Open-source Box MCP alternatives
Box's MCP server is open source, but Box runs it for you as a hosted endpoint you reach over OAuth. If you would rather use a server whose source you can read line by line, fork, and pin, every option below publishes its code too. That matters when you need to vet exactly which calls an agent can make against your files.
These are the open-source servers people line up against Box, ordered roughly by reach. Some run locally, several offer a hosted endpoint, and a couple store objects or pages rather than documents; each note says which.
The 8 best open-source alternatives
Production-ready and fully open, the Nextcloud community server reaches files plus notes, calendar, contacts, tables, deck, and talk across 110+ tools. You can read the repo before granting write access and run it on your own hardware.
Set up Nextcloud →Object storage with open source on both sides: MinIO's official server browses buckets, reads and writes objects, manages tags and versioning, and answers AI questions about stored objects. Reach for it when files are blobs in buckets, not folders.
Set up MinIO →- Google Drive (Workspace MCP)Community
The open-source Google Workspace server, scoped to Drive, searches, reads, creates, and shares Drive files over OAuth, with imports into Docs, Slides, and Sheets. Its code is public, so you can confirm exactly which Drive scopes it uses.
Set up Google Drive (Workspace MCP) → AWS Labs publishes its server openly: run any AWS CLI command with validation, read-only mode, and command suggestions. Storage means S3 here rather than a document drive, so it fits teams whose files are AWS infrastructure.
Set up AWS (AWS Labs) →Notion's server is open source and hosted: it searches, reads, and writes workspace pages and databases over OAuth. It holds editable pages rather than uploaded files, answering a different half of Box, with source you can audit.
Set up Notion →Cloudflare's remote servers are open source and cover Workers, KV, R2, D1, and Hyperdrive. R2 is object storage rather than a document cloud, so this suits teams whose assets live on Cloudflare's platform and who want to read the code first.
Set up Cloudflare →Built openly by korotovsky, the community Slack server reads history, DMs, and search without a workspace bot install. The job is conversations and their files, not a document store, and the repo is open to inspect.
Set up Slack →Doist's official Todoist server is open source and focused on tasks: create, find, update, and complete tasks, projects, sections, labels, and reminders. It is here as a task tracker, not a file store, with a repo you can read end to end.
Set up Todoist →
How to choose
Among the open-source picks, Nextcloud is the closest for a full file platform you can audit and self-host, while Google Drive matches if your documents live in Google. MinIO and Cloudflare R2 are object storage, AWS reaches S3 through the CLI, and Notion, Slack, and Todoist hold pages, chat, and tasks. Read the repo before wiring any of them into your content with write access.
FAQ
- Is the Box MCP server open source?
- Yes, Box publishes its server's source, but Box hosts and runs it for you, so you connect over OAuth rather than operating it yourself. Every alternative on this page also ships its code, and several you can run on your own infrastructure.
- Which open-source alternative is closest to Box?
- Nextcloud is the nearest as a file platform: open source, self-hostable, and able to reach files plus many other apps across 110+ tools. Google Drive's open Workspace server is the next closest if your documents are in Google.