GitHub MCP Server vs GitLab MCP Server

GitHub MCP Server 84

OAuth with scopes is the remote default, with fine-grained PATs and GitHub App tokens for headless use, all in the Authorization header. v1.11.0 added per-call OAuth scope challenges (30). --read-only, /readonly URLs and X-MCP-Readonly drop write tools. delete_repository asks the user to type the full repository name through elicitation. delete_file and the other destructive tools run without a confirmation step (17). Lockdown mode filters public-repository content from authors without push access, and the README says plainly it's a best-effort filter, not a boundary. July 2026 commits made lockdown fail closed (13). MCP calls show in GitHub's audit log as ordinary API calls, and the governance doc says MCP-specific audit logs aren't available yet (8). SECURITY.md with coordinated disclosure, GitHub's bug bounty (open-source repositories are out of scope for rewards), two advisories published in public in 2026, and github.com's security.txt expired per the 30 September check (16).

GitLab MCP Server 66

OAuth with dynamic registration and a single mcp scope that carries the user's own GitLab permissions, or fine-grained personal access tokens scoped to the MCP tool resource. The docs say GitLab doesn't verify which client uses a client ID and that REST-created apps don't enforce PKCE (22). Toolset and tool headers narrow the surface, an administrator must enable MCP for the group or instance, 19.4 governance defaults writes to Always Ask in Duo settings and 19.6 adds group rules enforced for every client, in beta (16). The docs leave prompt injection to the user ("use MCP tools only on GitLab objects you trust") (5). GitLab audit events exist on paid tiers, but we didn't read whether MCP calls are recorded (8). security.txt is valid until 31 January 2027 and points at a public HackerOne programme; certifications weren't read this run (15). 22 + 16 + 5 + 8 + 15 = 66.

GitHub MCP Server 78

92 documented tools across 22 toolsets, about 121,000 characters or 30,000 tokens with everything on. The default five toolsets load 45 tools, about 13,600 tokens (5). Toolsets, per-tool selection, /readonly URLs, X-MCP-Toolsets headers and scope-based hiding of tools a PAT can't use add back 10. Page, cursor and perPage paging, plus a fields parameter on list and search tools to trim responses. Issue #3236 says pull_request_read get_files always returns full patches (18). Errors are tool results with GitHub's message, and OAuth calls get a scope challenge instead of a bare 403 (16). Every tool sets readOnlyHint, eight write tools set destructiveHint: true, but 27 of 35 write tools leave destructiveHint unset (open issue #3281) and no read tool sets idempotentHint. merge_pull_request takes an expectedHeadSha guard (14). Default toolsets, owner and repo as the usual required pair, and official Octokit SDKs in several languages (15).

GitLab MCP Server 66

About 47 tools by default, plus 5 Duo tools where Duo is on, so more than 30 (5), with toolset and single-tool headers to cut the list (plus 10). Cursor pagination with first and after on most list tools, include facets one at a time, byte offsets and limits on files, jobs and artifacts (20). Documented error cases and a structured rate_limited result (15). The docs don't say whether tools carry readOnlyHint or destructiveHint; accept_merge_request has a SHA guard, and 19.4 governance sets write and delete tools to Always Ask for Duo (8). Sensible default toolsets, but no official SDKs for the REST API in two languages were found on the pages read (8). 15 + 20 + 15 + 8 + 8 = 66.

GitHub MCP Server 40

No x402, MPP or L402 (0). The server costs nothing and says so in public (20). A free GitHub account needs no card (20). An agent can't get access without a person creating an account and approving OAuth or minting a PAT (0).

GitLab MCP Server 30

No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Plan prices are public for Free and Premium, Ultimate is by quote and GitLab Credits are $1 each, but the MCP server has no per-call price (10). GitLab.com Free needs no card, and the MCP server is on every tier (20). A person signs up, and an administrator must enable MCP and a user must authorise in a browser (0). 0 + 10 + 20 + 0 = 30.

GitHub MCP Server 93

v2.0.3 on 21 October 2026 (30). Thirteen releases since 3 August, from v1.9.0 on 10 August to v2.0.3, among them v2.0.0 on 7 October (20). 159 open issues and triage labels within days per the 1 October check, not re-read on 1 November (GitHub's pages answered 403). An AI triage workflow and an inactive-issue closer run. We couldn't read reply times (18). Listed in the official MCP registry as io.github.github/github-mcp-server at 2.0.3, marked latest and published on 21 October (15). Go CI, lint, code scanning, licence checks and a tool-diff check on pull requests (10).

GitLab MCP Server 85

GitLab 19.5 made the server generally available on 15 October 2026, 22 days before this check, and 19.6 changes are already on GitLab.com (30). Monthly releases 19.3, 19.4 (17 September) and 19.5 each changed MCP tools (20). Issues are public on gitlab.com, with a feedback issue (630189) for the server, but we didn't measure reply times (15). The registry entry com.gitlab/mcp sits under a domain-verified namespace with the right remote, though its version is still 0.0.1 from 2 October 2025 (10). GitLab ships through its own CI with monthly and patch releases; no official multi-language API SDK was found (10). 30 + 20 + 15 + 10 + 10 = 85.