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VS Code

MCP Servers for VS Code

VS Code supports MCP through its agent-mode tooling — configured in either a workspace .vscode/mcp.json file or via the user settings.json. The same servers that run in Claude Desktop or Cursor drop straight in.

15 compatible MCPsVerified setup for 2026

Set up MCP in VS Code

Four steps to connect your first MCP server.

  1. 1

    Create .vscode/mcp.json

    Add the file at the root of your workspace. VS Code picks it up automatically.

  2. 2

    Add servers under "servers"

    Same command + args format as Claude Desktop. You can reference ${workspaceFolder} to scope filesystem access to the open project.

  3. 3

    Enable the server

    Open the Command Palette → "MCP: List Servers" and toggle the server on. VS Code will launch the process and surface any errors inline.

  4. 4

    Use it from Chat

    Open the Chat view, switch to Agent mode, and the MCP tools appear under the Tools picker.

Config file locations
  • Workspace-scoped.vscode/mcp.jsonPreferred. Commit alongside the repo to share with your team.
  • User-widesettings.json → "mcp.servers"Open with Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P → "Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)".
Example configjsonc
// .vscode/mcp.json
{
  "servers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "${workspaceFolder}"
      ]
    },
    "context7": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@upstash/context7-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Top MCPs for VS Code

The curated starting stack — install these first.

1
Popular

Read and write local files with configurable access controls.

filesystemfilesreadwrite
2 minLow
2
Trending

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

codingdocumentationlibrariesaccuracy
3 minLow
3
Popular

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

gitgithubreposprs
5 minLow
4
Fast Setup

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

gitlocalcommitsdiff
2 minLow
5
Popular

Query and inspect PostgreSQL databases via natural language.

databasesqlpostgresqueries
3 minLow
6
Fast Setup

Retrieve web pages and convert them to clean markdown.

webfetchmarkdownscraping
1 minLow

All MCPs compatible with VS Code

15 servers verified to work with VS Code, 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 VS Code

Do I need an extension to use MCP in VS Code?

Modern VS Code includes MCP support in its built-in chat/agent tooling. If you are on an older version, update to the latest VS Code release — MCP is part of the core agent features.

Can I use workspace variables in mcp.json?

Yes. VS Code expands variables like ${workspaceFolder} and ${userHome} inside args, which is the cleanest way to point a Filesystem MCP at the currently open project.

Where do I store API tokens safely?

Use the inputs feature: declare a password-type input in mcp.json, reference it in env, and VS Code prompts once and stores the value in its secure secret storage — never written to disk.

Can VS Code and Cursor share the same MCP config?

Not directly — Cursor reads .cursor/mcp.json and VS Code reads .vscode/mcp.json. The JSON shape is nearly identical, so copy-paste works. Commit both if your team uses both editors.

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