MCP Clients
The agent hosts - IDEs, chat apps, CLIs - that actually connect to MCP servers.
- CHAT APP★ 4.6
Claude Desktop
Anthropic's native Claude app for Mac and Windows. The reference MCP host — fullest spec coverage and zero-config for the official MCPs.
macOSWindows - CLI★ 4.4
Claude Code
Anthropic's terminal-first coding agent. Full MCP support, uses the same config format as Desktop. The fastest way to add MCPs to a coding workflow.
macOSLinuxWindows - IDE★ 4.3
Cursor
The AI-first fork of VS Code that made "agent mode" mainstream. Broad MCP support, a polished config UI, and deep IDE integration.
macOSWindowsLinux - FRAMEWORK★ 4.5
@modelcontextprotocol/sdk (TypeScript)
Official TypeScript SDK for building MCP servers and clients. Anthropic-maintained, the canonical pick for Node-based MCP work.
nodejs - PLATFORM★ 4.4
MCP Inspector
The official debugging tool for MCP. Hit your server's tools manually, browse resources, simulate sampling. Essential while building.
macOSLinuxWindows - FRAMEWORK★ 4.3
mcp (Python SDK)
Official Python SDK for MCP. Asyncio-first, with FastMCP for ergonomic server building. Most production MCPs ship in Python.
python - CLI★ 4.3
OpenCode
Open-source terminal coding agent that ships with native MCP support. Self-hostable, BYO-model. The community alternative to Claude Code.
macOSLinuxWindows - IDE★ 4.3
Sourcegraph Cody (Client)
Cody's IDE plugin acts as an MCP host with deep code-graph context. Works across VS Code, JetBrains, and the Sourcegraph web app.
macOSWindowsLinux - IDE★ 4.3
JetBrains AI Assistant
JetBrains' AI Assistant added MCP support in late 2025. First-class for IntelliJ/PyCharm/WebStorm users; tight refactor integration.
macOSWindowsLinux - IDE★ 4.3
GitHub Copilot Chat
Copilot Chat's MCP support brings agent-style tool use into VS Code's native AI panel. The largest install base of any MCP-supporting client.
macOSWindowsLinux - CLI★ 4.3
Aider (CLI)
Open-source terminal pair programmer with full MCP support landed in 2025. The "Cursor for the terminal" with model-agnostic configuration.
macOSLinuxWindows - IDE★ 4.3
OpenAI Codex
OpenAI's macOS + Windows coding agent (the 2025 revival, not the 2021 model). MCP support landed in late 2025 and covers tools plus resources.
macOSWindows - IDE★ 4.3
Continue
Open-source VS Code / JetBrains extension for custom AI assistants. Supports MCP servers, local models, and agent-mode workflows.
macOSWindowsLinux - IDE★ 4.3
Zed
Zed's Agent panel supports MCP servers alongside its built-in assistant. Fast, Rust-based editor with strong agentic features added in 2025.
macOSLinux - IDE★ 4.3
Cline
The open-source VS Code extension that turns your editor into a full coding agent. Actively developed, large MCP ecosystem.
macOSWindowsLinux - IDE★ 4.3
Windsurf
Codeium's agent-first IDE (formerly Codeium Editor). Cascade mode with MCP support, plus built-in memory and a generous free tier.
macOSWindowsLinux - PLATFORM★ 4.2
Cloudflare Remote MCP
Cloudflare's hosting platform for Remote MCP servers. Deploy a server as a Worker and any client can hit it over HTTPS — no local install.
Webedge - IDE★ 3.7
Helix Editor
Modal terminal editor with growing AI plugin support including MCP. Vim-friendly, Rust-based, fast.
macOSLinuxWindows