Pro Tip
Start with Git for local operations and add your primary hosting platform (GitHub, GitLab, etc.) for remote operations like PR management.
The MCP ecosystem has grown exponentially, with hundreds of servers available. This guide presents the 40 most valuable MCP servers for modern software engineering, organized by category and use case.
Essential for any development workflow - these servers connect your AI to your code history and collaboration platform.
| Server | Purpose | Auth Required | Quick Install |
|---|---|---|---|
| Git | Direct git CLI operations | None (local) | npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/git@latest |
| GitHub | Full GitHub API access | PAT/OAuth | Use hosted: https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/ |
| GitLab | Self-hosted/SaaS GitLab | PAT | npx -y @mcp/gitlab@latest |
| Bitbucket | Atlassian ecosystem | App password | npx -y @atlassian/bitbucket-mcp-server |
| Gitea | Lightweight self-hosted | API token | npx -y @gitea/mcp-server |
Pro Tip
Start with Git for local operations and add your primary hosting platform (GitHub, GitLab, etc.) for remote operations like PR management.
Automate your entire build pipeline through natural language commands.
CircleCI
Install: npx -y @circleci/mcp-server-circleci
Jenkins
Install: npx -y jenkins-mcp-server
Bitrise
Install: npx -y @bitrise-io/mcp-server
Azure DevOps
Use: https://mcp.azure.com/
Provision and manage cloud resources without leaving your IDE.
# Full AWS resource managementdocker run -e AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=... \ -e AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=... \ ghcr.io/aws/mcp-server
# Capabilities:# - S3 bucket operations# - Lambda function management# - EKS cluster control# - EC2 instance provisioning# Cloud Run deploymentclaude mcp add gcrun \ --url https://mcp.cloudrun.googleapis.com/
# Features:# - Deploy containerized apps# - Manage Cloud Run services# - Scale automatically# - Traffic routing# Comprehensive Azure suitenpx -y @azure/azure-mcp@latest
# 15+ specialized connectors:# - Resource management# - Database operations# - Container services# - Monitor & logging| Platform | Focus Area | Install Command |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | Edge computing, Workers, R2 | npx -y cloudflare-mcp |
| DigitalOcean | Simple cloud resources | npx -y digitalocean-mcp |
| Kubernetes | Container orchestration | npx -y kubernetes-mcp-server |
| Docker Hub | Image management | Use: https://mcp.docker.com/ |
Natural language database operations across SQL and NoSQL systems.
PostgreSQL
Production-ready SQL
docker run -e PG_URL=... pg-mcp-serverRedis
In-memory operations
npx -y @redis/mcp-redisMongoDB
Document store
npx -y @mongodb/mcp-serverElasticsearch
Full-text search
npx -y elasticsearch-mcpnpx -y clickhouse-mcp-server)npx -y chroma-mcp)npx -y greptimedb-mcp)Keep your systems healthy with AI-assisted monitoring.
Sentry - Error tracking and performance
npx -y sentry-mcp# Query issues, stack traces, release healthGrafana - Metrics visualization
npx -y grafana-mcp# Search dashboards, run PromQL queriesDynatrace - APM and diagnostics
npx -y dynatrace-mcp# Live performance data, problem detection| Tool | Purpose | Install |
|---|---|---|
| SonarQube | Static analysis | npx -y sonarqube-mcp-server |
| Codacy | Code review automation | npx -y codacy-mcp |
Essential Testing Stack
Playwright - Cross-browser testing
npx -y @playwright/mcp@latestBrowserStack - Cloud device testing
npx -y browserstack-mcpDebugg.AI - AI-driven E2E testing
npx -y debuggai-mcpConnect your AI to your team’s workflow.
| Platform | Best For | Install |
|---|---|---|
| Linear | Modern product teams | https://mcp.linear.app/sse |
| Jira | Enterprise workflows | https://mcp.atlassian.com/jira/ |
| GitHub Issues | Open source projects | Via GitHub MCP |
| Azure Boards | Microsoft teams | Via Azure MCP |
| Platform | Integration | Install |
|---|---|---|
| Slack | Messages, channels | npx -y slack-mcp-server |
| Discord | Community management | npx -y discord-mcp |
| Teams | Microsoft ecosystem | Via Microsoft Graph |
| Platform | Use Case | Install |
|---|---|---|
| Notion | Team wikis | https://api.notion.com/mcp/ |
| Confluence | Enterprise docs | https://mcp.atlassian.com/confluence/ |
| Obsidian | Personal knowledge | npx -y obsidian-mcp |
The Swiss Army knives of the MCP ecosystem.
Fetch
Safe web scraping and API calls
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/fetchFilesystem
Local file operations
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/filesystemTime
Timezone and date calculations
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/timeEverything
Kitchen sink for testing
npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/everythingAdd to starter:
Include specialized tools:
# NPX pattern (most common)npx -y @organization/mcp-server-name
# Docker pattern (for isolation)docker run -e API_KEY=... image-name
# Remote URL pattern (hosted servers)--url https://api.service.com/mcp/
# Local developmentclaude mcp add [name] -s user -- [command]# List available tools"Show me all available MCP tools"
# Test a specific server"Test the GitHub MCP connection"
# Check server status"Which MCP servers are currently active?"Ready to expand your MCP toolkit?
Custom MCP Development
Build your own MCP server
MCP Best Practices
Optimize your MCP workflow
Enterprise Integration
Scale MCP across teams