Mailbox MCP vs Yahoo Mail MCP
A side-by-side look at the Mailbox MCP and Yahoo Mail MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Mailbox MCP for communication work as a local process; choose Yahoo Mail MCP for communication. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Mailbox MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
MAILBOX_MCP_PASSPHRASE, MAILBOX_MCP_CONFIG_DIR, MAILBOX_MCP_PROFILE. - You want tools like
list_accounts, authenticate, reauth.
Choose Yahoo Mail MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
- Its auth model fits you: other.
- You have the keys it needs:
YAHOO_EMAIL, YAHOO_APP_PASSWORD. - You want tools like
list_folders, create_folder, list_emails.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Communication | Communication |
| Quality signal | 59/100 · Good | 49/100 · Fair |
| Install command | Confirmed | Not confirmed yet |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | — |
| Auth | Not declared | other |
| Pricing | Not declared | Free |
| Required env vars | MAILBOX_MCP_PASSPHRASEMAILBOX_MCP_CONFIG_DIRMAILBOX_MCP_PROFILE | YAHOO_EMAILYAHOO_APP_PASSWORD |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 10 | 2 |
| Directory activity | 3 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 6 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 49 | 9 |
| Full listing | View Mailbox MCP | View Yahoo Mail MCP |
Tools & capabilities
Mailbox MCP tools 49
list_accountsList configured accountsauthenticateAdd a new accountreauthRe-run OAuth for an existing Gmail account (use when refresh token expires with `invalid_grant`)remove_accountRemove an accountsearch_emailsSearch messages (optional `folder` to scope the search)multi_account_searchRun the same query across every configured account in parallelread_emailRead a messageread_threadRead a conversation thread (Gmail + JMAP)send_emailSend a new email (supports `from`, `attachments`; new recipients need `confirm_new_recipient`)reply_emailReply to a message (supports `from`, `attachments`; extra cc/bcc to new addresses need `confirm_new_recipient`)forward_emailForward a message (supports `from`, `attachments`; other domains need `confirm_external_forward`)create_draftCreate a draft (supports reply drafts via `in_reply_to`, plus `from`, `attachments`)- +37 more on the listing page
Yahoo Mail MCP tools 9
list_foldersList every IMAP folder/label, with special-use flagscreate_folderCreate a folder if it doesn't already exist (idempotent)list_emailsList recent emails in a folder, newest firstsearch_emailsSearch a folder by sender/subject/date range/unread, AND-combinedread_emailFetch full headers + body (plain text, or HTML stripped) + attachment filenamesget_attachmentFetch one attachment's raw bytes, base64-encodedmove_emailMove a single message between folders by UIDdelete_emailDelete a message — soft-delete (Trash) by defaultmark_emailSet/unset the read (`\Seen`) flag
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.
Mailbox MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"mailbox-mcp-2": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"mailbox-mcp"
],
"env": {
"MAILBOX_MCP_PASSPHRASE": "YOUR_MAILBOX_MCP_PASSPHRASE_HERE",
"MAILBOX_MCP_CONFIG_DIR": "YOUR_MAILBOX_MCP_CONFIG_DIR_HERE",
"MAILBOX_MCP_PROFILE": "YOUR_MAILBOX_MCP_PROFILE_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Yahoo Mail MCP
No confirmed install command for Yahoo Mail MCP yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
Frequently asked questions
Mailbox MCP is categorized under Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. Yahoo Mail MCP belongs to Communication and uses an install path we have not confirmed yet. Pick Mailbox MCP for communication work and Yahoo Mail MCP for communication.
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. Yahoo Mail MCP has no confirmed install command yet — follow its own setup instructions.
Mailbox MCP has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Yahoo Mail MCP is listed as free. Auth: other. 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 mailbox-mcp-2 and yahoo-mail-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Mailbox MCP has a quality signal of 59/100 (Good) with 3 views, 0 installs and 10 GitHub stars. Yahoo Mail MCP has 49/100 (Fair) with 6 views, 0 installs and 2 GitHub stars.