Temporal Cortex MCP vs When Free
A side-by-side look at the Temporal Cortex MCP and When Free MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
W
When FreeWorkplace & ProductivityWhich days and times am I free? Reads your calendar feeds and answers with the slots you can offer.36FairAuth: no auth requiredVerdict: choose Temporal Cortex MCP for workplace & productivity work as a local process; choose When Free for workplace & productivity. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Temporal Cortex MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Workplace & Productivity domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: other.
- You have the keys it needs:
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID, GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET, MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID, TIMEZONE. - You want tools like
adjust_timestamp, book_slot, check_availability.
WChoose When Free when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Workplace & Productivity domain.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | W When Free | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Workplace & Productivity | Workplace & Productivity |
| Quality signal | 64/100 · Good | 36/100 · Fair |
| Install command | Confirmed | Not confirmed yet |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | — |
| Auth | other | No auth required |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Required env vars | GOOGLE_CLIENT_IDGOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRETMICROSOFT_CLIENT_IDTIMEZONE | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 13 | 0 |
| Directory activity | 4 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 18 | Not listed |
| Full listing | View Temporal Cortex MCP | View When Free |
Tools & capabilities
Temporal Cortex MCP tools 18
adjust_timestampAdjust a timestamp by adding or subtracting a duration. DST-aware: '+1d' preserves wall-clock time across daylight saving transitions.book_slotBook a calendar slot using Two-Phase Commit for safe, conflict-free booking.check_availabilityCheck if a calendar time slot is available (not held by another booking).compose_proposalCompose 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_durationCompute the duration between two timestamps. Returns days, hours, minutes, seconds, and a human-readable string.convert_timezoneConvert a datetime to a different timezone.expand_rruleExpand a recurrence rule (RRULE) into concrete event instances.find_free_slotsFind available free time slots in a calendar within a time window.get_availabilityGet unified availability across multiple calendars. Merges events from all specified calendars into a single busy/free view with privacy controls.get_temporal_contextGet the current temporal context — time, timezone, calendar metadata. Call this first to orient yourself in time before making calendar queries.list_calendarsList all connected calendars across providers. Returns calendar IDs, names, labels, and metadata. Call this first to discover what calendars are available before using other calendar tools.list_eventsList calendar events in a time range. Returns events in TOON or JSON format.- +6 more on the listing page
When Free tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Temporal Cortex MCP
{
"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"
}
}
}
}
When Free
No confirmed install command for When Free yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
Frequently asked questions
Temporal Cortex MCP is categorized under Workplace & Productivity and uses a local stdio subprocess. When Free belongs to Workplace & Productivity and uses an install path we have not confirmed yet. Pick Temporal Cortex MCP for workplace & productivity work and When Free for workplace & productivity.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client. When Free has no confirmed install command yet — follow its own setup instructions.
Temporal Cortex MCP is listed as free. Auth: other. When Free is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add temporal-cortex-mcp and when-free as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Temporal Cortex MCP has a quality signal of 64/100 (Good) with 4 views, 0 installs and 13 GitHub stars. When Free has 36/100 (Fair) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.
