Top 10 MCP Servers for Claude Code in 2026

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) has become the standard way to extend AI coding assistants with external tools and data sources. For Claude Code users, MCP servers unlock capabilities that go far beyond what the base tool can do -- from real-time documentation lookup to database querying, browser automation, and deployment management.

This guide covers the 10 most useful MCP servers for Claude Code, with installation instructions, practical use cases, and tips for getting the most out of each one.

What Are MCP Servers?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI assistants connect to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface. An MCP server is a lightweight process that exposes specific capabilities -- tools, resources, or prompts -- that Claude Code can use during conversations.

When you install an MCP server, Claude Code gains new abilities. For example, a database MCP server lets Claude Code query your database directly. A browser MCP server lets it navigate web pages. The possibilities are extensive.

How to Install MCP Servers in Claude Code

The basic pattern for adding any MCP server:

claude mcp add <server-name> -- <command> [args]

To list installed servers:

claude mcp list

To remove a server:

claude mcp remove <server-name>

Now, let us dive into the top 10.

1. Context7 -- Up-to-Date Documentation

What it does: Provides real-time, version-specific documentation for thousands of libraries and frameworks.

Why you need it: Eliminates hallucinated API suggestions by giving Claude Code access to the actual current documentation for any library you are using.

Installation:

claude mcp add context7 -- npx -y @context7/mcp@latest

Example usage:

use context7 -- How do I set up server-side rendering with Next.js 15 App Router?

Best for: Any developer who works with frameworks that update frequently (React, Next.js, Svelte, FastAPI, etc.).

2. Filesystem MCP Server -- Enhanced File Operations

What it does: Gives Claude Code enhanced filesystem operations beyond its built-in capabilities, including file watching, glob pattern searching, and file metadata access.

Why you need it: Claude Code already reads and writes files, but this server adds capabilities like watching for file changes, searching by pattern, and accessing file metadata (permissions, timestamps, sizes).

Installation:

claude mcp add filesystem -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-filesystem@latest /path/to/your/project

Example usage:

Find all TypeScript files modified in the last 24 hours in the src directory.

Best for: Developers working with large codebases who need advanced file management.

3. PostgreSQL MCP Server -- Database Integration

What it does: Connects Claude Code directly to your PostgreSQL database, allowing it to query schemas, run read-only queries, and understand your data model.

Why you need it: When writing backend code, Claude Code can inspect your actual database schema instead of guessing. It can verify that the SQL it generates matches your real tables and columns.

Installation:

claude mcp add postgres -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-postgres@latest postgresql://user:pass@localhost:5432/mydb

Example usage:

Look at the users and orders tables in the database and write a
SQLAlchemy model for each with proper relationships.

Security note: Use a read-only database user for safety. Never give the MCP server write access to production databases.

Best for: Backend developers and full-stack developers working with PostgreSQL.

4. GitHub MCP Server -- Repository and PR Management

What it does: Gives Claude Code access to GitHub APIs for managing issues, pull requests, code reviews, and repository information.

Why you need it: Claude Code can create PRs, review code changes, respond to PR comments, search issues, and manage your GitHub workflow without leaving the terminal.

Installation:

claude mcp add github -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-github@latest

You will need to set a GitHub personal access token:

export GITHUB_TOKEN="ghp_your_token_here"

Example usage:

Create a pull request for the current branch with a summary of all changes.
Review the latest PR and leave comments on any potential issues.

Best for: Any developer who uses GitHub for version control and collaboration.

5. Brave Search MCP Server -- Web Search

What it does: Lets Claude Code search the web using the Brave Search API for real-time information.

Why you need it: When Claude Code encounters an error message it does not recognize, needs to check the latest version of a package, or needs to research a topic, web search provides the answers.

Installation:

claude mcp add brave-search -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-brave-search@latest

Set your API key (free tier available at brave.com/search/api):

export BRAVE_API_KEY="your-brave-api-key"

Example usage:

Search for the latest breaking changes in Prisma 6 and tell me
if any affect my schema.

Best for: Developers who frequently encounter obscure errors or need up-to-date information.

6. Puppeteer MCP Server -- Browser Automation

What it does: Gives Claude Code the ability to control a web browser -- navigating pages, taking screenshots, clicking elements, filling forms, and extracting content.

Why you need it: Claude Code can test your web application by actually navigating it, take screenshots to verify UI changes, scrape content from documentation pages, and automate browser-based workflows.

Installation:

claude mcp add puppeteer -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-puppeteer@latest

Example usage:

Navigate to localhost:3000, take a screenshot of the homepage,
and tell me if the layout matches the design spec I described.

Best for: Frontend developers, QA engineers, and anyone who needs to verify web UI behavior.

7. Sentry MCP Server -- Error Tracking

What it does: Connects Claude Code to your Sentry error tracking dashboard, allowing it to view recent errors, analyze stack traces, and suggest fixes.

Why you need it: Instead of manually copying error details from Sentry into your AI assistant, this server gives Claude Code direct access to your error data. It can analyze patterns, find root causes, and generate fixes.

Installation:

claude mcp add sentry -- npx -y @sentry/mcp-server@latest

Configure with your Sentry auth token:

export SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN="your-sentry-token"
export SENTRY_ORG="your-org-slug"

Example usage:

Show me the top 5 unresolved errors from the last 24 hours
and suggest fixes for each.

Best for: Teams using Sentry for error monitoring in production applications.

8. Docker MCP Server -- Container Management

What it does: Lets Claude Code manage Docker containers, images, volumes, and networks. It can build images, start/stop containers, view logs, and troubleshoot containerized applications.

Why you need it: Claude Code can help you write Dockerfiles, docker-compose configurations, and then actually build and test them by interacting with Docker directly.

Installation:

claude mcp add docker -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-docker@latest

Example usage:

Build the Docker image from the Dockerfile in this project,
start it, and check if the health endpoint returns 200.

Best for: DevOps engineers and developers working with containerized applications.

9. Linear MCP Server -- Project Management

What it does: Integrates Claude Code with Linear (the project management tool), allowing it to create issues, update task statuses, search for related work, and manage sprints.

Why you need it: Claude Code can create Linear issues from TODO comments in your code, update task status when it completes work, and reference existing issues when implementing features.

Installation:

claude mcp add linear -- npx -y @linear/mcp-server@latest

Set your Linear API key:

export LINEAR_API_KEY="lin_api_your_key_here"

Example usage:

Create a Linear issue for the bug I just fixed, reference the commit,
and move the existing issue ENG-234 to "Done".

Best for: Teams using Linear for project management who want seamless code-to-task integration.

10. Memory MCP Server -- Persistent Knowledge

What it does: Gives Claude Code a persistent memory that survives across sessions. It can store and recall project-specific knowledge, decisions, preferences, and context.

Why you need it: By default, each Claude Code session starts fresh. The Memory MCP server lets Claude Code remember important project details -- architecture decisions, coding conventions, known issues, deployment procedures -- across sessions.

Installation:

claude mcp add memory -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-memory@latest

Example usage:

Remember that this project uses snake_case for database columns
and camelCase for API responses, with a transform layer in between.

In a later session:

What are our naming conventions for database columns vs API fields?

Best for: Developers who work on the same projects repeatedly and want continuity across Claude Code sessions.

Quick Reference: All 10 Servers

#	Server	Purpose	Install Command
1	Context7	Documentation lookup	`claude mcp add context7 -- npx -y @context7/mcp@latest`
2	Filesystem	Enhanced file operations	`claude mcp add filesystem -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-filesystem@latest /path`
3	PostgreSQL	Database integration	`claude mcp add postgres -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-postgres@latest <conn-string>`
4	GitHub	PR and issue management	`claude mcp add github -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-github@latest`
5	Brave Search	Web search	`claude mcp add brave-search -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-brave-search@latest`
6	Puppeteer	Browser automation	`claude mcp add puppeteer -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-puppeteer@latest`
7	Sentry	Error tracking	`claude mcp add sentry -- npx -y @sentry/mcp-server@latest`
8	Docker	Container management	`claude mcp add docker -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-docker@latest`
9	Linear	Project management	`claude mcp add linear -- npx -y @linear/mcp-server@latest`
10	Memory	Persistent knowledge	`claude mcp add memory -- npx -y @anthropic/mcp-memory@latest`

Tips for Managing MCP Servers

Performance Considerations

Each MCP server is a separate process. Running all 10 simultaneously will use additional system resources. A practical approach:

Always on: Context7, GitHub, Memory (low overhead, frequently useful)
On demand: PostgreSQL, Docker, Sentry (enable when working on relevant tasks)
Occasional: Puppeteer, Linear, Brave Search (enable for specific workflows)

Security Best Practices

Use read-only credentials for database servers
Scope API tokens to minimum required permissions
Never commit MCP configuration files containing secrets
Review server permissions before installation -- understand what each server can access

Keeping Servers Updated

# Update all npx-based servers by clearing the npx cache
npx clear-npx-cache

# Or reinstall specific servers
claude mcp remove context7
claude mcp add context7 -- npx -y @context7/mcp@latest

Conclusion

MCP servers transform Claude Code from a smart coding assistant into a fully connected development environment. The right combination of servers -- documentation, database, version control, error tracking, and memory -- can dramatically increase the quality and speed of AI-assisted development.

Start with Context7 and GitHub (the two most universally useful servers), then add others as your workflow demands. The beauty of MCP is that servers are easy to add, remove, and swap -- there is no commitment to getting the perfect setup on day one.

For developers building applications that need AI-powered media generation -- avatars, videos, images, or voice content -- Hypereal AI can serve as another tool in your AI-powered development stack. Its API integrates smoothly with any application you build using Claude Code, providing affordable and high-quality media generation capabilities.