VMware Aria vs Homebutler
A side-by-side look at the VMware Aria and Homebutler MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose VMware Aria for monitoring work as a local process; choose Homebutler for monitoring as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose VMware Aria when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Monitoring domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: other.
- You have the keys it needs:
VMWARE_ARIA_CONFIG, VMWARE_ARIA_PROD_PASSWORD.
Choose Homebutler when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Monitoring domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
proxmox_status, proxmox_guests, proxmox_node.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Monitoring | Monitoring |
| Quality signal | 52/100 · Good | 65/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | other | No auth required |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Required env vars | VMWARE_ARIA_CONFIGVMWARE_ARIA_PROD_PASSWORD |
Tools & capabilities
VMware Aria tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
Homebutler tools 40
proxmox_statusGet Proxmox VE version, cluster status, and resourcesproxmox_guestsList Proxmox QEMU and LXC guests, optionally filtered by node, status, or typeproxmox_nodeGet detailed Proxmox node statusproxmox_tasksGet the 50 most recent Proxmox tasks for a nodesystem_statusGet system status including CPU, memory, disk usage, and uptimeproxmox_guest_startStart one explicitly targeted Proxmox guest after confirmation and return the accepted task UPIDproxmox_guest_rebootReboot one explicitly targeted Proxmox guest after confirmation and return the accepted task UPIDproxmox_guest_shutdownGracefully shut down one explicitly targeted Proxmox guest after confirmation and return the accepted task UPIDproxmox_task_statusInspect one asynchronous Proxmox task by node and opaque UPIDproxmox_script_listList the curated Proxmox VE Community Scripts catalog (community-scripts/ProxmoxVE)proxmox_script_commandRender the pinned install command for one Proxmox VE Community Script. Never fetches or runs it; the caller reviews and runs it themselves on the Proxmox hostdocker_listList Docker containers with their status, image, and ports- +28 more on 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.
VMware Aria
{
"mcpServers": {
"zw008-vmware-aria": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"--from",
"vmware-aria",
"vmware-aria"
],
"env": {
"VMWARE_ARIA_CONFIG": "YOUR_VMWARE_ARIA_CONFIG_HERE",
"VMWARE_ARIA_PROD_PASSWORD": "YOUR_VMWARE_ARIA_PROD_PASSWORD_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Homebutler
{
"mcpServers": {
"higangssh-homebutler": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"homebutler@latest"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
VMware Aria is categorized under Monitoring and uses a local stdio subprocess. Homebutler belongs to Monitoring and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick VMware Aria for monitoring work and Homebutler for monitoring.
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.
VMware Aria is listed as free. Auth: other. Homebutler 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 zw008-vmware-aria and higangssh-homebutler as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, VMware Aria has a quality signal of 52/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 3 GitHub stars. Homebutler has 65/100 (Great) with 3 views, 0 installs and 300 GitHub stars.