Top MCP Servers for Claude Code: A Developer's Guide
Z
Zack Saadioui
8/11/2025
So, What MCP Servers Are Devs ACTUALLY Using with Claude Code?
Hey everyone, so you've probably been hearing a ton about Claude Code & how it's changing the game for developers. But here's the thing, using Claude Code on its own is like having a superhero who decides to only use one of their powers. The REAL magic happens when you hook it up to MCP servers.
Honestly, it's a total game-changer. I’ve been diving deep into this stuff, & it's pretty wild what you can do. We're talking about transforming your command line into a fully-fledged development environment where your AI can talk to GitHub, run security scans, & even help you design your UI.
So, I wanted to put together a real-deal guide on the MCP servers that developers are actually using to get stuff done. This isn't just a list of tools; it's a look at how these integrations are fundamentally changing our workflows.
First Off, What the Heck is MCP Anyway?
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let's quickly break down what MCP is. MCP, or Model Context Protocol, is an open standard created by Anthropic. Think of it like a universal adapter or a USB-C port for your AI. It's a standardized way for AI models like Claude Code to connect to external tools, APIs, databases, & even your local file system.
This means instead of you manually copy-pasting code or information, Claude can directly access & use these tools. You can tell it to "check for authentication issues in the repo," & it can actually go into GitHub & do it. Pretty cool, right? It’s what turns Claude from a smart conversationalist into an active member of your development team.
There are both local & remote MCP servers. Remote servers are often easier to manage since the vendor handles all the backend stuff, but local servers give you a ton of control. A word to the wise, though: make sure you trust the MCP servers you're installing, especially if they're fetching untrusted content.
Alright, let's get into the good stuff. Here are the MCP servers that are making some serious waves.
Core Development & Workflow Servers: The Bread & Butter
These are the servers that you'll likely use every single day. They streamline the core tasks of coding, testing, & version control.
GitHub MCP Server
This is probably the most essential MCP server for any developer. It connects Claude Code directly to the GitHub API, & honestly, it's hard to imagine working without it now. You can do things like:
Review Pull Requests: Have Claude analyze the code changes in a PR, summarize them, & even leave comments highlighting potential issues.
Manage Issues: You can ask Claude to pull up all issues related to a specific feature or bug, all without leaving your terminal.
Automate Workflows: Trigger CI/CD pipelines or other GitHub Actions with a simple command.
Setting it up requires a personal access token from GitHub, but there are some great tutorials on YouTube that walk you through the process step-by-step. It's a little bit of setup for a massive payoff in productivity.
Apidog MCP Server
If you work with APIs, this one is a MUST. The Apidog MCP server is all about simplifying API development. It lets Claude Code understand your API documentation, so you can:
Query API Specs: Ask questions like, "What are the required parameters for the
1
/users
endpoint?"
Test Endpoints: Instruct Claude to hit an endpoint & see what it returns.
Generate Client Code: Have Claude write the boilerplate code to interact with an API based on its documentation.
Apidog is all about that "design-first" approach to API development, & this server brings that philosophy right into your AI workflow.
File System MCP Server
This one is super simple but incredibly powerful. The File System MCP server gives Claude permission to read, write, & edit files on your local machine. This is perfect for:
Quick Edits: "Hey Claude, can you open up
1
config.json
& change the database URL?"
Log Analysis: Point Claude to a log file & have it find errors or summarize the output.
Project Management: Let Claude create new files, organize directories, or manage project structures for you.
It's a foundational server that makes a ton of other automated tasks possible.
Security & Quality Assurance Servers: Your AI Guardian Angels
Let's be real, security vulnerabilities & clunky UIs can kill a project. These MCP servers help you catch those issues early & often.
Semgrep MCP Server
This is a big one for security-conscious developers. Semgrep is a powerful static analysis tool, & its MCP server brings that power to Claude. With over 2,000 vulnerability rules, it can scan your code for potential security risks as you write it.
You can literally ask Claude, "Scan this file for any potential injection vulnerabilities," & Semgrep will get to work. It helps you avoid those critical security mistakes that can come back to bite you later. It's like having a security expert looking over your shoulder 24/7.
Playwright MCP Server
This one is just plain cool. The Playwright MCP server is all about improving your UI. It can take screenshots of your application's UI, feed them to Claude, & then have Claude grade itself on how well it did based on UX & UI guidelines.
