Setup
1. Add your MySQL connection in SaturnSQL (host, port, database, credentials, over SSL or an SSH tunnel).
2. Click your name in the sidebar, then Install MCP, and pick your client: Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or Claude Code. You add https://mcp.saturnsql.com/mcp and sign in with your SaturnSQL account, with no API key to copy.
From there your AI client can list tables, inspect columns and indexes, and run SQL against the database, with the same row limits SaturnSQL uses everywhere else, and read-only when the connection is in read-only mode (the default for new connections).
Other MySQL MCP servers
The popular MySQL MCP servers run on your own machine, with the database credentials in environment variables.
| Server | Runs as | Works with | Read-only |
|---|---|---|---|
| mcp-server-mysql (benborla) | Local process (npx) | Any MySQL | Read-only by default; writes enabled by environment flags |
| mysql_mcp_server (designcomputer) | Local process (uvx) | Any MySQL | No read-only switch; relies on a least-privilege MySQL user |
| AWS Labs MySQL MCP | Local process, AWS credentials | Aurora and RDS for MySQL | Keyword blocklist that AWS calls "not a security boundary" |
| Bytebase DBHub | Local process (npx or Docker) | Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite | Per-tool readonly setting, backed by a read-only transaction |
| SaturnSQL | Hosted, OAuth | MySQL and every other engine SaturnSQL connects to | Read-only mode (on for new connections): one SELECT, WITH or EXPLAIN statement per call |
Checked against each project's docs on 8 October 2026.
A local server is fine for one developer on their own machine. SaturnSQL fits when the assistant is Claude or ChatGPT on the web, the credentials should not sit on every laptop, or a team should share the queries it writes. For every engine side by side, see the best MCP servers for databases.
Common questions
Does it work with MariaDB too? Yes, MySQL and MariaDB connect the same way.
Can I limit what my AI client can see? Connect with a MySQL user granted access to only the schemas you want exposed. See setting up a read-only database user.
What plan do I need? The MCP server is included on SaturnSQL Starter and above. The free plan can try the editor with one connection, but it cannot connect an AI client.
Does the AI client see my database password? No. The connection and its credentials stay encrypted in SaturnSQL. Your AI client signs in with your SaturnSQL account and only receives query results.
Can it change or delete data? Not unless you allow it. New connections start in read-only mode, where every query must be a single SELECT, WITH or EXPLAIN statement. Keep read-only mode on for the connections your AI client uses, and connect with a read-only database user as well.
Rolling this out to a team? Database governance for MCP and AI covers choosing, per connection, what AI clients may query.
Other databases
Not on MySQL? Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and Claude Code all connect to PostgreSQL, Oracle, BigQuery, SQL Server, ClickHouse, and Redshift the same way, or see the full MCP server overview for the rest. Using Claude Dashboards? It has no built-in MySQL connection, but it can query MySQL through SaturnSQL: see Claude Dashboards on your database.
Get answers from your MySQL data in Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT
