Best MCP Servers for Cursor AI (2026)

Best MCP Servers for Cursor AI (2026)

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) has transformed how AI coding assistants interact with external tools. Instead of copy-pasting context into your editor, MCP servers let Cursor directly read databases, manage GitHub issues, query APIs, and interact with dozens of other services.

This guide covers the best MCP servers for Cursor in 2026, organized by category, with setup instructions and practical use cases.

What Is MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard created by Anthropic that lets AI models call external tools through a standardized interface. Think of it as a plugin system for AI assistants. When you add an MCP server to Cursor, the AI gains new capabilities -- it can query your database, read your Figma designs, or manage your GitHub PRs directly from the editor.

How to Add MCP Servers to Cursor

All MCP servers are configured in .cursor/mcp.json in your project root (project-level) or ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "server-name": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@package/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "your-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

After saving the file, restart Cursor. The AI will automatically discover and use the new tools when relevant.

Top MCP Servers by Category

1. GitHub MCP Server

What it does: Lets Cursor manage GitHub repos, issues, PRs, and code reviews directly.

Why it matters: No more switching between your editor and GitHub. Ask the AI to create a PR, review code, or triage issues without leaving Cursor.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Key tools exposed:

Tool	Description
create_pull_request	Open a new PR with title and body
list_issues	List open issues for a repo
create_issue	File a new issue
get_pull_request_diff	Review PR changes
search_code	Search across repos

Example prompts:

• "Create a PR for my current branch with a summary of changes"
• "List all open bugs labeled 'high priority'"
• "Review the diff on PR #42 and suggest improvements"

2. PostgreSQL / Supabase MCP Server

What it does: Connects Cursor to your database, letting the AI query tables, inspect schemas, and generate SQL.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "postgres": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres"],
      "env": {
        "DATABASE_URL": "postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/mydb"
      }
    }
  }
}

Key tools exposed:

Tool	Description
query	Run read-only SQL queries
list_tables	Show all tables in the database
describe_table	Get column types and constraints

Example prompts:

• "Show me the schema of the users table"
• "Write a query to find all orders over $100 in the last 30 days"
• "What indexes exist on the products table?"

Security note: Use a read-only database connection string. Never give an MCP server write access to production databases.

3. Figma MCP Server

What it does: Reads your Figma designs so Cursor can generate code that matches your mockups.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "figma": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@anthropic/mcp-server-figma"],
      "env": {
        "FIGMA_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your-figma-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Key tools exposed:

Tool	Description
get_file	Fetch a Figma file's structure
get_node	Get details of a specific component
get_images	Export nodes as images

Example prompts:

• "Look at the login screen in Figma file XYZ and generate a React component that matches it"
• "What colors and fonts are used in the header component?"

4. Jira MCP Server

What it does: Brings your Jira tickets directly into your coding context.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jira": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@anthropic/mcp-server-jira"],
      "env": {
        "JIRA_URL": "https://yourcompany.atlassian.net",
        "JIRA_EMAIL": "you@company.com",
        "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "your-jira-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Key tools exposed:

Tool	Description
jira_get_issue	Fetch ticket details by key
jira_search	Run JQL queries
jira_update_issue	Update ticket status
jira_add_comment	Comment on a ticket

Example prompts:

• "Read PROJ-456 and implement the feature it describes"
• "Find all unassigned tickets in the current sprint"

5. Browser / Puppeteer MCP Server

What it does: Gives Cursor the ability to navigate websites, take screenshots, and interact with web pages.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "puppeteer": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@modelcontextprotocol/server-puppeteer"]
    }
  }
}

Key tools exposed:

Tool	Description
navigate	Open a URL in a headless browser
screenshot	Capture a screenshot of the page
click	Click on an element
fill	Fill in form fields
evaluate	Run JavaScript on the page

Example prompts:

• "Navigate to localhost:3000 and screenshot the homepage so we can debug the layout"
• "Fill in the registration form and check if validation errors appear"

6. Filesystem MCP Server

What it does: Provides safe, scoped file system access to directories outside your workspace.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/path/to/allowed/directory"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Example prompts:

• "List all JSON config files in /etc/myapp/"
• "Read the contents of the deployment manifest"

7. Slack MCP Server

What it does: Lets Cursor read and send Slack messages, search channels, and pull context from team conversations.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "slack": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@anthropic/mcp-server-slack"],
      "env": {
        "SLACK_BOT_TOKEN": "xoxb-your-bot-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Example prompts:

• "Search Slack for recent messages about the payment bug"
• "Post a message to #engineering saying the deploy is complete"

8. Sentry MCP Server

What it does: Connects Cursor to your Sentry error tracking, so the AI can see real production errors.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sentry": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@sentry/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN": "your-sentry-token",
        "SENTRY_ORG": "your-org-slug"
      }
    }
  }
}

Example prompts:

• "What are the top unresolved errors in the last 24 hours?"
• "Show me the stack trace for issue SENTRY-12345 and suggest a fix"

9. Linear MCP Server

What it does: If your team uses Linear instead of Jira, this MCP server provides the same ticket integration.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "linear": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@anthropic/mcp-server-linear"],
      "env": {
        "LINEAR_API_KEY": "lin_api_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Example prompts:

• "What are my assigned issues in the current cycle?"
• "Create a bug ticket for the login timeout issue"

10. Memory / Knowledge Graph MCP Server

What it does: Gives Cursor persistent memory across sessions by storing facts in a local knowledge graph.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "memory": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@modelcontextprotocol/server-memory"]
    }
  }
}

Example prompts:

• "Remember that our API uses snake_case for all endpoints"
• "What conventions have I told you about this project?"

Comparison Table

MCP Server	Setup Difficulty	Auth Required	Best For
GitHub	Easy	PAT token	PR management, code review
PostgreSQL	Easy	Connection string	Database queries, schema inspection
Figma	Medium	Access token	Design-to-code workflows
Jira	Easy	API token	Sprint-based development
Puppeteer	Easy	None	Testing, debugging UI
Filesystem	Easy	None	Multi-repo workflows
Slack	Medium	Bot token	Team context, communication
Sentry	Medium	Auth token	Bug fixing, error tracking
Linear	Easy	API key	Issue tracking
Memory	Easy	None	Persistent project knowledge

Tips for Managing MCP Servers

Start small. Add one or two servers that match your most common workflows. Too many active servers can slow down Cursor's startup and confuse the AI with too many tool options.

Use project-level configs. Put .cursor/mcp.json in your project root so different projects can have different MCP configurations. A backend project might need PostgreSQL and Sentry, while a frontend project needs Figma and Puppeteer.

Keep secrets out of version control. Use environment variable references or a .env file that is gitignored. Never commit API tokens to your repo.

Check server logs. If an MCP server is not working, run it manually in a terminal to see error output:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/server-github 2>&1

Wrapping Up

MCP servers turn Cursor from a smart code editor into a fully integrated development environment. By connecting GitHub, your database, Figma, and your issue tracker, you eliminate the constant context-switching that slows down development.

If your projects involve AI-generated media such as images, video, lip sync, or talking avatars, Hypereal AI provides a unified API that integrates directly into your codebase. Sign up free to get started with no credit card required.