What is the key difference between Temporal Cortex MCP and Excel MCP Server?

Temporal Cortex MCP belongs to the Workplace & Productivity category with local stdio execution, while Excel MCP Server belongs to the Workplace & Productivity category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Temporal Cortex MCP or Excel MCP Server 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 Temporal Cortex MCP and Excel MCP Server free or paid?

Temporal Cortex MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (other). Excel MCP Server operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Temporal Cortex MCP lists 18 tools with 3 views and 13 GitHub stars. Excel MCP Server lists 6 tools with 6 views and 4,193 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Temporal Cortex MCP and Excel MCP Server 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

Temporal Cortex MCP vs Excel MCP Server

In-depth architectural comparison of the Temporal Cortex MCP and Excel MCP Server 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

Temporal Cortex MCP

Workplace & Productivity · Local stdio

Quality: 65/100 (Great) | Auth: other

Excel MCP Server

Workplace & Productivity · Local stdio

Quality: 55/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Temporal Cortex MCP if you need specialized Workplace & Productivity tools running via a local process. Choose Excel MCP Server if your workspace requires Workplace & Productivity integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Temporal Cortex MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Workplace & Productivity domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: other (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID, GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET, MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID, TIMEZONE.
Primary tools included: adjust_timestamp, book_slot, check_availability.

Explore Temporal Cortex MCP Details

Choose Excel MCP Server when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Workplace & Productivity domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: Workbook and worksheet CRUD operations, Formula and data manipulation, Formatting and conditional formatting.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Temporal Cortex MCP temporal-cortex Workplace & Productivity	Excel MCP Server haris-musa Workplace & Productivity
Summary	AI-native calendar middleware for scheduling, availability, and conflict-free booking across Google Calendar, Outlook, and CalDAV. 15 tools across 5 layers: temporal context, calendar operations, multi-calendar availability, open scheduling, and Two-Phase Commit booking. Deterministic datetime resolution and RRULE expansion powered by Truth Engine.	An Excel manipulation server providing workbook creation, data operations, formatting, and advanced features (charts, pivot tables, formulae).
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Temporal Cortex MCP Tools (18)

adjust_timestamp

Adjust a timestamp by adding or subtracting a duration. DST-aware: '+1d' preserves wall-clock time across daylight saving transitions.

book_slot

Book a calendar slot using Two-Phase Commit for safe, conflict-free booking.

check_availability

Check if a calendar time slot is available (not held by another booking).

compose_proposal

Compose a scheduling proposal message with proposed time slots. Formats times in the specified timezone for email, Slack, or SMS. Does NOT send the message — returns formatted text for the agent to send via its channel MCP (Gmail, Slack, etc.).

compute_duration

Compute the duration between two timestamps. Returns days, hours, minutes, seconds, and a human-readable string.

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).

Temporal Cortex MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "temporal-cortex-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@temporal-cortex/cortex-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID": "YOUR_GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID_HERE",
        "GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET": "YOUR_GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET_HERE",
        "MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID": "YOUR_MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID_HERE",
        "TIMEZONE": "YOUR_TIMEZONE_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Excel MCP Server Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "haris-musa-excel-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "excel-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Temporal Cortex MCP is categorized under Workplace & Productivity and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Excel MCP Server belongs to Workplace & Productivity using local stdio subprocess. Select Temporal Cortex MCP when you need capabilities focused on workplace & productivity and Excel MCP Server when you require tools for workplace & productivity.

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