MCP Database Server vs Grain SQL
MCP Database Server is an MCP server published by Souhar-dya. Marketplaces we read that list it: 2 (Official MCP Registry, Docker MCP Catalog). Grain SQL is an MCP server published by pattrnlabs. Marketplaces we read that list it: 2 (Official MCP Registry, npm registry (MCP servers)). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-27. 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 |   MCP Database Server |   Grain SQL |
|---|---|---|
| Official MCP Registry | Listed Version: 1.3.1 Forks (GitHub): 14 Stars (GitHub): 19 Not marked · First seen |
Listed Version: 0.10.39 Downloads/month (npm): 5 377 Downloads/week (npm): 506 Forks (GitHub): 1 Stars (GitHub): 3 Not marked · First seen |
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:9ccd629df448 Forks (GitHub): 14 Stars (GitHub): 19 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| npm registry (MCP servers) | Not listed | Listed Version: 0.10.39 Downloads/month (npm): 5 377 Downloads/week (npm): 506 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 | MCP Database Server | Grain SQL |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 2 | 2 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 19 (better) | 3 (worse) |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 14 (better) | 1 (worse) |
| Last release (differs) | Not published | 2026-10-27 |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (docker.io/souhardyak/mcp-db-server:1.3.1) | On your machine (grain-tools) |
| Transport | stdio | stdio |
| Tools it declares (differs) | 7 | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | 1, secrets among them: 0 | 3, secrets among them: 1 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/souhar-dya/mcp-db-server | github.com/pattrnlabs/grain |
| Changes in the last 7 days (differs) | 0 | 7 |
| 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
MCP Database Server
MCP server for SQLite, PostgreSQL, and MySQL with natural language to SQL and direct SQL tooling.
Grain SQL
Run SQL queries and inspect database schemas through safe, visible MCP tools.
How to run each
MCP Database Server As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --transport stdio mcp-db-server -- docker run -i --rm docker.io/souhardyak/mcp-db-server:1.3.1Grain 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 MCP Database Server asks for
DATABASE_URL
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: MCP Database Server · What it can do: Grain SQL · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the Official MCP Registry (registry.modelcontextprotocol.io), CC0 1.0. Data comes from the Docker MCP Catalog (desktop.docker.com/mcp/catalog) and Docker Hub. Package data comes from the public npm registry (registry.npmjs.org). Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.