MCP Server Comparison

How to pick an MCP server without opening 20 tabs

The MCP ecosystem grew fast, and every server has its own README, its own transport, and its own auth story. When you just want the right tool for one job - query my database, drive my browser, read my repo - comparing them one GitHub tab at a time is slow. This table puts the deciding facts side by side: what the server does, how it connects, and whether it needs credentials, so you can filter to a shortlist in under a minute.

The facts here are kept deliberately general. Transports and auth requirements change as servers evolve and get hosted in new ways, so treat this as a starting map, not a spec sheet - the copy button gives you a common install command, and each server's README is the source of truth for the exact current setup.

The three questions that narrow the field fast

1. What do you need it to touch? Files, a database, the web, your repo, a SaaS tool. This is the category filter and it eliminates most of the list immediately.
2. Local or remote? A stdio server runs on your machine and is simplest to trust. A remote SSE or HTTP server is hosted elsewhere and usually needs auth.
3. How much access are you granting? A read-only fetch server is low-risk. A server with write access to your database or your Slack is not - scope it tightly.

Categories at a glance

• Files - read and write local files, the most common first server people add.
• Dev - git, GitHub, and error tools like Sentry that plug Claude Code into your development loop.
• Web - fetch a URL or drive a real browser for scraping and testing.
• Data - query Postgres or SQLite so the model can reason over your actual data.
• Knowledge - persistent memory and docs tools like Notion for cross-session context.
• Comms - Slack and similar, for reading and posting in team channels.

Auth types, and what each one costs you

• None - the server needs no credentials (e.g. a plain fetch). Lowest risk, but confirm it cannot reach anything sensitive.
• Local only - it operates on local resources you point it at. Risk is bounded by the path or database you grant.
• API token - you provide a key. Treat that key as a secret, scope it down, and never commit it to a shared config.
• OAuth - you authorize the server against a SaaS account. Convenient, but review the scopes it requests before you approve.

After you pick: install and verify

1. Copy the install command for your pick and run it (or add it to your .mcp.json with the config generator on this site).
2. Restart or reload Claude Code so it re-reads the server list.
3. Run 'claude mcp list' to confirm it registered.
4. Ask Claude Code what tools it has to confirm the server exposed them.
5. Run the security checklist on this site before granting any server write access or a live credential.

When you do not need an MCP server at all

Every MCP server you add loads tokens into context and expands your attack surface. If a task is a one-off, doing it directly is often cheaper and safer than wiring a permanent server. Add servers for capabilities you use repeatedly - the git server if you live in a repo, the database server if you query it daily - and resist collecting servers you rarely touch. A lean set of trusted, well-scoped servers beats a long list of half-remembered ones.