N8n vs Build

In-depth architectural comparison of the N8n and Build 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?

N

Choose N8n when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: n8n_list_workflows, n8n_get_workflow, n8n_list_executions.

Explore N8n Details

Choose Build when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: Schema-validated structured JSON output, Human-readable MCP content output, TypeScript compiler support.

Explore Build Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	N N8n Developer Tools	Build Developer Tools
Summary	n8n MCP — query your own n8n instance (BYO).	Structured build tool output (tsc, generic commands) as typed JSON diagnostics.
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Quality signal

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": {
    "n8n": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "n8n"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "build": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@paretools/init"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Related MCP Server Comparisons