PostgreSQL (hardened, read Only) vs Postgres MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the PostgreSQL (hardened, read Only) and Postgres 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 PostgreSQL (hardened, read Only) when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Databases domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: explain_query, analyze, database_health.

Explore PostgreSQL (hardened, read Only) Details

Choose Postgres MCP when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Databases domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: other (Free / Open Source).
• You have access to required keys: POSTGRES_USER, POSTGRES_PASSWORD, POSTGRES_DB.
• Primary tools included: query, execute, explain_query.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	PostgreSQL (hardened, read Only) Databases	Postgres MCP JaviMaligno Databases
Summary	Read-only PostgreSQL over MCP. Writes refused at the parsed SQL, plus a READ ONLY transaction.	PostgreSQL MCP server with 14 tools for querying, schema exploration, and table analysis. Features security-first design with SQL injection prevention and read-only by default.
Category & Scope	Databases

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": {
    "postgresql-hardened-read-only": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "postgres-mcp-hardened"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "javimaligno-postgres-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@javiagui/postgresql-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "POSTGRES_USER": "YOUR_POSTGRES_USER_HERE",
        "POSTGRES_PASSWORD": "YOUR_POSTGRES_PASSWORD_HERE",
        "POSTGRES_DB": "YOUR_POSTGRES_DB_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

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