MCP clients

The apps that can use MCP servers. Pick one to see where it runs, how to add a server to it and which servers work in it.

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Runs on

Any macOS 76Windows 68Linux 66Web 40iOS 9Android 9

Kind

Any Desktop app 46Code editor 6Editor extension 13Terminal 35Web app 47Mobile app 11

Price

Any Free 50Free plan 38Paid 12

Connects to

Any Local (stdio) 78Remote (HTTP) 85Remote (SSE) 60

Show clients

100 clients

1. C Claude Desktop Anthropic

   Anthropic's chat app for using Claude on a Mac, Windows or Linux (beta) computer instead of in a browser. Local MCP servers are listed in a JSON config file opened from the settings window under Developer, and the app starts each one as a local stdio process. Packaged desktop extensions are a second way to let Claude reach files and programs on the machine.

   Desktop app macOS · Windows · Linux Free plan

2. C Claude Code Anthropic

   Anthropic's coding agent, used from a terminal, from JetBrains IDEs and VS Code, from a desktop app or on the web. MCP servers are added with the CLI's mcp add subcommand or shared with a team through a .mcp.json file in the project, and it connects to them over stdio, HTTP, SSE or WebSocket.

   TerminalEditor extensionDesktop appWeb app macOS · Windows · Linux · Web Paid

3. C Cursor Anysphere

   A code editor from Anysphere for Linux, macOS and Windows, whose agent can also be run from a terminal CLI or started in the browser. MCP servers are installed from its marketplace or listed in .cursor/mcp.json for one project or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for every project, and it talks to them over stdio, SSE or Streamable HTTP.

   Code editorTerminalWeb app macOS · Windows · Linux · Web Free plan

4. V VS Code Microsoft

   Microsoft's code editor for Windows, macOS and Linux, with a browser edition at vscode.dev; its source is published under the MIT licence. The chat agents use MCP servers defined in .vscode/mcp.json, either per workspace or in the user profile, and the editor also reads the .mcp.json format. Servers connect over stdio, HTTP or SSE.

   Code editorWeb app macOS · Windows · Linux · Web Free

5. D Devin Desktop Cognition

   Cognition's desktop coding app for macOS, Windows and Linux, renamed from Windsurf to Devin Desktop; it keeps the editor and adds a view for running several agents at once. MCP servers are installed from the Customize page or written into a config file at project, local or user scope, and it supports stdio, SSE and Streamable HTTP, each with OAuth.

   Code editorEditor extension macOS · Windows · Linux Free plan

6. Z Zed Zed Industries

   An open-source code editor from Zed Industries for macOS, Linux and Windows. MCP servers are added on the MCP Servers page of the AI settings as a local command or a remote URL, or installed as Zed extensions. Its built-in agent uses their tools and prompts, and Zed can hand the same servers to external agents over ACP, the Agent Client Protocol.

   Code editor macOS · Windows · Linux Free

7. C Cline Cline Bot Inc.

   Cline, an open-source coding agent for developers, runs as an editor extension (VS Code, JetBrains and others), a terminal program and a desktop app. It connects to local MCP servers over stdio and to hosted ones over Streamable HTTP or legacy SSE. Servers are added in the MCP Servers panel of the extension, through a JSON settings file, or by running cline mcp add in a terminal.

   Editor extensionTerminalDesktop app macOS · Windows · Linux Free

8. C Continue Continue Dev, Inc.

   Continue is an open-source coding agent for developers, shipped as a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin and a command-line tool. MCP tools work only in its agent mode. Servers are declared under mcpServers in the config file or as YAML or JSON files in a .continue/mcpServers folder, over stdio, SSE or Streamable HTTP. The repository is now read-only after Cursor acquired the company.

   Editor extensionTerminal macOS · Windows · Linux Free

9. G Goose Agentic AI Foundation

   goose is an open-source general-purpose agent for your own computer, with a desktop application (macOS, Linux, Windows) and a command-line version. It treats MCP servers as extensions: they are added from the desktop sidebar, with the goose configure command or in config.yaml, as local stdio processes or remote Streamable HTTP endpoints. The project is governed by AAIF, a foundation under the Linux Foundation.

   Desktop appTerminal macOS · Windows · Linux Free

10. L LM Studio Element Labs, Inc.

    LM Studio is a desktop application from Element Labs for downloading and running open language models locally on macOS, Windows and Linux. Since version 0.3.17 it can act as an MCP host for servers running locally or remotely. They are listed in an mcp.json file that follows Cursor's layout, edited inside the app or added through a deeplink button.

    Desktop app macOS · Windows · Linux Free plan

11. G Gemini CLI Google

    Gemini CLI is Google's terminal-based coding agent, released as open source and now aimed at organisations using Gemini Code Assist on Google Cloud. MCP servers are defined under mcpServers in settings.json or added with gemini mcp add, and it reaches them over stdio, Streamable HTTP or SSE, and supports OAuth sign-in for remote ones. Free and individual users have been shifted to Antigravity CLI since June 2026.

