AnythingMCP vs CData Connect AI: managed MCP compared
CData Connect AI is a managed MCP platform built on CData's data drivers. AnythingMCP is an open-source MCP gateway with a company brain on top. Hosting, connectors, pricing and governance compared.
CData Connect AI is CData Software's hosted platform that connects AI agents to live business data over MCP. It was called CData Connect Cloud until September 2025, and it builds on the data drivers CData has sold for years. AnythingMCP is an open-source MCP gateway that turns your systems into tools for Claude, ChatGPT and Copilot, in the EU cloud or on your own servers, and adds skills, memory and file search on top.
Both answer the same question: "how does my AI read my business data?" They answer it in different ways.
TL;DR
- Pick CData Connect AI if your main need is SQL-style data access to many SaaS and database sources, you want a managed US vendor with SOC 2 Type II, and per-user passthrough permissions down to the record matter most.
- Pick AnythingMCP if you want to self-host or use EU hosting, need actions as well as reads (create an order, post an invoice), have SOAP or OData services, or want the AI to learn your company: AI skills, a knowledge graph, company memory and File Search over your file servers.
Side by side
| AnythingMCP | CData Connect AI | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Open-source MCP gateway and company brain | Managed MCP platform on CData drivers |
| Hosting | Cloud in Frankfurt, or self-hosted | SaaS; Connect Gateway reaches on-prem sources |
| Self-hosted gateway | ✅ Free Community edition, or Enterprise | ❌ (free local MCP servers per source) |
| Open source | ✅ AGPL-3.0 | ❌ |
| Catalog | 713 connectors, 12,000+ tools | "Hundreds" of sources (350+ per a March 2026 release) |
| Model of access | API operations, queries and actions | SQL-like queries over normalised sources |
| Write actions | ✅ Per tool, governed by role | Depends on the source driver |
| SOAP / WSDL | ✅ | Not advertised |
| OData, databases | ✅ incl. SAP HANA | ✅ Strong |
| Any REST API without code | ✅ Import OpenAPI, Postman, cURL | Via CData's API driver |
| Gateway for other MCP servers | ✅ MCP-to-MCP bridge | Connect AI Gateway (early access) |
| Per-user permissions | Roles per tool; per-user sign-in on Enterprise | Passthrough auth, record-level |
| Per-tool rate limits per user | ✅ Per minute and hour | Not documented |
| Audit | ✅ Every call with input and output | Query-level audit (metadata) |
| AI skills, knowledge graph | ✅ | ❌ |
| Company memory, File Search | ✅ (memory: Enterprise) | ❌ |
| Code Mode | ✅ Isolated runner | ❌ |
| Certifications | GDPR, EU hosting, DPA online | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA extension |
| Pricing | Community free; Cloud €19 or €49/month (VAT incl.); Enterprise quoted | Free Developer Edition (5 sources, 500 tool calls/month); Standard from $79/month (annual), 1 user and 1 source; Business quoted |
CData facts from cdata.com/ai/pricing, the rename announcement and CData press releases, November 2026.
Where CData Connect AI wins
- Data driver depth. CData has built SQL drivers for hundreds of sources for many years. For read-heavy analytics across SaaS and warehouses, that maturity shows.
- Record-level passthrough. Each user's own source permissions apply, down to the record.
- Certifications. SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and a HIPAA healthcare extension.
- Enterprise track record. CData reports more than 10,000 customers and was named a Challenger in Gartner's 2026 data integration Magic Quadrant.
- Developer Edition. Free for 5 sources and 500 tool calls a month, with a Python SDK and CLI.
Where AnythingMCP wins
1. Run it where your data is
AnythingMCP runs on your own servers with Docker, so the gateway, credentials and audit log stay in your network. The Community edition is free under AGPL-3.0 for any use, up to 3 active users. Or use AnythingMCP Cloud in Frankfurt with a DPA. CData's platform is SaaS, and its free local MCP servers are read-only.
2. Actions as first-class tools
CData presents sources as SQL-like tables. AnythingMCP tools map to real API operations, each with its own name, description and permissions. The AI can create a sales order in SAP Business One, update a deal in HubSpot or draft an invoice in weclapp, where you allow it. Roles decide which write tools each user sees, and per-tool rate limits cap calls per minute and hour.
3. Legacy protocols
SOAP/WSDL services, OData V2 and V4 with SAP's labels, and any OpenAPI spec become tools without code. See Legacy systems.
4. A company brain
Data access is half the problem. The other half is knowing what the data means in your company. AnythingMCP adds:
- AI skills: procedures and rules, written by hand or learned automatically from real tool calls and fixed errors, approved by an admin
- Knowledge graph: how your systems link
- Company memory (Enterprise): facts saved in one AI client, found in all others
- File Search and File Share: PDFs, Excel, Word and Outlook files on SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, S3 or a NAS, with page-level answers and download links
- Code Mode: one short program that calls many tools, so large joins never pass through the model's context
See Enterprise and Search company files with AI.
5. Predictable, low entry price
CData's paid plans start at $79 a month for one user and one source. AnythingMCP Cloud Starter costs €19 a month for 5 connectors; Team €49 for 15 connectors and 3 users. See pricing.
Decision guide
| If you need… | Pick |
|---|---|
| SQL analytics over many SaaS sources, SOC 2, US vendor | CData Connect AI |
| Self-hosting or EU hosting | AnythingMCP |
| Write actions in ERP, CRM or shop systems | AnythingMCP |
| SOAP, OData, SAP and file servers in one endpoint | AnythingMCP |
| Skills, memory and file search for Claude, ChatGPT and Copilot | AnythingMCP Enterprise |
FAQ
What is CData Connect AI? A managed MCP platform from CData Software that connects AI agents to live data from hundreds of sources through CData's drivers. It was called CData Connect Cloud until September 2025.
Is CData Connect AI open source? No. CData publishes some free local MCP servers on GitHub, but the platform is proprietary. AnythingMCP is open source under AGPL-3.0.
Can I self-host CData Connect AI? The platform is SaaS. Connect Gateway reaches sources behind your firewall. AnythingMCP can run entirely on your servers.
How much does CData Connect AI cost? A free Developer Edition, then Standard from $79 a month billed annually for one user and one source, Growth from $159, and Business on quote.
Can I use both? Yes. AnythingMCP's MCP bridge can serve a CData MCP endpoint next to your other connectors, behind one sign-in and audit log.
Try AnythingMCP
git clone https://github.com/HelpCode-ai/anythingmcp.git
cd anythingmcp && ./setup.sh
Or start the Cloud free trial: 7 days, hosted in Frankfurt.