PostgreSQL (hardened, read Only) vs Postgres

In-depth architectural comparison of the PostgreSQL (hardened, read Only) and Postgres 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 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: query, schema, table_info.

Explore Postgres Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	PostgreSQL (hardened, read Only) Databases	Postgres Databases
Summary	Read-only PostgreSQL over MCP. Writes refused at the parsed SQL, plus a READ ONLY transaction.	PostgreSQL MCP — query databases, inspect schemas, explain queries.
Category & Scope	Databases	Databases
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": {
    "postgresql-hardened-read-only": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "postgres-mcp-hardened"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "postgres": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-pg-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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