    Terminal macOS · Windows · Linux Paid

12. C Codex OpenAI

    Codex is OpenAI's coding agent, available as an open-source command-line tool, an editor extension and inside the ChatGPT desktop app. These three share one MCP configuration stored in config.toml, so a server set up once works in all of them. It supports local stdio servers and Streamable HTTP servers with bearer-token or OAuth sign-in; servers are added with codex mcp add or from the settings screens.

    TerminalEditor extensionDesktop app macOS · Windows · Linux Free plan

13. C ChatGPT OpenAI

    OpenAI's chat assistant, used in the browser, as a desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux, and on mobile. On the web a remote MCP server is added from the Plugins page by its URL over Streamable HTTP and becomes a plugin. The desktop app has its own MCP settings for local STDIO and remote Streamable HTTP servers, kept in a config.toml file it shares with Codex.

    Web appDesktop appMobile app Web · macOS · Windows · Linux Free plan

14. C Claude on the web Anthropic

    Anthropic's Claude assistant in the browser. A remote MCP server is added as a custom connector under Customize > Connectors by entering its URL. Anthropic's cloud then makes the connection, so the server must be reachable from the internet. Streamable HTTP is the main transport and legacy SSE still works. Sign-in uses OAuth or fixed request headers.

    Web app Web Free plan

15. m mcp-client-cli adhikasp

    A small Python command-line tool, installed with pip, that sends a prompt to a language model and lets it call tools from MCP servers. Servers are listed in a JSON config file under mcpServers and started locally over stdio. Each tool can be set to ask for confirmation before it runs. It works with OpenAI-compatible providers and local models.

    Terminal macOS · Windows · Linux Free

16. f fast-agent llmindset.co.uk

    A Python framework and terminal program for building and running agents and workflows on top of MCP. Servers go in fast-agent.yaml under mcp.servers: stdio commands, or remote Streamable HTTP and SSE endpoints with optional headers and OAuth. Servers can also be attached at run time with /connect or the --url flag. It can also show transport diagnostics when testing a server.

    Terminal macOS · Windows · Linux Free

17. o oterm ggozad

    A text-based chat client that runs in the terminal and talks to local Ollama models as well as OpenAI, Anthropic and other hosted providers. MCP servers are declared in its config.json under mcpServers. Local servers run over stdio. Remote servers are reached by URL over Streamable HTTP or SSE, with optional HTTP headers for bearer tokens. Tools from each server can be switched on per chat.

    Terminal macOS · Windows · Linux Free

18. P Postman Postman, Inc.

    An API platform with desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux and a browser version. Its MCP request type lets developers connect to a server, list what it offers (tools, resources and prompts) and call them by hand to test behaviour. A request is created from the sidebar by choosing STDIO with a command or HTTP with a URL, or by pasting a server's JSON config. Authorization is set in a separate tab.

    Desktop appWeb app macOS · Windows · Linux · Web Free plan

19. M MCP SuperAssistant srbhptl39

    A Chrome and Firefox browser extension that adds MCP tool calls to web chat services such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Grok. The extension connects over SSE, Streamable HTTP or WebSocket. Local stdio servers are reached through its companion npx proxy, which reads an mcpServers JSON file. The server URL is entered in the extension's sidebar.

    Web app Web Free

20. D Dexto Truffle AI

    An agent runtime from Truffle AI with a command-line interface and a local web UI. Each agent is defined in a YAML file whose mcpServers section lists servers by type: stdio for local processes, http for remote endpoints (with optional headers such as Authorization) and the deprecated sse. Servers can also be added from an in-app MCP store or with /mcp commands.

    TerminalWeb app macOS · Windows · Linux Free

21. H HyperChat BigSweetPotatoStudio

    An agent and chat app with an Electron desktop build for macOS, Windows and Linux, a local web interface and a command line, documented mainly in Chinese. MCP servers are added from a form in the app, using stdio, SSE or Streamable HTTP. They are stored in mcp.json files: one per workspace and one global.

    Desktop appWeb appTerminal macOS · Windows · Linux Free

22. 5 5ire 5ire

    5ire is an open-source desktop chat app for macOS, Windows and Linux that talks to many model providers and can give them tools from MCP servers. A server is added in the app's Tools section or through an app.5ire:// install link that carries a JSON entry with either a command or a URL; remote servers over SSE and Streamable HTTP work since version 0.11.

    Desktop app macOS · Windows · Linux Free

23. C ChatMCP daodao97

    ChatMCP is an open-source chat client built with Flutter that runs on macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS (through TestFlight) and in the browser. It links language models to MCP servers started locally over stdio or reached over SSE or Streamable HTTP; servers are installed from the app's MCP Server page or from its community market list.

    Desktop appMobile appWeb app macOS · Windows · Linux · iOS · Android · Web Free

24. C Cherry Studio CherryHQ

    Cherry Studio is an open-source desktop workspace for Windows, macOS and Linux that combines chat with many model providers, agents and local knowledge bases. MCP servers are added under Settings → MCP → MCP Servers, either as a local command over stdio or as a remote SSE or streamable HTTP URL, and are then bound to individual agents.

    Desktop app macOS · Windows · Linux Free