Localstack MCP Server vs Awslabs MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Localstack MCP Server and Awslabs 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 Localstack MCP Server when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Cloud Platforms domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: Lifecycle management of LocalStack runtime with authentication, Automatic detection and deployment of infrastructure as code projects, Natural language search of LocalStack documentation and guides.

Explore Localstack MCP Server Details

Choose Awslabs MCP when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Cloud Platforms 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: AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID, AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY, AWS_REGION.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Localstack MCP Server localstack Cloud Platforms	Awslabs MCP awslabs Cloud Platforms
Summary	A MCP server for LocalStack to manage local AWS environments, including lifecycle operations, infra deployments, log analysis, fault injection, and state management.	AWS MCP servers for seamless integration with AWS services and resources.
Category & Scope	Cloud Platforms

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": {
    "localstack-localstack-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@localstack/localstack-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "awslabs-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "awslabs.aws-api-mcp-server@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID": "YOUR_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID_HERE",
        "AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY": "YOUR_AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY_HERE",
        "AWS_REGION": "YOUR_AWS_REGION_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

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