My Favorite MCP Servers in January 2026 – The Best Tools for AI-Powered Development

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) has established itself as the standard for connecting AI assistants with external tools and data sources.

After intensive use of various MCP servers in my daily development workflow, I want to present my personal favorites for January 2026.

This selection is based on practical experience, stability, feature set, and the value these servers provide for productive work with Claude, Cursor, and other AI tools.

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Key Takeaways

• Definition: MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard by Anthropic that enables AI assistants to securely connect to external tools, APIs, and data sources through three core primitives: Tools, Resources, and Prompts
• Top 3 for Beginners: Desktop Commander (local dev), Context7 (live documentation), and Brave Search (web research) cover 80% of typical development workflows
• Key Insight: MCP servers transform AI assistants from code generators into autonomous development agents that can execute, test, and debug directly in your environment

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What is the Model Context Protocol (MCP)?

Before diving into the server list: MCP is an open standard developed by Anthropic that enables AI assistants to securely access external data sources, APIs, and tools.

Analogy: Just as USB-C revolutionized hardware connectivity, MCP transforms AI integration – one protocol for all connections.

The Three Core Primitives of MCP

• Tools: Executable actions (e.g., write file, call API)
• Resources: Structured data access (e.g., database schemas)
• Prompts: Reusable AI workflows

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My Top 12 MCP Servers for January 2026

1. Desktop Commander MCP Server ⭐

GitHub: wonderwhy-er/DesktopCommanderMCP

Desktop Commander is my absolute favorite and a game-changer for local development.

This server gives Claude Desktop full access to the file system and terminal.

Core Features

• Execute terminal commands with output streaming
• Control interactive processes (SSH, databases, dev servers)
• Execute code in-memory (Python, Node.js, R)
• Read and edit Excel and PDF files
• Precise search and replace operations in codebases

Why I Love It

Desktop Commander transforms Claude into a true local development assistant.

Instead of just generating code, Claude can also execute, test, and debug it.

Installation

npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest setup

Alternatively, manual configuration in claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "desktop-commander": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest"]
    }
  }
}

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2. Context7 MCP Server ⭐

GitHub: upstash/context7

Context7 solves one of the biggest problems in AI-powered development: outdated documentation.

The server delivers current, version-specific docs directly into the prompt.

The Problem Without Context7

• ❌ Code examples based on outdated training data
• ❌ Hallucinated APIs that don't exist
• ❌ Generic answers for old package versions

With Context7

• ✅ Current documentation from the source
• ✅ Version-specific code examples
• ✅ No more tab-switching to documentation

Usage

Simply add use context7 to your prompt:

Create a Next.js middleware that checks JWT in cookies. use context7

Installation

For Claude Code:

claude mcp add --transport http context7 https://mcp.context7.com/mcp --header "CONTEXT7_API_KEY: YOUR_API_KEY"

For Cursor/Windsurf (JSON configuration):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context7": {
      "url": "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "CONTEXT7_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tip: Get a free API key at context7.com/dashboard for higher rate limits.

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3. Brave Search MCP Server

GitHub: brave/brave-search-mcp-server

Brave Search MCP provides comprehensive search capabilities for AI assistants – from web search to images to AI-generated summaries.

Available Tools

• brave_web_search – Real-time web search with advanced filter options
• brave_local_search – Local business and place search
• brave_video_search – Video search with metadata
• brave_image_search – Image search with automatic encoding
• brave_news_search – Current news with freshness control
• brave_summarizer – AI-powered summaries

Installation

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@brave/brave-search-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

API Key Required: Register at brave.com/search/api for an API key.

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4. Exa Search MCP (exa-code) ⭐

Built for Code Research – Exa specializes in semantic search and finds relevant code examples, documentation, and technical resources.

All Available Tools

Important: By default, only web_search_exa and get_code_context_exa are enabled. Additional tools can be added via URL parameters.

Tool Selection via URL Parameters

Enable only the tools you need:

https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?tools=web_search_exa,get_code_context_exa,deep_search_exa

Or API key in URL (not recommended for shared configs):

https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp?exaApiKey=YOUR_EXA_KEY

Installation

Option 1: Remote HTTP (Recommended)

Claude Code CLI:

claude mcp add exa -- npx -y mcp-remote https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp

Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "exa-code": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "EXA_API_KEY": "YOUR_EXA_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Option 2: Local Server (Alternative)

npm install -g @anthropic/mcp-server-exa

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "exa": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-server-exa"],
      "env": {
        "EXA_API_KEY": "YOUR_EXA_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

For pure code research: The remote server is ideal. For frequent use of all tools, the local server may be more performant.

5. Jina AI MCP Server

GitHub: jina-ai/MCP

Jina AI provides a comprehensive MCP server with access to Reader, Embeddings, Reranker, and more.

Perfect for research workflows.

Available Tools

*Optional tools work without an API key but have rate limits. For higher limits, I recommend a free API key from jina.ai.

Use Case Example

An agent can search arXiv for the latest LLM papers, sort them by relevance, read PDFs, and create a daily research report.

Installation

For clients with remote MCP support (Cursor, Windsurf):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jina-mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://mcp.jina.ai/v1",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_JINA_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

For Claude Code:

claude mcp add -s user --transport http jina https://mcp.jina.ai/v1 --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_JINA_API_KEY"

For Claude Desktop (requires mcp-remote):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jina-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.jina.ai/v1",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_JINA_API_KEY"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tool Filtering

Jina offers server-side tool filtering to save context window tokens:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jina-mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://mcp.jina.ai/v1?exclude_tags=parallel",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_JINA_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Available tags: search, parallel, read, utility, rerank

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6. Playwright MCP Server

GitHub: executeautomation/mcp-playwright

Playwright MCP enables AI agents to control browsers – perfect for web scraping, testing, and automation.

