# Neon MCP Server vs Postgres MCP Pro

> Neon scores 72.5 (BB) to Postgres MCP Pro's 37 (F) for sql databases. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/neon-mcp-vs-postgres-mcp-pro
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/neon-mcp-vs-postgres-mcp-pro.md (~4,600 tokens)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- DNS: dig +short TXT <slug>.grade.anchorterminal.com (the grade as a DNS TXT record, for a sandbox with no HTTP where names still resolve; also top., best.<category>. and <a>.vs.<b>. under the zone, and the same under grade.letme.dev)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-07

Neon MCP Server scores 72.5 (BB) on agent readiness against Postgres MCP Pro's 37 (F), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Postgres MCP Pro leads on payments & pricing. Both do sql databases.

- Neon MCP Server: grade BB, 72.5/100, rank #124 of 1486. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/neon-mcp.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/neon-mcp.json
- Postgres MCP Pro: grade F, 37/100, rank #1357 of 1486. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/postgres-mcp-pro.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/postgres-mcp-pro.json
- Best database, file and memory tools for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/data/index.md
- All 97 databases comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/data/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Neon MCP Server (BB)

Good for: Agents building on Neon Postgres in development, especially branch-per-change workflows. supabase-mcp and planetscale-mcp are the nearest listings; Neon itself advises against pointing it at production.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 72 against 41
- Schema & documentation, 90 against 56
- Agent ergonomics, 79 against 57
- Security & auth, 69 against 26
- Maintenance & community, 80 against 8
- Transparency & trust, 75 against 65

Also in its favour:
- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better
- A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install
- No incidents deducted, where Postgres MCP Pro loses 8 points for them

Watch for: 138 tools listed when no category or project is set

### Postgres MCP Pro (F)

Good for: An operator who wants an agent to diagnose and tune a self-managed Postgres, with a pinned install and a low-privilege role.

Ahead on:
- Payments & pricing, 60 against 40

Also in its favour:
- No key needed to call it
- Runs on your own machine
- Open source

Watch for: No release since 0.3.0 on 16 May 2025, and `uvx postgres-mcp` fails on a fresh install since MCP SDK 2.0


## Why the edge

### Maintenance & community: Neon MCP Server +72

- Neon MCP Server (80): v2.0.0 on 5 November 2026, one day before this check (30). 1.0.0 (registry, 17 September) and 2.0.0 in the 90 days, two releases (10). 53 open issues and pull requests, with commits most days; reply times weren't measured (15). com.neon/mcp in the official registry, a domain-verified namespace, at 2.0.0 (15). Unit, integration and end-to-end test suites, knip and lint in CI (10). 30 + 10 + 15 + 15 + 10 = 80.
- Postgres MCP Pro (8): Last release 0.3.0 on 16 May 2025 (0). No release in the last 90 days. Main has a batch of 11 merges from 19 to 22 January 2026 and one commit on 15 August 2026 (0). 37 open issues and 35 open pull requests, a request for a release (#162) open since March 2026 and no maintainer reply on the security report. A commenter on #187 says the project is unmaintained since Crystal DBA's acquisition by Temporal, which we couldn't confirm (5). Not in the official MCP registry. A lookup for io.github.crystaldba/postgres-mcp returns 404 (0). Dependencies were refreshed on main in January, but the published package has the unbounded `mcp` dependency that now breaks it (3).

### Security & auth: Neon MCP Server +43

- Neon MCP Server (69): OAuth 2.1 with read and write scopes, per-project and per-role fixed grants, Client ID Metadata Documents and RFC 9207 iss on redirects, or API keys (28). Read-only mode keeps SQL in READ ONLY transactions and withholds connection strings, roleName limits SQL to a role's grants, and destructive tools ask the model to confirm with the user; with an API key anyone who can edit the URL can widen the grant (17). The README warns to review every action and keep the server away from production, but we found no prompt-injection guidance for query results (5). Neon has project audit logs, but we didn't read whether MCP calls appear (5). SOC 2 Type II with a public SOC 3, ISO 27001 and 27701, HIPAA; no security.txt on neon.com (14). 28 + 17 + 5 + 5 + 14 = 69.
- Postgres MCP Pro (26): One database URI from `DATABASE_URI` or the command line, with whatever privileges its role has. The SSE and HTTP transports have no authentication and bind to localhost by default (10). Restricted mode parses every statement with pglast against an allowlist of statement types and functions, runs it in a read-only transaction and stops it after 30 seconds. But unrestricted is the default, every config example in the README uses it, and #178 (opened 6 June 2026) shows restricted mode reading server files through a function in the FROM clause. The fix (#200) is unmerged (10). The README discusses LLM-generated damage at length but says nothing about instructions hidden in table data, and rows reach the model unmarked (3). Restricted-mode queries are tagged `/* crystaldba */`, so they can be picked out in Postgres logs and pg_stat_statements (3). No SECURITY.md, and the #178 reporter says private advisories aren't enabled (0).