Here's how it works: you make a change to your UI, Playwright takes a screenshot, & then Claude analyzes it. It might come back with feedback like, "The navigation hierarchy is unclear because the primary buttons don't have enough visual weight." Then, you can have Claude automatically try to fix it. This creates a continuous feedback loop where your UI is constantly being evaluated & improved by an AI with a pretty good eye for design. The time savings here are HUGE, & your apps will just feel better to use.
Knowledge & Context Servers: Giving Your AI a Brain
One of the biggest challenges with AI models is their limited context window & knowledge cut-off dates. These servers are designed to solve that problem by feeding Claude up-to-date & relevant information.
REF MCP Server
Ever had an AI confidently make up a function that doesn't exist? Yeah, we've all been there. The REF MCP server is here to put an end to that. It intelligently searches through documentation for any framework or library & pulls in only the relevant functions for what you're trying to do.
This means you get more accurate code, & you're not wasting expensive tokens by loading entire documentation pages into your context window. One report says it can reduce token usage by as much as 85%, which is a massive deal.
Exa Search MCP Server
While general search engines are great, Exa is a search engine built specifically for developers. Its MCP server allows Claude to search for technical discussions & proven implementation patterns, ensuring that the code it generates is based on the most current & best practices.
This is how you avoid writing code that's already six months out of date. You can have Exa find the most up-to-date documentation or a relevant forum discussion, & then have Claude implement that solution. It's a fantastic workflow for staying on the cutting edge.
Pieces MCP Server
Pieces is like a "developer memory graph." Its MCP server helps you solve recurring problems by storing & retrieving context from your past work. Instead of spending hours debugging the same type of issue you know you've solved before, Pieces can help Claude find that solution in minutes.
It’s all about turning those hours of frustrating debugging into a quick context retrieval session. For developers who find themselves working on similar problems across different projects, this can be an absolute lifesaver.
Project Management & Collaboration Servers: Keeping Everyone in Sync
Development isn't just about writing code; it's also about managing tasks, updating stakeholders, & collaborating with a team. These MCP servers bridge the gap between your code & your project management tools.
These servers are all about connecting Claude to your team's single source of truth. Whether you use Notion for documentation, Asana for task management, or Jira for issue tracking, there's likely an MCP server for it.
You can ask Claude to do things like:
"Create a new Jira ticket for the bug I just found."
"Update the status of my tasks in Asana."
"Pull the project requirements from our Notion doc."
This seamless integration means you spend less time switching between tabs & more time in your coding flow.
Linear MCP Server
Linear has become incredibly popular with development teams, & its MCP server is top-notch. Tom Moor, the Head of Engineering at Linear, even said that the integration "brings Linear projects and issues directly into Claude Code." This allows developers to stay in their flow while moving between planning, coding, & managing issues.
What About Customer-Facing Interactions?
Now, all this talk about backend development tools is great, but what about when you need to connect these powerful systems to your customers? This is where things get really interesting. While MCP servers are fantastic for your internal workflows, you need a way to bring that same level of AI-powered interaction to your website visitors.
This is where a tool like Arsturn comes in. Think about it: you've just used Claude & a bunch of MCP servers to build an amazing new feature. Now, you need to tell your users about it, answer their questions, & gather their feedback. Arsturn helps businesses create custom AI chatbots trained on their own data. So, you could feed it your release notes, your documentation (that you just perfected with the REF server!), & your FAQs, & it can provide instant customer support 24/7.
It's all about creating a seamless experience. Your internal development is supercharged with Claude & MCP, & your external communication is just as smart & efficient with a custom AI chatbot from Arsturn. It’s a pretty powerful combination. You're not just building better products; you're also providing better support & engagement for those products.
So, What's the Takeaway?
Honestly, MCP servers are transforming Claude Code from a cool AI assistant into a full-blown development platform. By starting with a few essential servers like GitHub & the File System server, you can already dramatically improve your workflow. From there, you can start to layer in more specialized tools for security, UI testing, & knowledge management.
The real theme here is building systems that help you stay in that "vibe coding" flow state, all while building more secure, polished, & up-to-date applications.
I hope this was helpful in breaking down what's out there & what's actually being used. The world of AI-powered development is moving incredibly fast, & MCP is right at the heart of it.
Let me know what you think. What MCP servers are you using? Are there any I missed that you think are essential? Drop a comment below