What is the key difference between Microsoft Outlook MCP and Outlook Contacts?

Microsoft Outlook MCP belongs to the Communication category with local stdio execution, while Outlook Contacts belongs to the Communication category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Microsoft Outlook MCP or Outlook Contacts 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 Microsoft Outlook MCP and Outlook Contacts free or paid?

Microsoft Outlook MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Outlook Contacts operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Microsoft Outlook MCP lists 0 tools with 1 views and 0 GitHub stars. Outlook Contacts lists 4 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Microsoft Outlook MCP and Outlook Contacts 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

Microsoft Outlook MCP vs Outlook Contacts

In-depth architectural comparison of the Microsoft Outlook MCP and Outlook Contacts 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

Microsoft Outlook MCP

Communication · Local stdio

Quality: 39/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Outlook Contacts

Communication · Local stdio

Quality: 43/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Microsoft Outlook MCP if you need specialized Communication tools running via a local process. Choose Outlook Contacts if your workspace requires Communication integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Microsoft Outlook MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Microsoft Outlook MCP Details

Choose Outlook Contacts when:

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

Explore Outlook Contacts Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Microsoft Outlook MCP Communication	O Outlook Contacts Communication
Summary	Microsoft Outlook (mail) MCP server — read, search, and send email through Microsoft Graph.	Outlook Contacts (Microsoft 365) MCP Pack
Category & Scope	Communication	Communication
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Microsoft Outlook MCP Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

Outlook Contacts Tools (4)

outlook_list_contacts

List contacts from an Outlook / Microsoft 365 address book. Returns compact contact records (name, email addresses, phone numbers, company, job title). Supports keyword search across the contact fields. Use to browse a user's saved Outlook / Microsoft 365 contacts.

outlook_get_contact

Get the full details of a single Outlook / Microsoft 365 contact by its ID, including display name, all email addresses, business and mobile phone numbers, home address, company name, job title, and department. Use after outlook_list_contacts to read a contact from the address book in full.

outlook_search_people

Search the people most relevant to the signed-in Outlook / Microsoft 365 user — colleagues, frequent email contacts, and people in their organization — ranked by relevance. Returns matching people with name, email addresses, job title, and company. Use to find a coworker or frequent contact by name…

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).

Microsoft Outlook MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "microsoft-outlook-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "ms-calendar-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Outlook Contacts Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "outlook-contacts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "outlook-contacts"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Microsoft Outlook MCP is categorized under Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Outlook Contacts belongs to Communication using local stdio subprocess. Select Microsoft Outlook MCP when you need capabilities focused on communication and Outlook Contacts when you require tools for communication.

More alternatives to Microsoft Outlook MCP More alternatives to Outlook Contacts Communication category hub