# MCP Research Guide

**Date:** 2026-02-01
**Purpose:** Comprehensive guide for finding and evaluating MCP servers

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## Primary MCP Directories (Check First)

| Resource | URL | MCPs | Best For |
|----------|-----|------|----------|
| **MCP Server Finder** | https://mcpserverfinder.com | 1,934+ | Largest directory, searchable |
| **MCPServers.org** | https://mcpservers.org | 100+ | Curated, categories, official/featured tabs |
| **MCP.so** | https://mcp.so | - | Official registry, curated list |
| **Smithery** | https://smithery.ai | - | Searchable MCP marketplace |
| **Glama MCP Directory** | https://glama.ai/mcp/servers | - | Curated collection with categories |
| **PulseMCP** | https://pulsemcp.com | - | Community-driven directory |
| **MCPHub** | https://mcphub.io | - | Hub for discovering MCPs |
| **Cursor MCP Directory** | https://cursor.directory/mcp | - | Cursor-focused MCP collection |

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## GitHub Resources (For Verification)

| Resource | URL | Stars | Best For |
|----------|-----|-------|----------|
| **Awesome MCP Servers** | https://github.com/punkpeye/awesome-mcp-servers | 80k+ | Most popular curated list |
| **Awesome MCP** | https://github.com/wong2/awesome-mcp | - | Alternative curated list |
| **TensorBlock Awesome** | https://github.com/TensorBlock/awesome-mcp-servers | - | Covers 7,260+ MCPs |
| **MCP Servers Org** | https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers | - | Official Anthropic examples |
| **GitHub Search** | `topic:mcp-server` or `"modelcontextprotocol"` | - | Find new/unlisted MCPs |

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## MCP Discovery Tools (MCP-of-MCPs)

**Install these MCPs to discover/manage other MCPs from within Claude:**

| MCP | Repo/URL | Description |
|-----|----------|-------------|
| **Magg** | `sitbon/magg` | Meta-MCP hub - LLMs can autonomously discover, install, orchestrate MCPs |
| **MCPDiscovery** | `particlefuture/MCPDiscovery` | Auto-discovery and config of local MCP servers |
| **NCP** | `portel-dev/ncp` | Orchestrates MCP ecosystem, reduces token overhead |
| **AllInOneMCP** | https://mcp.pfvc.io/mcp/ | Remote MCP-of-MCPs, discover and learn MCPs |
| **1mcpserver** | https://mcp.1mcpserver.com/mcp/ | Remote auto-discovery and configuration |

**Official MCP Registry API:** https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io (programmatic access)

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## Vendor-Specific MCP Collections

| Vendor | URL | MCPs Included |
|--------|-----|---------------|
| **Google** | https://mcpservers.org/servers/google/mcp | Maps, BigQuery, GKE, Compute Engine, Workspace, Firebase, Cloud Run, Analytics, Cloud Storage, Security, gcloud CLI, Flutter/Dart |

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## MCP Evaluation Criteria

**MUST evaluate every MCP candidate using this checklist:**

| Criteria | Minimum | Preferred | How to Check |
|----------|---------|-----------|--------------|
| **GitHub Stars** | 50+ | 500+ | Repo main page |
| **Last Commit** | < 6 months | < 1 month | Repo commits tab |
| **Open Issues** | < 50 unresolved | < 20 | Issues tab |
| **Documentation** | README exists | Full docs site | Repo README |
| **License** | Any OSS | MIT/Apache | LICENSE file |
| **TypeScript/Python** | Either | TypeScript | package.json or setup.py |
| **Tool Count** | 3+ tools | 10+ tools | README or source |
| **Active Maintainer** | 1+ | 2+ | Contributors tab |

**Red Flags (AVOID):**
- No commits in 12+ months
- Only 1-2 tools with narrow scope
- No error handling documented
- Requires API keys with no free tier
- Binary-only distribution (no source)
- Excessive permissions requested

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## Research Workflow

```python
# 1. Search directories first
WebFetch(url="https://mcp.so/search?q=<category>", prompt="Find MCPs for <purpose>")
WebFetch(url="https://smithery.ai/search?q=<keyword>", prompt="List relevant MCPs")

# 2. Verify on GitHub
WebFetch(url="https://github.com/<org>/<repo>", prompt="Check stars, last commit, issues")

# 3. Check awesome lists for mentions
WebFetch(url="https://github.com/punkpeye/awesome-mcp-servers", prompt="Is <mcp> listed?")

# 4. Review actual tools provided
WebFetch(url="<repo>/blob/main/src/index.ts", prompt="List all available tools")
```

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## Quick Search Commands

```bash
# Search GitHub for MCP servers by topic
# Use WebSearch with these queries:
"site:github.com mcp-server <category> stars:>100"
"site:smithery.ai <category> mcp"
"site:mcp.so <category>"
```

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## MCP Categories Quick Reference

| Need | Search Terms | Top Options |
|------|--------------|-------------|
| **Mac/Desktop** | macos, desktop, system | `mcp-server-commands`, `desktop-mcp` |
| **File System** | filesystem, files, directory | `@anthropic/filesystem` |
| **Browser** | browser, playwright, puppeteer | `playwright-mcp`, `browsermcp` |
| **Database** | postgres, mysql, sqlite | `mcp-server-postgres`, `sqlite-mcp` |
| **Git/GitHub** | git, github, gitlab | `github-mcp`, `@anthropic/github` |
| **Docker** | docker, containers | `docker-mcp` |
| **Cloud** | aws, gcp, azure | `aws-mcp`, `cloudflare-mcp` |
| **API** | rest, graphql, http | `fetch-mcp`, `openapi-mcp` |
| **Search** | search, web, brave | `brave-search-mcp`, `exa-mcp` |
| **Notes/Docs** | notion, obsidian, markdown | `notion-mcp`, `obsidian-mcp` |

---

## Related

- CLAUDE.md - Main NUC server documentation
- See "Available MCPs for NUC Management" section in CLAUDE.md for currently installed MCPs