Shell Use vs Dbx

In-depth architectural comparison of the Shell Use and Dbx 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 Shell Use 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).

Explore Shell Use Details

D

Choose Dbx 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).

Explore Dbx Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Shell Use Developer Tools	D Dbx Developer Tools
Summary	Let agents use the shell like a human.	Query databases from AI agents using connections configured in DBX.
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": {
    "shell-use": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "shell-use"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dbx": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@dbx-app/mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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