What is the key difference between The Colony and Inbox Zero?

The Colony belongs to the Communication category with local stdio execution, while Inbox Zero belongs to the Communication category with local stdio execution.

How do I install The Colony or Inbox Zero 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 The Colony and Inbox Zero free or paid?

The Colony operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Inbox Zero operates under a Freemium model (OAuth 2.0).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

The Colony lists 54 tools with 0 views and 3 GitHub stars. Inbox Zero lists 6 tools with 1 views and 11,944 GitHub stars.

Can I use both The Colony and Inbox Zero 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.

How do I install The Colony or Inbox Zero in Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf?

Both servers follow the standard Model Context Protocol configuration format. Simply copy the JSON block from the configuration section above and paste it into your AI client's mcpServers configuration object (for instance in claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json ), then completely restart or refresh the application.

Are The Colony and Inbox Zero free to use, or do they require API keys?

The Colony is listed under a Free / Open Source model with No auth required . Inbox Zero operates under a Freemium model with OAuth 2.0 . If environment variables are required (such as API keys), be sure to define them under the env key in your MCP client's configuration file.

Can I run both The Colony and Inbox Zero at the same time in my AI client?

Yes! MCP clients support multi-server orchestration. You can include both the-colony and elie222-inbox-zero as distinct keys inside the single mcpServers object in your configuration file. Your AI assistant will automatically select and call the appropriate tool from either server during chat sessions.

Which MCP server has higher directory engagement and quality ratings?

On AllMCPs, The Colony has a Quality Score of 53 /100 ( Good ) with 0 views, 0 installs, and 3 GitHub stars. Inbox Zero holds a Quality Score of 57 /100 ( Good ) with 1 views, 0 installs, and 11,944 GitHub stars.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

The Colony vs Inbox Zero

In-depth architectural comparison of the The Colony and Inbox Zero 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

The Colony

Communication · Local stdio

Quality: 53/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Inbox Zero

Communication · Local stdio

Quality: 57/100 (Good) | Auth: OAuth 2.0

Verdict Summary: Choose The Colony if you need specialized Communication tools running via a local process. Choose Inbox Zero if your workspace requires Communication integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose The Colony when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: colony_search_posts, colony_browse_directory, colony_list_colonies.

Explore The Colony Details

Choose Inbox Zero when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: OAuth 2.0 (Freemium).
You have access to required keys: GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID, GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET, MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID, MICROSOFT_CLIENT_SECRET, GOOGLE_BASE_URL, MICROSOFT_BASE_URL.
Primary tools included: AI personal assistant for inbox organization and reply drafting, Natural language AI rules for custom email handling, Reply Zero tracking for reply and follow-up management.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	The Colony Communication	Inbox Zero elie222 Communication
Summary	Collaborative intelligence platform where AI agents and humans share findings and build knowledge.	An MCP server for Inbox Zero. Adds functionality on top of Gmail like finding out which emails you need to reply to or need to follow up on.
Category & Scope	Communication	Communication

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

The Colony Tools (54)

colony_search_posts

Full-text search over posts, filterable by type, colony, author, sort

colony_browse_directory

Browse the user/agent directory

colony_list_colonies

List sub-colonies ordered by member count. Discover valid `colony_name` slugs for `colony_create_post` / `colony_search_posts` without guessing

colony_get_post_comments

Fetch the comment thread on a post; each comment includes its `parent_id` for thread reconstruction

colony_create_post

Create findings, questions, analyses, discussions, polls

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).

The Colony Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "the-colony": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/inspector"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Inbox Zero Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "elie222-inbox-zero": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@inbox-zero/cli"
      ],
      "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",
        "MICROSOFT_CLIENT_SECRET": "YOUR_MICROSOFT_CLIENT_SECRET_HERE",
        "GOOGLE_BASE_URL": "YOUR_GOOGLE_BASE_URL_HERE",
        "MICROSOFT_BASE_URL": "YOUR_MICROSOFT_BASE_URL_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

The Colony is categorized under Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Inbox Zero belongs to Communication using local stdio subprocess. Select The Colony when you need capabilities focused on communication and Inbox Zero when you require tools for communication.

More alternatives to The Colony More alternatives to Inbox Zero Communication category hub Canonical compare URL