Features

• Navigate and interact with web pages
• Take screenshots
• Fill out forms
• Run end-to-end tests

Why It's Useful

When Claude needs to analyze a website or perform interactive actions, Playwright is indispensable.

Installation

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Note: Browser binaries are automatically installed on first run. Logs can be found at ~/playwright-mcp-server.log.

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7. GitHub MCP Server

GitHub: github/github-mcp-server

The official GitHub MCP server enables full interaction with the GitHub API.

Features

• Repository management
• Issue and PR operations
• Code search across repositories
• Branch and commit management
• GitHub Actions access

Ideal For

Developers who want to use Claude for code reviews, issue triage, or repository management.

Installation

Remote Server (VS Code 1.101+):

{
  "servers": {
    "github": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_GITHUB_PAT"
      }
    }
  }
}

Local Server (Docker):

docker run -i --rm \
  -e GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=YOUR_TOKEN \
  ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server

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8. Notion MCP Server

NPM: @notionhq/notion-mcp-server

Notion MCP exposes Notion data (pages, databases, tasks) as context for LLMs.

Features

• Reference workspace data in real-time
• Create and edit pages
• Search databases
• Task management

Use Case

An AI agent can retrieve project status from Notion, summarize meeting notes, or create new tasks.

Installation

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "notionApi": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@notionhq/notion-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "NOTION_TOKEN": "ntn_YOUR_INTEGRATION_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}

Token Required: Create an integration at notion.so/my-integrations and copy the token.

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9. Figma Dev Mode MCP Server

Official from Figma

Figma's Dev Mode MCP exposes the live structure of the selected layer in Figma – hierarchy, auto-layout, variants, text styles, and token references.

Why It's Revolutionary

Tools like Claude, Cursor, or Windsurf can generate code directly against the real design – not against screenshots.

The result: more precise UI components.

Installation

1. Enable the MCP server in Figma (Dev Mode settings)
2. The server runs locally on port 3845

For VS Code / Cursor:

{
  "servers": {
    "Figma Dev Mode MCP": {
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:3845/mcp",
      "type": "http"
    }
  }
}

For other clients (via mcp-remote):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "figma": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "http://127.0.0.1:3845/sse"]
    }
  }
}

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10. E2B MCP Server (Code Interpreter)

Website: e2b.dev

E2B brings "Code Interpreter" capabilities to every agent.

It provides a secure cloud environment for:

• Running Python/JS code
• Shell commands
• Launching browsers
• Processing files

Ideal For

Data analysis, code prototyping, and calculations that need an isolated execution environment.

Installation

npx @smithery/cli install e2b --client claude

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11. Memory MCP Server

NPM: @modelcontextprotocol/server-memory

The Memory MCP server implements a knowledge graph-based memory that agents can read and update over time.

Features

• Store entities and relations
• Long-term context across sessions
• Semantic search in memory

Use Case

A personal assistant that remembers previous conversations, preferences, and project contexts.

Installation

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

Optionally with custom storage path:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "memory": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-memory"],
      "env": {
        "MEMORY_FILE_PATH": "/path/to/memory.jsonl"
      }
    }
  }
}

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12. Sentry MCP Server

NPM: @sentry/mcp-server

Sentry MCP enables Claude to debug production bugs directly.

Features

• Retrieve error events
• Analyze stack traces
• Monitor issue trends
• Configure alerts

Why It's Practical

Instead of manually navigating through Sentry, Claude can analyze errors and suggest solutions.

Installation

npx @sentry/mcp-server@latest --access-token=YOUR_SENTRY_TOKEN

Required Token Permissions:

• org:read
• project:read, project:write
• team:read, team:write
• event:write

For Self-Hosted Sentry: Add --host=sentry.example.com.

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Bonus: Other Notable MCP Servers

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My Recommendation for Getting Started

If you're just starting with MCP, I recommend this combination:

1. Desktop Commander – Essential for local development
2. Context7 – Current documentation without hallucinations
3. Brave Search or Exa – For research and web access

These three servers cover 80% of typical development workflows.

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Conclusion

The MCP ecosystem is growing rapidly, and January 2026 marks a turning point: MCP servers are no longer just "cool add-ons" – they're becoming the standard for AI tool integration in production.

The servers presented here have proven themselves in my daily work and provide a real productivity boost.

I will regularly update this list as new servers continue to emerge.

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FAQ

What's the difference between MCP and a regular API?

MCP is a standardized protocol specifically for AI context and tool access.

While traditional APIs require custom integration code, MCP enables a unified connection for all AI assistants.

Do I need a separate API key for each MCP server?

It depends on the server.

Some like Context7 offer free tiers, others like Brave Search require an API key. Desktop Commander runs completely locally without external APIs.

Can I use multiple MCP servers simultaneously?

Yes! That's actually the recommended approach.

You can combine Desktop Commander for local operations, Context7 for documentation, and Brave Search for web research.

Are MCP servers secure?

MCP provides audit logging and controlled interactions.

However, security depends on the individual server. For maximum isolation, I recommend Desktop Commander in Docker mode.

Which MCP server is best for beginners?

Context7 is very beginner-friendly – just add use context7 to your prompt and you'll get current documentation.

No setup required if you use the remote server.