when action or params are unclear. Example: {"action":"issue.list","params":{"project_id":"group/project"}}gitlab_find_actionSearch the local GitLab action catalog. Read-only and no GitLab API call. Use when the action ID or params are unclear. Returns schemas, hints, destructive flags, and execute examples. Example: {"query":"issue list"}
Gitlab Ci MCP tools 23
gitlab_list_branchesList branches of a project, optionally filtered by substring. Includes ``default``, ``protected`` and ``merged`` flags, and the short id of the tip commit with its title and date. Examples: - "List all branches with 'release' in name" → ``search='release'`` - "Next page of branches" → ``page=2`` - Don't use when you want to check if a specific branch exists by exact name — use ``gitlab_get_file`` on that ref and look at the error instead.gitlab_list_tagsList tags of a project, newest first. Useful for release-note generation or checking the last shipped version. Examples: - "What was the last release tag" → default call, take the first item - "All v2.x releases" → ``search='v2.'``gitlab_compare_branchesCompare two branches — returns up to 30 commits and the list of changed files. Use for "what's in ``release/x.y`` vs ``master``?" or for release-note drafting. Examples: - "What's new in release/1.5 vs master" → ``source='release/1.5'``, ``target='master'`` - Don't use to fetch full diffs of an MR — use ``gitlab_get_merge_request_changes``.gitlab_list_merge_requestsList merge requests of a project, optionally filtered by state. Examples: - "What MRs are open right now" → default (state='opened') - "What merged last week" → ``state='merged'`` then filter by ``updated_at`` client-side - "Everything regardless of state" → ``state='all'`` - Don't use when you have an MR IID — use ``gitlab_get_merge_request`` for detail.gitlab_get_merge_requestGet full information about a merge request by internal ID (``iid``). Includes state, branches, author, assignees, reviewers, labels, conflict status, description and timestamps. Examples: - "Show me the description and state of !42" → ``mr_iid=42`` - Don't use to see changed files — use ``gitlab_get_merge_request_changes``.gitlab_get_merge_request_changesList changed files in a merge request with truncated diffs (2KB per file). Useful for code-review-style queries ("what changed in !42?"). Diffs beyond 2KB are truncated — fetch the raw file via ``gitlab_get_file`` for full content. Examples: - "What did MR !42 change" → ``mr_iid=42`` - If you need full content of a changed file, use ``gitlab_get_file`` with the MR's source branch.gitlab_create_merge_requestCreate a merge request from ``source_branch`` into ``target_branch``. **Not idempotent**: creates a new MR each call. Check existing MRs first via ``gitlab_list_merge_requests`` if you want to avoid duplicates. Examples: - "Open an MR from feature/login to master" → ``source_branch='feature/login'`` - "Open a WIP MR with a label" → ``title='Draft: ...'``, ``labels=['wip']`` - Don't use to merge an already-open MR — use ``gitlab_merge_mr``.gitlab_merge_mrPerform the actual merge if GitLab reports the MR can be merged. **Destructive**: writes to the target branch. Checks ``merge_status`` first and returns ``status='cannot_merge'`` if conflicts exist or pipelines are required. Examples: - "Merge !42" → ``mr_iid=42`` - Don't call without checking ``gitlab_get_merge_request`` first when you suspect conflicts.gitlab_list_pipelinesList recent pipelines of a project, newest first. Use for triage ("show failed pipelines on master"), release readiness checks, or feeding pipeline IDs into follow-up calls. Read-only and idempotent. Returns ``PipelinesListOutput``: ``project``, ``count``, ``pagination`` and ``pipelines[]`` (each ``PipelineSummary``). The tool result additionally carries a markdown table in its text content. Examples: - "Show failed pipelines on master" → ``status='failed'``, ``ref='master'`` - "Last nightly schedule runs" → ``source='schedule'`` - "Second page of pipelines" → ``page=2`` - Don't use when you have a specific pipeline ID — use ``gitlab_get_pipeline`` instead.gitlab_get_pipelineGet a single pipeline with full timing details. Useful right after ``gitlab_list_pipelines`` — lists only return summaries. Returns status, ref, source, durations (queued/total), and started/finished timestamps. Examples: - "Why was pipeline 123 slow" → check ``queued_duration`` and ``duration`` fields - "Is pipeline 456 still running" → look at ``status`` - Don't use to see individual jobs — use ``gitlab_get_pipeline_jobs``.gitlab_get_pipeline_jobsList jobs of a pipeline with stage, status, duration and web URL. Use after noticing a failed pipeline to drill down into which specific job broke and fetch its log via ``gitlab_get_job_log``. Examples: - "What jobs are in pipeline 123" → ``pipeline_id=123`` - "Which job failed in pipeline 456" → filter result by ``status='failed'`` client-side - Don't use for overall pipeline status — use ``gitlab_get_pipeline`` instead.gitlab_get_job_logFetch the trace/log of a job, with optional regex filter. Two modes: * Default: return the last ``tail`` lines (token-efficient, good for "why did this just fail?"). * With ``grep_pattern``: return only matching lines with ``grep_context`` surrounding lines on each side — ideal for finding "ERROR" / "Traceback" in megabyte-scale CI logs without pulling the whole trace into context. Examples: - "Why did job 789 fail" → default tail=100, look at the end of the log - "Show me the first stage output of job 789" → ``tail=5000`` and scan for stage separator - "Find every Traceback in job 789" → ``grep_pattern='Traceback'``, ``grep_context=5`` - "All ERROR lines from job 789" → ``grep_pattern='ERROR|FAIL'``- +11 more on the listing page
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Gitlab MCP Server
{
"mcpServers": {
"jmrplens-gitlab-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@jmrp.io/gitlab-mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"GITLAB_TOKEN": "YOUR_GITLAB_TOKEN_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Gitlab Ci MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"mshegolev-gitlab-ci-mcp": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"--from",
"gitlab-ci-mcp",
"gitlab-ci-mcp"
],
"env": {
"GITLAB_URL": "YOUR_GITLAB_URL_HERE",
"GITLAB_TOKEN": "YOUR_GITLAB_TOKEN_HERE",
"GITLAB_PROJECT_PATH": "YOUR_GITLAB_PROJECT_PATH_HERE",
"GITLAB_SSL_VERIFY": "YOUR_GITLAB_SSL_VERIFY_HERE",
"GITLAB_NO_PROXY_DOMAINS": "YOUR_GITLAB_NO_PROXY_DOMAINS_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Gitlab MCP Server is categorized under Version Control and uses a local stdio subprocess. Gitlab Ci MCP belongs to Version Control and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Gitlab MCP Server for version control work and Gitlab Ci MCP for version control.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Gitlab MCP Server has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Gitlab Ci MCP is bring-your-own-key: usage is billed by the API provider you supply a key for. Auth: api key required. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add jmrplens-gitlab-mcp-server and mshegolev-gitlab-ci-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Gitlab MCP Server has a quality signal of 63/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 45 GitHub stars. Gitlab Ci MCP has 57/100 (Good) with 3 views, 0 installs and 2 GitHub stars.