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Claude Desktop

MCP Servers for Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop was the first widely-available MCP client. Every MCP server is built and tested against it first, which makes it the smoothest onramp if you are new to MCP.

15 compatible MCPsVerified setup for 2026

Set up MCP in Claude Desktop

Four steps to connect your first MCP server.

  1. 1

    Open claude_desktop_config.json

    From Claude Desktop, use Settings → Developer → "Edit Config" to open the file in your editor.

  2. 2

    Add servers under mcpServers

    Each entry needs a command and args. Copy the install snippet from any MCP detail page on top-mcps.com.

  3. 3

    Set secrets via env

    API tokens go in the env block (e.g. GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN). Keep secrets out of args.

  4. 4

    Fully quit and reopen Claude

    Reload Window is not enough — quit Claude entirely, then reopen. The hammer icon in the chat bar should show the connected servers.

Config file locations
  • macOS~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Windows%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Example configjson
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/Users/you/code"
      ]
    },
    "memory": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-memory"]
    },
    "sequential-thinking": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"]
    }
  }
}

Top MCPs for Claude Desktop

The curated starting stack — install these first.

1
Popular

Read and write local files with configurable access controls.

filesystemfilesreadwrite
2 minLow
2
Agent-Friendly

Persistent knowledge graph memory across AI conversations.

memorypersistenceknowledge-graphagents
2 minLow
3
Agent-Friendly

Structured step-by-step reasoning for complex problem solving.

reasoningthinkingagentsplanning
2 minLow
4
Trending

Up-to-date library docs pulled directly into your AI context.

codingdocumentationlibrariesaccuracy
3 minLow
5
Popular

Full GitHub API access: repos, PRs, issues, and code search.

gitgithubreposprs
5 minLow
6
Powerful

Full browser automation: navigate, click, screenshot, and scrape.

browserautomationscrapingpuppeteer
5 minMedium

All MCPs compatible with Claude Desktop

15 servers verified to work with Claude Desktop, ranked by popularity.

1
Popular

Read and write local files with configurable access controls.

filesystemfilesreadwrite
2 minLow
2
Popular

Full GitHub API access: repos, PRs, issues, and code search.

gitgithubreposprs
5 minLow
3
Popular

Query and inspect PostgreSQL databases via natural language.

databasesqlpostgresqueries
3 minLow
5
Agent-Friendly

Persistent knowledge graph memory across AI conversations.

memorypersistenceknowledge-graphagents
2 minLow
6
Fast Setup

Local Git operations: commit, diff, log, branch, and more.

gitlocalcommitsdiff
2 minLow
7
Trending

Up-to-date library docs pulled directly into your AI context.

codingdocumentationlibrariesaccuracy
3 minLow
8
Trending

Full Supabase access: database, auth, storage, and edge functions.

supabasedatabasebackendpostgres
5 minLow
9
Fast Setup

Local SQLite database access with full read/write support.

databasesqlitelocalstorage
2 minLow
10
Fast Setup

Retrieve web pages and convert them to clean markdown.

webfetchmarkdownscraping
1 minLow
11
Powerful

Full browser automation: navigate, click, screenshot, and scrape.

browserautomationscrapingpuppeteer
5 minMedium
12
Agent-Friendly

Structured step-by-step reasoning for complex problem solving.

reasoningthinkingagentsplanning
2 minLow
13
Popular

Read and send Slack messages, manage channels and threads.

slackmessagingcommunicationautomation
10 minMedium
14
Trending

Secure cloud sandboxes for executing AI-generated code.

codingexecutionsandboxcloud
5 minLow
15
Trending

Manage Linear issues, projects, and cycles from AI context.

linearproject-managementissuesproductivity
5 minMedium

FAQ: MCP in Claude Desktop

Where is the Claude Desktop MCP config stored?

On macOS it lives at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. On Windows it lives at %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. Claude reads this file on every launch.

Why don't my new MCP servers show up?

Claude Desktop only reads the config on full app start. Reloading the window does not pick up changes — quit Claude completely (Cmd+Q on macOS) and reopen it.

How do I debug a broken MCP server?

Open Settings → Developer and view the MCP logs. A red status next to the server name shows the exact error — usually a missing binary, bad token, or invalid args path.

Can Claude use multiple MCPs at once?

Yes. Every entry under mcpServers runs as its own process and is available to Claude simultaneously. A typical setup combines Filesystem, Memory, a search MCP, and a database MCP.

Does Claude.ai in the browser support MCP?

MCP is currently a desktop-app feature. Use Claude Desktop for MCP — the claude.ai web interface runs without local tool access.

Browse every MCP server → top-mcps.com