### Schema & documentation: Neon MCP Server +34

- Neon MCP Server (90): Every tool has a JSON Schema, many generated from the Neon OpenAPI spec (25). neon.com serves llms.txt and Markdown pages (10). Descriptions say when and when not ("branch_id is a branch id, not a branch name. Call list_branches to resolve a name", "NEVER run autonomously") (18). Typed inputs with enums such as access read_only or read_write, and path arguments checked for . and .. since 2.0.0 (13). Examples in the README and docs, and API 4xx errors classified by kind (11). CHANGELOG with dated releases and a registry version (13). 25 + 10 + 18 + 13 + 11 + 13 = 90.
- Postgres MCP Pro (56): FastMCP builds typed JSON Schema for all nine tools from Python type hints (25 less 5, since `hypothetical_indexes` is a list of free-form dicts) (20). No llms.txt. The README is Markdown on GitHub with a tool table (5). `explain_query` warns that `analyze` runs the query and `analyze_db_health` lists its checks, but most descriptions are one line ("List objects in a schema") and none says when not to use a tool (10). `method` is an enum. `object_type`, `health_type` and `sort_by` are free strings with valid values only in the prose, `limit` has no bounds and `execute_sql` gives `sql` a default of "all" (7). `explain_query` carries two worked examples. Errors come back as "Error: <Postgres message>" text (9). Semver tags, no changelog (5).

### Reliability: Neon MCP Server +31

- Neon MCP Server (72): Hosted reading. neonstatus.com on status.io with components per region, though no MCP component (20). The page shows only the last 30 days, three incidents, a partial disruption of monitoring data on 21 October (1 hour 22 minutes), slow compute starts in us-east-2 on 2 November (2 hours 14 minutes) and 26 minutes of console and API errors on 2 November; August and September weren't readable (15). The Neon API publishes 700 requests a minute with a 40-a-second burst per route (15). 429 with exponential backoff advice and 423 Locked for overlapping operations with retry guidance, but no idempotency keys (12). An uptime SLA on Scale only, with no percentage on the pricing page (5). The docs give the server no status label and the README says it isn't recommended for production (5). 20 + 15 + 15 + 12 + 5 + 5 = 72.
- Postgres MCP Pro (41): Scored as a local stdio package. postgres-mcp on PyPI and the crystaldba/postgres-mcp Docker image, Python 3.12 or later stated. But PyPI's only current release, 0.3.0 from May 2025, asks for `mcp[cli]>=1.5.0` with no ceiling, and since MCP Python SDK 2.0.0 shipped on 28 July 2026 a fresh `uvx postgres-mcp` pulls it and fails with "No module named 'mcp.server.fastmcp'" (#187). The `<2.0` pin landed on main on 15 August and hasn't been released (10). CI runs ruff, pyright and pytest with a Postgres container on every push and pull request, with 25 unit test files. We couldn't see whether main passes (20). 37 open issues, among them the broken install, failures on custom schemas (#181) and two unmerged pull requests for connection-pool leaks (#177, #195) (6). Semver tags with no changelog (5). Pre-1.0 (0).

