oriel Comparisons Updated
oriel and Windows-MCP compared
Both are MCP servers that let an AI assistant use Windows apps through UI Automation. oriel reads one window at a time as text; Windows-MCP captures the whole desktop in a snapshot. On one locked Windows 11 PC on 21 Oct 2026, a window tree took 23 ms with oriel and a desktop snapshot 14 s with Windows-MCP 0.8.8. Windows-MCP also has PowerShell, file and registry tools.
How each one works
| oriel | Windows-MCP | |
|---|---|---|
| How it sees the screen | One window's accessibility tree, as text | A snapshot of the whole desktop's interactive elements, with a screenshot if you ask for one |
| How it acts | UI Automation actions on the control; real keys and mouse only for keys, click and drag | Clicks at screen coordinates and types, with the real mouse and keyboard |
| What an action changed | In the same reply | A new snapshot, in a second call |
| Shell, files, registry | None by default; {"shell": true} in config.json turns on a shell | PowerShell, FileSystem, Registry and Process tools, which you can leave out with --exclude-tools |
| Windows | Windows 11 tested; Windows 10 1903 or later not tested yet | Windows 10 and 11, its README says |
| Built with | C#, one exe on the .NET Framework 4.8 | Python |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
Per call: 21 Oct 2026, PC locked
The same tasks through four MCP servers on one Windows 11 PC (build 26200, Ryzen 5 7600X), timed from a MacBook over the LAN. Each server ran with the speed settings it offers (no screenshots, highlighting or post-action diffs). 5 runs per task for oriel, 3 for Windows-MCP, median wall time per MCP call. oriel as its engine stood that day, against Windows-MCP 0.8.8.
| Task | oriel | Windows-MCP 0.8.8 |
|---|---|---|
| List windows | 6 ms | in the snapshot |
| Launch Character Map | 203 ms | 1,182 ms |
| Read the Character Map window | 23 ms | 14,034 ms, whole desktop |
| Read a Chrome window | 28 ms | in the snapshot |
| Fill a field, press a button | 8 ms each | not run |
| Act and report what changed | 45 ms, 1 call | 2 calls |
- Windows-MCP's click and type send real input, which on a locked PC goes to the lock screen, so they were not run.
- This run was not repeated. On 10 Nov 2026 an unlocked re-run against Cua Driver showed that most of its October gaps came from that day's conditions, most likely the lock. Windows-MCP on an unlocked PC may differ in the same way. Newer Windows-MCP versions were not measured.
- Windows-MCP did not take part in the WindowsAgentArena rounds, so there are no whole-task numbers for it.
Rows and method: bench/headtohead/RESULTS.md, docs/benchmarks.md.
Which to choose
- Windows-MCP if you want PowerShell, file, registry and process tools in the same server, or Windows 10 support that its README states.
- oriel if you want each call in milliseconds, the change in the same reply, element actions that don't move your mouse, and no shell or file tools unless you turn the shell on.
Try oriel
Free and open source, one exe under 200 KB, no admin rights. Tested with Claude Code on Windows 11.
Not code-signed yet, so Windows will warn. Why, and how to check the file
Sources
- oriel, bench/headtohead/RESULTS.md, section 2026-10-21, and docs/benchmarks.md section 2
- CursorTouch, Windows-MCP README, read 10 Nov 2026
- oriel, SECURITY.md