Neo4j vs Grain SQL
Neo4j is an MCP server published by neo4j. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). Grain SQL is an MCP server published by pattrnlabs. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Official MCP Registry). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-16. This pair was picked by a reader, not by our comparison rule, so search engines are asked not to index the page.
Where each is published
| Marketplace |  Neo4j |   Grain SQL |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:f22b5fb65f2d Forks (GitHub): 59 Pulls (Docker Hub): 66 500 Stars (Docker Hub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 300 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Official MCP Registry | Not listed | Listed Version: 0.10.34 Downloads/month (npm): 5 097 Downloads/week (npm): 1 476 Forks (GitHub): 1 Stars (GitHub): 3 Not marked · First seen |
Each figure is the marketplace's own and is never added up across marketplaces. A marketplace that publishes no figure shows none: no number is not zero.
The facts side by side
| Fact | Neo4j | Grain SQL |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 300 (better) | 3 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 66 500 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 59 (better) | 1 (worse) |
| Last release (differs) | Not published | 2026-10-16 |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (mcp/neo4j) | On your machine (grain-tools) |
| Transport | stdio | stdio |
| Tools it declares (differs) | 4 | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | 6, secrets among them: 1 | 3, secrets among them: 1 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/neo4j/mcp | github.com/pattrnlabs/grain |
| Changes in the last 7 days (differs) | 0 | 4 |
| First seen | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-11 |
Lines where the two differ have a tinted background and bold values. Where the data itself says which value is better (more marketplaces, a larger figure of the same marketplace, a fresher release, a verified mark on a marketplace that lists both), the better one is also marked green with ▲ and the worse one red with ▼. Where it runs, the transport, the tools, the settings, hooks, the bundle's parts, the licence and the week's changes are marked only as different: more or fewer is not better in itself.
What each says it does
Neo4j
Official MCP server for Neo4j. Interact with Neo4j using Cypher graph queries.
Grain SQL
Run SQL queries and inspect database schemas through safe, visible MCP tools.
How to run each
Neo4j As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --env "NEO4J_PASSWORD=<YOUR_NEO4J_PASSWORD>" --transport stdio neo4j -- docker run -i --rm -e NEO4J_PASSWORD mcp/neo4jRequires: NEO4J_PASSWORD (secret)
Grain SQL As a local MCP server: npm package
claude mcp add --env "GRAIN_CONNECTIONS=<YOUR_GRAIN_CONNECTIONS>" --transport stdio grain -- npx -y grain-toolsRequires: GRAIN_CONNECTIONS (secret)
Commands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of Grain SQL publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
Only Neo4j asks for
NEO4J_DATABASENEO4J_PASSWORD (secret)NEO4J_READ_ONLYNEO4J_TELEMETRYNEO4J_URINEO4J_USERNAME
Only Grain SQL asks for
GRAIN_CONNECTIONS (secret)GRAIN_MAX_ROWSGRAIN_MCP_SAFE_MODE
Settings as each marketplace publishes them. Asking for fewer is not better in itself.
What it can do: Neo4j · What it can do: Grain SQL · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the Docker MCP Catalog (desktop.docker.com/mcp/catalog) and Docker Hub. Data comes from the Official MCP Registry (registry.modelcontextprotocol.io), CC0 1.0. Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.