Setup
1. Add your SQL Server connection in SaturnSQL (host, port — 1433 by default, database, credentials, over SSL or an SSH tunnel). Azure SQL Database and RDS for SQL Server both connect the same way.
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 and no local SQL Server MCP server to run or maintain.
Your AI client can now ask for your table list, inspect columns and foreign keys, and run T-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 SQL Server MCP servers
Microsoft has two MCP projects that touch SQL Server, and neither lets an assistant run its own SQL queries.
| Server | Runs as | Works with | Read-only |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure MCP Server | Local (VS Code or npx), Entra credentials | Azure resources | Its SQL tools manage databases and firewall rules; no query tool for Azure SQL |
| SQL MCP Server (Data API builder) | Self-hosted | SQL Server, Azure SQL and others | CRUD on entities you configure; no arbitrary SQL by design |
| Bytebase DBHub | Local process (npx or Docker) | Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite | Per-tool readonly setting, backed by a read-only transaction |
| MCP Toolbox for Databases (Google) | Binary you run and configure yourself | BigQuery, Cloud SQL, AlloyDB, Postgres, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, ClickHouse and more | Depends on the tools you define per source |
| SaturnSQL | Hosted, OAuth | SQL Server 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.
Data API builder suits a fixed set of tables you want an agent to read and write through. SaturnSQL fits when you want the assistant to answer ad-hoc questions with real T-SQL, read-only, from Claude or ChatGPT on the web. For every engine side by side, see the best MCP servers for databases.
Common questions
Does it work with Azure SQL Database? Yes, anywhere SaturnSQL can reach over TCP, with SSL required for most Azure SQL and RDS instances.
Can I limit my AI client to specific tables? Connect with a SQL Server login granted SELECT on 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 SQL Server? Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and Claude Code all connect to PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, BigQuery, ClickHouse, and Redshift the same way, or see the full MCP server overview for the rest. Using Claude Dashboards? It has no built-in SQL Server connection, but it can query SQL Server through SaturnSQL: see Claude Dashboards on your database.
Get answers from your SQL Server data in Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT
