Pubnub MCP Server vs Slack MCP Server
A side-by-side look at the Pubnub MCP Server and Slack MCP Server MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Pubnub MCP Server for communication work as a local process; choose Slack MCP Server for communication as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Pubnub MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
PUBNUB_API_KEY. - You want tools like
get_sdk_documentation, get_chat_sdk_documentation, get_sdk_migration_guide.
Choose Slack MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: other.
- You want tools like
slack_token_status, slack_health_check, slack_refresh_tokens.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Communication | Communication |
| Quality signal | 65/100 · Great | 68/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | other |
| Pricing | Not declared | Freemium |
| Required env vars | PUBNUB_API_KEY | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 33 | 32 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 8 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 17 | 19 |
| Full listing | View Pubnub MCP Server | View Slack MCP Server |
Tools & capabilities
Pubnub MCP Server tools 17
get_sdk_documentationRetrieve Core SDK documentation for low-level real-time features. **When to use:** - Building NON-CHAT real-time apps (IoT, gaming state sync, live analytics, notifications) - Need fine-grained control over pub/sub, presence, storage, or access management - Implementing custom real-time patterns - Need API reference for specific SDK methods (publish, subscribe, history, etc.) - For Python SDK usage always request about sync or asyncio version of langauge. **Do NOT use for:** - Chat/messaging apps → use "get_chat_sdk_documentation" instead - Conceptual guides → use "how_to" Returns code examples, API references, and implementation guides for the specified language/feature combination.get_chat_sdk_documentationRetrieve Chat SDK documentation for building chat/messaging applications. **When to use:** - Building ANY chat or messaging application (1:1, group, channels) - Need typing indicators, read receipts, @mentions, unread counts - Want message threads, reactions, pinned messages, moderation - Need user/channel management with chat-specific features - Prefer rapid development with intuitive methods like sendText(), startTyping(), join() **Do NOT use for:** - Non-chat real-time apps (IoT, gaming state, analytics) → use "get_sdk_documentation" - Conceptual guides → use "how_to" **Example features:** - messages-send-receive, messages-threads, messages-reactions - channels-create, channels-join, channels-typing-indicator - users-mentions, users-presence Returns code examples and API references for the specified language/feature.get_sdk_migration_guideRetrieve SDK migration guides for upgrading between PubNub SDK versions. **When to use:** - Upgrading a PubNub SDK to a newer major version - Need step-by-step instructions for migrating breaking changes - Refactoring a codebase after a PubNub SDK version bump **Do NOT use for:** - General SDK documentation → use "get_sdk_documentation" - Chat SDK documentation → use "get_chat_sdk_documentation" Returns the migration guide content for the specified language and target version.get_general_migration_guideRetrieve general migration guides for cross-cutting PubNub platform changes. **When to use:** - Migrating to a new encryption standard (e.g. 256-bit encryption) - Upgrading push notification setup (e.g. APNs HTTP/2, FCM v1) - Migrating to new API versions (e.g. Access Manager v3, Objects v2) - Replacing deprecated features (e.g. legacy webhooks) **Do NOT use for:** - SDK version upgrades (e.g. JavaScript v7→v8) → use "get_sdk_migration_guide" - General SDK documentation → use "get_sdk_documentation" Returns the migration guide content for the specified slug.how_toRetrieve conceptual guides for specific PubNub use cases and integrations. **When to use:** - Learning how to implement a specific use case (gaming, healthcare, IoT) - Need step-by-step integration guide for a platform (Unity, Unreal etc) - Understanding PubNub features in context (presence, push notifications, functions) **Do NOT use for:** - API reference or code samples of a specific PubNub features → use `get_sdk_documentation` or `get_chat_sdk_documentation` - General best practices → use `write_pubnub_app`write_pubnub_appRetrieve PubNub best practices guide covering: 1) Architecture & project setup (environments, payload sizes), 2) Security (Access Manager tokens, least privilege, PII hygiene), 3) Channel & data modeling (naming conventions, message schemas), 4) Publish/Subscribe patterns, 5) History usage, 6) Client reliability (reconnect, idempotency, ordering), 7) Functions/edge logic, 8) Presence & state, 9) App Context, 10) Mobile specifics (push notifications, caching), 11) Web specifics (tab lifecycle, Service Workers), 12) Observability & ops, 13) Performance & cost optimization. Call this tool when building PubNub applications to ensure robust, scalable, and secure implementations.manage_appsManages PubNub apps with operations: list, create, update. - 'list': List all apps on your account. - 'create': Create a new app. User must provide data.name. - 'update': Update an existing app name. User must provide data.id and data.name.manage_keysetsManages PubNub keysets with operations: get, list, create, update. - 'get': Get a