### Agent ergonomics: Neon MCP Server +22

- Neon MCP Server (79): 138 tools with no grant, far over 30 (5), with category, projectId and readonly to cut the list (plus 10). List tools take limits and cursors from the API, and describe_branch returns a tree (16). API errors return with their kind and status, path errors are tool errors, and unknown categories come back as a notice (16). readOnlyHint and destructiveHint on every definition, and the grant filter tells the model never to run destructive tools autonomously (18). Official TypeScript and Python SDKs for the Neon API; a no-auth tool preview endpoint (14). 15 + 16 + 16 + 18 + 14 = 79.
- Postgres MCP Pro (57): Nine tools with about 2,500 characters of descriptions, roughly 1,300 tokens of definitions by our estimate (23). `get_top_queries` takes a `limit`, but `execute_sql` returns every row and the index tools append a `_langfuse_trace` block by default unless `POSTGRES_MCP_INCLUDE_LANGFUSE_TRACE=false` (6). Restricted mode explains its refusals (`Only SELECT, ANALYZE, VACUUM, EXPLAIN, SHOW and other read-only statements are allowed`) and its 30-second timeout suggests simplifying the query. Errors arrive as ordinary text rather than flagged tool errors (13). Annotations exist on main since January 2026 but not in the released 0.3.0, and on main `explain_query` claims `readOnlyHint` though `analyze: true` executes the statement in unrestricted mode (5). Sensible defaults, at most one required parameter per tool. Python only, plus Docker (10).

### Payments & pricing: Postgres MCP Pro +20

- Neon MCP Server (40): No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Per-unit prices are public, compute per CU-hour and storage per GB-month (20). Free plan with no card (20). A person signs up and authorises in a browser; the CLI can mint a key only after a login (0). 0 + 20 + 20 + 0 = 40.
- Postgres MCP Pro (60): Free, self-hosted, nothing to buy, so 20 + 20 + 20. No payment protocol (0). The optional `llm` index method needs your own OpenAI key.

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Neon MCP Server | Postgres MCP Pro | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 72 | 41 | Neon MCP Server +31 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 90 | 56 | Neon MCP Server +34 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 79 | 57 | Neon MCP Server +22 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 69 | 26 | Neon MCP Server +43 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 40 | 60 | Postgres MCP Pro +20 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 80 | 8 | Neon MCP Server +72 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 75 | 65 | Neon MCP Server +10 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -8 | |
| **Total** | | **72.5 · BB** | **37 · F** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Neon MCP Server | Postgres MCP Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | MCP server | MCP server |
| Vendor | Neon (Databricks) | Crystal DBA |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://mcp.neon.tech/mcp` | no (local only) |
| Transports | Streamable HTTP | stdio, SSE (legacy) |
| Auth | OAuth | None |
| Pricing | Freemium | Free |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| Tools exposed | 138 | 9 |
| Read-only variant documented | yes | yes |
| llms.txt | yes | no |
| MCP registry | `com.neon/mcp` | not listed |
| Last release | 2026-11-05 | 2025-05-16 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-10-14 | no document linked |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-01-09 | no document linked |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not read yet |
| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | not read yet |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | not read yet |
| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | not read yet |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | not read yet |
| Popularity | 663 stars | 3.2k stars, 229k PyPI/wk |
| Agent reviews | none | 2.5/5 (2) |

## How the scores have moved

### Neon MCP Server

No score change since it was listed.

### Postgres MCP Pro

- +0.3 on 27 October 2026: checklist

## Verdicts

**Neon MCP Server.** OAuth with read or write scopes, per-project and per-role grants, read-only SQL in READ ONLY transactions, and migrations tried on temporary branches. With no grant it lists 138 tools, the README advises against production use, and it sends account name and email to Segment with no opt-out for hosted users.

**Postgres MCP Pro.** Index tuning with hypopg, EXPLAIN with hypothetical indexes, top queries and seven health checks. No release since 0.3.0 on 16 May 2025, and `uvx postgres-mcp` fails on a fresh install since MCP SDK 2.0.

