MCP clients: every app that can use a server
An MCP client is the app that connects to MCP servers and puts their tools in front of a model. Ten matter in practice — here's what each supports and where its config lives.
The comparison
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 | Yes | Yes | claude_desktop_config.json for local; Settings → Connectors for remote |
| Claude Code | Yes | Yes | claude mcp add command; project-level .mcp.json |
| claude.ai (web) | No | Yes | Settings → Connectors — remote URLs only |
| Cursor | Yes | Yes | .cursor/mcp.json per project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json globally |
| ChatGPT | No | Yes | Developer-mode connectors under Settings → Apps & Connectors |
| VS Code (Copilot) | Yes | Yes | .vscode/mcp.json; servers appear in agent-mode tools |
| Codex CLI | Yes | Yes | codex mcp add command; ~/.codex/config.toml |
| Windsurf | Yes | Yes | mcp_config.json via the Cascade plugins panel |
| Zed | Yes | Adapter | context_servers in settings.json, plus extensions |
| 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. Client names link to our step-by-step setup guides.
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.
212 brands ship an official server — every verdict page has copy-paste config for the clients above.