specific keyset information, including its current config (message persistence, App Context, files, presence including presence rules, etc.). User needs to provide the keyset id. - 'list': List all keysets for your account or a specific app. - 'create': Create a new keyset. New keyset is created with Message Persistence, App Context, Files, and Presence enabled by default; the user must provide name, production, and config with nested objects (messagePersistence, appContext, files, presence), and if any required parameter is missing, you must ask the user to provide it. - 'update': Update an existing keyset. User needs to provide the keyset id and the config to update. Only provided fields are changed. presence.rules replaces the stored rules entirely: before changing rules, call 'get' and send the full list including the existing rules to keep. If 'get' returns presence.rules as "UNREADABLE", the existing rules cannot be read back; tell the user that sending rules will overwrite them and ask before proceeding.get_usage_metricsFetches usage metrics from the PubNub Admin API for an account, app, or keyset. **Parameters:** - entityType: 'account', 'app', or 'keyset' - entityId: The ID of the entity - from: Start date (inclusive) in YYYY-MM-DD format - to: End date (exclusive) in YYYY-MM-DD format - metrics: Array of metric names to retrieve **Available Metric Categories:** - Core transactions: txn_total, mtd_txn_total, replicated, signals, edge - MAU/UUID: mtd_uuid, uuid, pn_uuid - Messages: msgs_total, publish, subscribe_msgs, history_msgs, files_msgs, push_msgs - Storage: bytes_stored, bytes_stored_messages, bytes_stored_files, etc. - Access Manager: accessmanager_grants_transactions, accessmanager_audits_transactions - Functions: executions, kv_read_transactions, kv_write_transactions - History: history_transactions, history_with_actions_transactions - Message Actions: message_actions_add_transactions, message_actions_get_transactions - Objects/App Context: objects_create_user_transactions, objects_get_user_transactions, etc. - Presence: presence_herenow_transactions, presence_wherenow_transactions - Push Notifications: apns_sent_transactions, gcm_sent_transactions - Subscribe: subscribe_transactions, subscribe_heartbeats_transactions - Publish: publish_transactions, publish_bytes - Signal: signal_transactions - Files: files_publish_transactions, files_get_file_transactionsmanage_app_contextManages PubNub App Context (Objects API) for users, channels, and memberships. Supports CRUD operations including get, set, remove, and getAll. Use this tool to manage user profiles, channel metadata, and membership relationships in your PubNub application.send_pubnub_messageSend a message or signal to a PubNub channel in real-time. Supports both regular messages and lightweight signals. Plain strings are automatically wrapped in a 'text' field. Requires publish and subscribe keys from your PubNub keyset.get_pubnub_presenceRetrieves real-time presence information. Use 'channels'/'channelGroups' for HereNow (occupancy/users in channel) and/or 'uuid' for WhereNow (channels a user is in). Returns presence data in JSON format. Requires publish and subscribe keys from your PubNub keyset.- +5 more on the listing page
Slack MCP Server tools 19
slack_token_statusCheck token health, age, auto-refresh status, and cache statsslack_health_checkCheck if Slack tokens are valid and show authentication statusslack_refresh_tokensForce refresh tokens by extracting from Chrome (requires Slack tab open in Chrome)slack_list_conversationsList all DMs and channels with user names resolved. Uses cached DMs by default for speed.slack_conversations_historyGet messages from a channel or DM with user names resolvedslack_get_full_conversationExport FULL conversation history with all messages, threads, and user names. Can save to file.slack_search_messagesSearch messages across the Slack workspaceslack_users_infoGet detailed information about a Slack userslack_send_messageSend a message to a channel or DMslack_get_threadGet all replies in a message threadslack_list_usersList all users in the workspaceslack_add_reactionAdd an emoji reaction to a message- +7 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.
Pubnub MCP Server
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-server-152": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@pubnub/mcp@latest"
],
"env": {
"PUBNUB_API_KEY": "YOUR_PUBNUB_API_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Slack MCP Server
{
"mcpServers": {
"jtalk22-slack-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@jtalk22/slack-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Pubnub MCP Server is categorized under Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. Slack MCP Server belongs to Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Pubnub MCP Server for communication work and Slack MCP Server 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.
Pubnub MCP Server has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Slack MCP Server is listed as freemium — a free tier with paid plans. 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 mcp-server-152 and jtalk22-slack-mcp-server as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Pubnub MCP Server has a quality signal of 65/100 (Great) with 0 views, 0 installs and 33 GitHub stars. Slack MCP Server has 68/100 (Great) with 8 views, 0 installs and 32 GitHub stars.