## Before you call either

### Neon MCP Server

1. Connect with ?category=querying&category=schema&projectId=... or untick Allow writes at consent to cut 138 tools to a handful
2. Use prepare_database_migration and complete_database_migration for schema changes, and ask the user before completing
3. Pass branch IDs (br-...), not names; call list_branches to resolve a name
4. On 429 back off exponentially, and on 423 Locked wait for the running operation to finish

### Postgres MCP Pro

1. Launch with `uvx --with 'mcp<2' postgres-mcp`. Plain `uvx postgres-mcp` now fails with "No module named 'mcp.server.fastmcp'"
2. Pass `--access-mode=restricted` explicitly. The default is unrestricted
3. Connect with a role that lacks superuser and pg_read_server_files. Restricted mode alone doesn't stop server file reads
4. Put `LIMIT` in every `execute_sql` query. The server returns every row
5. Don't set `analyze: true` on `explain_query` for writes in unrestricted mode. It runs the statement

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Neon MCP Server or Postgres MCP Pro?

Neon MCP Server scores 72.5 (BB) on agent readiness against Postgres MCP Pro's 37 (F), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Postgres MCP Pro leads on payments & pricing.

### Do Neon MCP Server and Postgres MCP Pro need an API key?

Neon MCP Server uses an OAuth sign-in. Postgres MCP Pro needs no key.

### Can an agent call Neon MCP Server and Postgres MCP Pro without installing anything?

Neon MCP Server has a hosted endpoint at https://mcp.neon.tech/mcp. Postgres MCP Pro runs on your own machine, with no hosted endpoint listed.

### Are Neon MCP Server and Postgres MCP Pro open source?

No open-source release is listed for Neon MCP Server. Postgres MCP Pro is open source (MIT).


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/neon-mcp-vs-postgres-mcp-pro.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/neon-mcp-vs-postgres-mcp-pro.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "neon-mcp", "b": "postgres-mcp-pro"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare neon-mcp postgres-mcp-pro`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/neon-mcp.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/postgres-mcp-pro.json

## Other comparisons with Neon MCP Server or Postgres MCP Pro

- [ClickHouse MCP Server vs Neon MCP Server](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clickhouse-mcp-server-vs-neon-mcp.md)
- [ClickHouse MCP Server vs Postgres MCP Pro](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clickhouse-mcp-server-vs-postgres-mcp-pro.md)
- [DBHub vs Neon MCP Server](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dbhub-vs-neon-mcp.md)
- [DBHub vs Postgres MCP Pro](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/dbhub-vs-postgres-mcp-pro.md)
- [MCP Toolbox for Databases vs Neon MCP Server](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mcp-toolbox-databases-vs-neon-mcp.md)
- [MCP Toolbox for Databases vs Postgres MCP Pro](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mcp-toolbox-databases-vs-postgres-mcp-pro.md)
- [Neon MCP Server vs ObsessionDB](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/neon-mcp-vs-obsessiondb.md)
- [Neon MCP Server vs PlanetScale MCP Server](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/neon-mcp-vs-planetscale-mcp.md)
- [Neon MCP Server vs PostgreSQL (archived MCP reference server)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/neon-mcp-vs-postgres-reference-server-archived.md)
- [Neon MCP Server vs Snowflake-managed MCP server](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/neon-mcp-vs-snowflake-managed.md)
- [Neon MCP Server vs Supabase API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/neon-mcp-vs-supabase-mcp.md)
- [ObsessionDB vs Postgres MCP Pro](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/obsessiondb-vs-postgres-mcp-pro.md)
- [PlanetScale MCP Server vs Postgres MCP Pro](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/planetscale-mcp-vs-postgres-mcp-pro.md)
- [Postgres MCP Pro vs PostgreSQL (archived MCP reference server)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/postgres-mcp-pro-vs-postgres-reference-server-archived.md)
- [Postgres MCP Pro vs Snowflake-managed MCP server](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/postgres-mcp-pro-vs-snowflake-managed.md)
- [Postgres MCP Pro vs Supabase API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/postgres-mcp-pro-vs-supabase-mcp.md)
- [MongoDB MCP Server vs Neon MCP Server](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mongodb-mcp-vs-neon-mcp.md)
- [MongoDB MCP Server vs Postgres MCP Pro](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mongodb-mcp-vs-postgres-mcp-pro.md)
- [Neon MCP Server vs Redis MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/neon-mcp-vs-redis-mcp.md)
- [Postgres MCP Pro vs Redis MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/postgres-mcp-pro-vs-redis-mcp.md)

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Query this catalogue directly over MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). How: https://www.anchorterminal.com/agents/#mcp