# ChatGPT MCP: how to connect MCP servers to ChatGPT

ChatGPT supports MCP through connectors in developer mode — with one constraint that catches everyone out: it talks to **remote servers only**. If the server you want is an npm or PyPI package that runs on your machine, skip to the last section.

> **Remote only.** Of the 234 brands we track, **36** have an official vendor-hosted server that ChatGPT can reach today. The rest run locally and need a different client or a gateway. Full list: <https://mcpyet.com/browse/official/>.

## What you need

- A paid ChatGPT plan — on business workspaces, an admin who's allowed connectors
- A remote MCP server URL, e.g. `https://mcp.hubspot.com`
- An account with that vendor to sign in with

## Setup

1. Open **Settings → Apps & Connectors → Advanced settings** and turn on **Developer mode**
2. Go back to **Apps & Connectors** and choose **Create**
3. Give it a name, paste the server URL, and pick the authentication type the vendor documents
4. Complete the sign-in flow if prompted
5. Start a new chat and enable the connector from the tools menu

Connectors are per-account, not per-chat — but you choose which ones are active in a given conversation.

## Servers you can add right now

- [fal.ai](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/fal-ai.md) — `https://docs.fal.ai/mcp`
- [Atlassian](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/atlassian.md) — `https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/mcp`
- [Datadog](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/datadog.md) — `https://mcp.datadoghq.com/v1/mcp`
- [Buffer](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/buffer.md) — `https://mcp.buffer.com/mcp`
- [Google Drive](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/google-drive.md) — `https://drivemcp.googleapis.com/mcp/v1`
- [Confluence](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/confluence.md) — `https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/mcp`
- [Slack](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/slack.md) — `https://mcp.slack.com/mcp`
- [Perplexity](https://mcpyet.com/mcp/perplexity.md) — `https://api.perplexity.ai/mcp`

All 212 official servers: <https://mcpyet.com/browse/official/> (markdown index: <https://mcpyet.com/browse.md>).

## The server I want runs locally

Most official servers still ship as packages that run on your own machine — that's the default shape of an MCP server, and it keeps your API keys local. ChatGPT can't launch those. Three options, in order of how much work they are:

1. **Use a client with native local support.** [Claude](https://mcpyet.com/connect/claude.md) and [Cursor](https://mcpyet.com/connect/cursor.md) both run stdio servers directly, no gateway needed.
2. **Check whether the vendor also offers a hosted version.** Several ship both — the verdict page for each brand lists every access route we've verified.
3. **Put it behind an MCP gateway.** Gateways host or proxy a local server at a public URL that ChatGPT can reach. That means a third party is now in the path of your credentials, so pick one you'd trust with them.

## Questions

**Can ChatGPT use local MCP servers?**
No. ChatGPT connects over HTTP to servers reachable on the public internet, so a server running as a subprocess on your laptop is out of reach. You either need a remote version of that server or a gateway that gives the local one a public URL.

**Do I need a paid plan for MCP in ChatGPT?**
Yes — connectors and developer mode are paid-plan features, and on business or enterprise workspaces an admin controls whether members can add their own.

**Is developer mode risky?**
It lets you point ChatGPT at arbitrary servers, including ones that can write data. Add servers you trust, read what permissions the sign-in screen asks for, and remember that a connector can act with whatever access you granted it.

**Which servers work with ChatGPT today?**
Any vendor-hosted remote server. On this site that's 36 official servers, including Linear, Slack, HubSpot, Canva, Airtable and PayPal.

Related guides: [Claude](https://mcpyet.com/connect/claude.md) · [Cursor](https://mcpyet.com/connect/cursor.md) · [What is MCP?](https://mcpyet.com/what-is-mcp.md)

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Source: https://mcpyet.com/connect/chatgpt/ — data refreshed 2026-08-11