“Should we be looking at an MCP server, or a classic integration?” We hear this question in meetings more and more often \u2014 and it is asked slightly backwards. MCP and integrations don’t solve the same problem, so they don’t compete. This article compares what each one does and gives a practical guide to when to reach for which.<\/p>\n
An integration connects systems to each other<\/strong> \u2014 e-shop orders flow into the ERP on their own, every few minutes, with no people involved. An MCP server connects people to the ERP<\/strong> (through an AI assistant) \u2014 question, answer, right now. An integration replaces retyping data; MCP replaces waiting for reports. Most companies end up needing both, but they start with whichever hurts more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n When your pain sounds like retyping: e-shop orders are entered into the accounts by hand, the stock levels on the website don’t match reality, invoices are copied between systems. That is a job for a classic integration<\/a> \u2014 you build it once and it then moves data on its own for years. You’ll find specific system pairs in our integration catalogue<\/a>.<\/p>\n When your pain sounds like waiting for an answer: management wants numbers, the accountant compiles reports instead of doing the books, sales asks about stock over the phone. An MCP server<\/a> connects an AI assistant to the live data in your ERP \u2014 you start read-only, with no changes to the system, and you have your first answers the same day. Running it starts at 2 490 K\u010d a month, an order of magnitude less than building an integration \u2014 because nothing is being built, only made accessible.<\/p>\n It won’t \u2014 at least not where documents are concerned. An integration moves accounting records deterministically: same input, same output, every time. That is exactly what you want from your accounts. An AI layer is great for questions, preparing groundwork and checking \u2014 but leave invoice transfer to a deterministic machine. We cover this in more detail in our article on DIY automation<\/a>, where the same principle shows up with Make and Zapier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Yes. MCP connects directly to your ERP’s data and requires no existing integration. The reverse holds too \u2014 an integration doesn’t need MCP.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n Answers. The integration made sure the data flows correctly; MCP lets people with questions at it. Technically both rest on the same connection to your system, so the second step is cheaper and faster.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n MCP at the start \u2014 running costs from 2 490 K\u010d a month and setup with no build. An integration gets built (usually 6\u201312 hours of work per agenda) and then runs cheaply. But comparing them is misleading: you are paying for two different things.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n Yes, if the basic rules are followed \u2014 read-only, selected agendas, a secured connection, EU servers, no training on your data. There is a detailed checklist in our article on AI security over company data<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MCP connects people with questions to your ERP; an integration connects systems to each other. They are not rivals \u2014 they solve different problems. A practical guide to when to reach for which.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":67153,"template":"","class_list":["post-71885","erpedie","type-erpedie","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/symmy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/erpedie\/71885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/symmy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/erpedie"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/symmy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/erpedie"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/symmy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/erpedie\/71885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71953,"href":"https:\/\/symmy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/erpedie\/71885\/revisions\/71953"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symmy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/symmy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Same data, different job<\/h2>\n
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When to start with an integration<\/h2>\n
When to start with an MCP server<\/h2>\n
Three scenarios from practice<\/h2>\n
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One trap: “AI will replace integrations”<\/h2>\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
Can I have MCP without an integration?<\/summary>\n
I already have a Symmy integration \u2014 what does MCP add?<\/summary>\n
Which is cheaper?<\/summary>\n
Is it safe to let MCP near the accounts?<\/summary>\n