MCP Comparison · 2026
BigQuery vs ClickHouse MCP Server
Comparing BigQuery and ClickHouse as MCP servers? BigQuery (query bigquery) is best when schema and dataset exploration. ClickHouse (query clickhouse) is best when product analytics queries. Both run as Model Context Protocol servers and can coexist in the same client. Updated 2026.
Side-by-side specs
Pulled from each MCP's verified fact sheet.
| BigQuery | ClickHouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary function | Query BigQuery | Query ClickHouse |
| Maintainer | ClickHouse | |
| Pricing | Freemium | Open source |
| Setup complexity | Medium · ~10 min | Medium · ~10 min |
| Transport | Streamable HTTP | stdio |
| Auth model | OAuth 2.1 | API key |
| License | Proprietary | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | — | Python |
| Latest version | remote | latest |
| Compatible clients | Claude, Gemini CLI, ChatGPT, Antigravity, Any remote-MCP client with OAuth | Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Any MCP-compatible client, ClickHouse 22+, ClickHouse Cloud |
| Last verified | 2026-09-05 | 2026-08-19 |
Which one should you pick?
Decision rubric drawn from each MCP's documented strengths.
Choose BigQuery
- Schema and dataset exploration
- Analytical query drafting
- BigQuery ML evaluation and prediction from chat
Choose ClickHouse
- Product analytics queries
- Observability log search
- Time-series rollups
Pick something else if…
- Result sets over 3,000 rows
- OLTP workflows
Feature breakdown
Key capabilities each server ships out of the box.
BigQuery
- Hosted by Google at `https://bigquery.googleapis.com/mcp` — nothing to install
- Generally available, with Cloud Audit Logs coverage
- OAuth 2.0 + IAM: roles/mcp.toolUser, roles/bigquery.jobUser, roles/bigquery.dataViewer
- Separate `execute_sql_readonly` tool that rejects anything but SELECT
- Every query labelled `goog-mcp-server: true` for cost attribution
ClickHouse
- Official ClickHouse maintainership
- Read-only by default
- ClickHouse Cloud + self-hosted
- Dictionary and materialized-view introspection
- Query log inspection for cost auditing
Install snippets
Open the detail page for ready-to-paste config for every major client.
Install BigQuery
Setup snippets for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf →
Enable the BigQuery API, then add https://bigquery.googleapis.com/mcp as an HTTP MCP server and authorise with OAuth scope https://www.googleapis.com/auth/bigqueryInstall ClickHouse
Setup snippets for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf →
uvx mcp-clickhouseFAQ
BigQuery vs ClickHouse: which MCP server should I use?
Pick BigQuery when schema and dataset exploration. Pick ClickHouse when product analytics queries. BigQuery is built for query bigquery, while ClickHouse focuses on query clickhouse.
Can I run both BigQuery and ClickHouse together?
Yes. MCP clients run each server as a separate process and surface every server's tools simultaneously, so you can install both and let your agent decide which to call. Be deliberate with auth scopes when stacking servers.
How fresh is this comparison?
Updated for 2026. BigQuery's last verification: 2026-09-05. ClickHouse's last verification: 2026-08-19. We refresh detail-page facts on every catalog rebuild.
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