FRENES

Databases · MCP server

Gateway: MCP server, setup and security

Gateway is an open-source MCP server that lets an AI agent automatically generate APIs from database schemas and their data. Its repository has 548 stars and its last commit is from July 18, 2025 and it is licensed under Apache-2.0.

Score
44/100
Adoption (stars) 27/40
Maintenance 2/30
Framework (licence, registry, official) 15/30
Inactive for over a year

What Gateway does

According to its repository: “Automatically generate APIs from database schema and data for PostgreSQL, ClickHouse, MySQL, Snowflake, BigQuery and Supabase.”

An MCP server gives an AI agent extra tools it calls during the conversation: the agent reads their description, decides to use them and gets the result back. Gateway is listed under Databases, a category of 138 servers in the directory, where it ranks #30 by stars.

Topics declared by the repository: api, clickhouse, openai, postgresql, rest-api, snowflake.

Installing and connecting Gateway

No package or remote server is declared in the official MCP registry: you install it from source, following the repository README.

Like any MCP server, you declare it in your client's configuration (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex…): a name, the command that starts it or its URL, and any environment variables. The client then starts it and lists its tools. Project language: Go. Listed systems: macOS, Windows.

Security: what to check

An MCP server runs code with the rights you give it, and the model reads its tool descriptions: a malicious or compromised server can hijack the agent. Read the code, or pick a maintained and widely used server, before connecting it.

Points found for Gateway:

  • Maintenance: no commit for 15 months. Possible flaws and protocol changes are no longer tracked.

Good practice: grant only the rights needed (least privilege), require human approval for irreversible actions, and run the AI agent security check.

Project activity and maintenance

Created on February 10, 2025, the centralmind/gateway repository has 548 stars and 64 forks, with 15 open issues. It has more stars than 88% of the servers in the directory. Last change 15 months ago.

Stars measure attention, not quality: a recent, heavily promoted project can collect them fast, while a useful but niche server will have few.

DbxDbx : 27.7K27.7KMCP Toolbox for DatabasesMCP Toolbox for Databases : 16.7K16.7KNhostNhost : 9.4K9.4KJitsuJitsu : 5.1K5.1KPostgres MCP (crystaldba)Postgres MCP (crystaldba) : 3.4K3.4KLINQ to DBLINQ to DB : 3.3K3.3KSupabaseSupabase : 3K3KMindwtrMindwtr : 2.3K2.3KGatewayGateway : 548548
GitHub stars of the most followed servers in the category (log scale); Gateway in orange. Checked October 25, 2026.

Verdict

Gateway is still a modest project: read its code and compare it with the alternatives before using it.

Strengths

  • Widely followed: 548 stars
  • Permissive licence (Apache-2.0)

Limitations

  • No commit for 15 months
  • Install from source

Avoid if…

  • Production use without reviewing the code

Frequently asked questions

How do I install Gateway?

No package is declared in the MCP registry: clone the centralmind/gateway repository, follow its README, then declare the start command in your client's MCP configuration.

Is Gateway free?

The code is published under the Apache-2.0 licence and can be used free of charge.

Is Gateway safe?

Points to watch: maintenance. Give it minimum rights and approve sensitive actions.

Is it an official server?

Nothing says so: it is a project published by centralmind on GitHub. Check who maintains it before giving it access.

What are the alternatives to Gateway?

In the same category: Nhost, ArcadeDB MCP Server, Jitsu, and Supabase. Nhost and ArcadeDB MCP Server score higher on our grid.

Related articles

Neutrality. No affiliate links. No vendor pays to be reviewed, rated or ranked. Reviews are directed by François Chollet, neutral and factual, and every data point is dated and sourced. How we score