Choose an MCP server for data analysis.

What is the direct answer to this workbook question?

The best MCP server for data analysis depends on where your data lives: PostgreSQL or BigQuery servers (such as Google's MCP Toolbox for Databases) for cloud warehouses, DuckDB/MotherDuck or SQLite for local SQL files, and Tableau MCP for published Tableau Cloud content. For supported local .twbx files, xmetric has a live public no-auth MCP server at https://getxmetric.com/mcp. Its protocol is checked; real host rendering and tool selection remain unverified, and directory listings remain coming.

How do I pick an MCP server for data analysis?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) lets AI assistants like Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Cursor call external data tools through a standard JSON-RPC interface. Most database MCP servers do one job: they expose list_tables, describe_table, and read_query so the agent can run raw SQL and read text rows back in chat.

That works well for quick database lookups, and Tableau Cloud includes Tableau MCP in every edition for published cloud content. However, raw SQL MCP servers do not inspect local .twbx BI workbooks on disk or translate local Tableau Level of Detail (FIXED, INCLUDE, EXCLUDE) formulas into SQL.

How do data-analysis MCP servers compare?

They differ by the location of the data, the returned output and their local-file support.

When should I use DuckDB or MotherDuck MCP?

If you want Claude Desktop or Cursor to run analytical SQL queries directly over local .parquet or .csv files and return a markdown table inside your chat thread, mcp-server-motherduck is the strongest SQL-first choice. It supports read-only flags (--read-only) so an agent cannot accidentally mutate a local database file.

When should I use PostgreSQL or BigQuery MCP?

When your team's source of truth sits in a read replica on RDS, Supabase, or Google BigQuery, use Google's MCP Toolbox for Databases (@toolbox-sdk/server) or a read-only database connector MCP server. Always restrict the database user with GRANT SELECT and set a statement timeout so an unindexed agent join cannot lock production tables.

When should I use a SQLite MCP server?

For inspecting local application state, test fixtures, or small embedded .sqlite files, the reference SQLite server (maintained in modelcontextprotocol/servers-archived) is fast and requires zero external infrastructure.

How do Tableau MCP and xmetric differ?

If your data sources are already published to Tableau Cloud, Tableau Cloud includes Tableau MCP in every edition so agents can query published cloud assets.

For local workbooks and files, xmetric is free BI in the browser with Tableau's visual grammar. The xmetric app (/app/) opens .twbx/.twb workbooks and CSV, Excel and Parquet files without uploading them, and you build charts on shelves with calculated fields, LOD expressions and table calcs. The workbook inspector (/inspect/) lists a workbook's sheets, data sources and calculated fields, and the formula playground (/play/) runs Level of Detail and table calculations on sample data. The public xmetric MCP server is live at https://getxmetric.com/mcp with no authentication or API key. Anonymous initialize, tool discovery and widget-resource checks passed on 2026-10-29. ChatGPT and Claude host rendering and tool selection remain unverified; their directory listings remain coming. Live Postgres and BigQuery connections in xmetric remain coming.

// Example calculation you can run in the xmetric formula playground today
{ FIXED [Region], [Category] : SUM([Sales]) } / { FIXED [Region] : SUM([Sales]) }

-- Equivalent DuckDB / Postgres SQL
SELECT
  region,
  category,
  SUM(sales) / SUM(SUM(sales)) OVER (PARTITION BY region) AS category_share_of_region
FROM sales_records
GROUP BY region, category;

When should I choose a database or cloud MCP server?

Use a direct database server for live warehouse queries, and a cloud-content server for workbooks already published to that service.

• Direct database queries. Choose the DuckDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite, or BigQuery MCP servers if you need an MCP connection in Claude Desktop today and only want raw SQL query results returned as text in your chat.
• Published Tableau Cloud content. Choose Tableau MCP if your team's workbooks and data sources are published on Tableau Cloud.

When should I use xmetric?

Use xmetric for supported local-file boards, workbook definitions and browser-local results; the MCP catalog exposes specific bounded tools.

• Local workbooks. Open .twbx and .twb workbooks in your browser, inspect their calculated fields, and save the data files packaged inside.
• Local files without upload. Build charts from CSV, Excel and Parquet files on shelves for free; data stays in the browser unless you save online.
• Tableau's calculation grammar. Inspect supported authored calculation definitions through the live public MCP server. Numeric query support is bounded; inspecting a definition is not proof that every Tableau LOD expression can be evaluated.

What is live, and what is still coming?

The public xmetric MCP server is live at https://getxmetric.com/mcp with no authentication or API key. Anonymous initialize, tool discovery and widget-resource checks passed on 2026-10-29. ChatGPT and Claude host rendering and tool selection remain unverified; their directory listings remain coming. See the dated public protocol receipt and setup and evidence limits.

The public server is available; host operation and directory approval are separate checks.

The file board parses supported .pbix, .twbx/.twb, CSV, Excel and Parquet files in your browser. Choosing a file shares supported schema, source names and calculation definitions with xmetric and the chat host; requested result cells, filters and SQL or DAX evidence are shared when answering. The original file is not uploaded by this flow. Small aggregates and labels can still be sensitive. Privacy details.

What data does this worked example use?

The initial view uses authored synthetic data, not customer data or a captured agent session.

The example record lists its file, calculation or SQL and expected values. The live browser result is computed by xmetric’s existing engine or workbook inspector. Samples are excluded from own-data activation reporting.