# MCP clients: every app that can use a server (2026)

An MCP client is the app that connects to [MCP servers](https://mcpyet.com/what-is-an-mcp-server.md) and puts their tools in front of a model. Ten matter in practice. Two capabilities separate them: whether the client can launch **local** servers on your machine (stdio), and whether it can reach **remote** servers at a URL.

| Client | Local (stdio) | Remote | Config mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Claude Desktop](https://mcpyet.com/connect/claude.md) | Yes | Yes | claude_desktop_config.json for local; Settings → Connectors for remote |
| [Claude Code](https://mcpyet.com/connect/claude.md) | Yes | Yes | `claude mcp add` command; project-level .mcp.json |
| [claude.ai (web)](https://mcpyet.com/connect/claude.md) | No | Yes | Settings → Connectors — remote URLs only |
| [Cursor](https://mcpyet.com/connect/cursor.md) | Yes | Yes | .cursor/mcp.json per project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json globally |
| [ChatGPT](https://mcpyet.com/connect/chatgpt.md) | No | Yes | Developer-mode connectors under Settings → Apps & Connectors |
| [VS Code (Copilot)](https://mcpyet.com/connect/github-copilot/) | Yes | Yes | .vscode/mcp.json; servers appear in agent-mode tools |
| [Codex CLI](https://mcpyet.com/connect/codex/) | Yes | Yes | `codex mcp add` command; ~/.codex/config.toml |
| [Windsurf](https://mcpyet.com/connect/windsurf/) | Yes | Yes | mcp_config.json via the Cascade plugins panel |
| Zed | Yes | Adapter | context_servers in settings.json, plus extensions |
| [Gemini CLI](https://mcpyet.com/connect/gemini-cli/) | Yes | Yes | mcpServers block in ~/.gemini/settings.json |

"Adapter" — Zed's built-in support is stdio; remote servers work through a stdio-to-HTTP bridge like `mcp-remote`.

## Which one should you use?

**For conversation and research:** Claude Desktop is the most complete chat client — local and remote support plus a connectors directory. ChatGPT works too but only reaches remote servers, from developer mode.

**For writing code:** in an editor, Cursor and VS Code have the most mature MCP integrations. In a terminal, Claude Code, Codex CLI and Gemini CLI all take local and remote servers, and project-level config files mean the whole team inherits the same setup.

## Common questions

**What is an MCP client?**
The app on your side of the protocol: it connects to MCP servers, shows the model which tools they offer, and relays the calls. Chat apps (Claude, ChatGPT), code editors (Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Zed) and terminal agents (Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI) can all be MCP clients.

**Which clients can't run local servers?**
The browser-based ones. claude.ai and ChatGPT run in the vendor's cloud, so they can only reach servers with a public URL — remote servers. Everything installed on your machine (desktop apps, editors, CLIs) can launch local stdio servers too.

**Does one MCP server work with every client?**
That's the point of the protocol. A server written once works in any client — the only compatibility question is transport: a local-only server needs a client that can spawn processes, and a browser-based client needs the server to be remote.

**Do any of these cost money?**
The MCP support itself is free everywhere. But some surfaces gate the feature: claude.ai and Claude Desktop require a paid plan for custom remote connectors, and ChatGPT's connectors require a plan with developer mode. Editor and CLI clients have no MCP-specific gate.

## Now find the servers

212 of the 234 brands tracked here ship an official server — every verdict page has copy-paste config for the clients above: <https://mcpyet.com/browse.md>.

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Source: https://mcpyet.com/mcp-clients/ — data refreshed 2026-08-11