390eda1595
- CLAUDE.md: Server instructions and service reference - docs/: Persistent documentation (architecture, guides) - .artifacts/: Session-generated notes - playwriter-browser/: Remote browser container config Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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5.2 KiB
MCP Research Guide
Date: 2026-02-01 Purpose: Comprehensive guide for finding and evaluating MCP servers
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 |
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 |
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)
Vendor-Specific MCP Collections
| Vendor | URL | MCPs Included |
|---|---|---|
| https://mcpservers.org/servers/google/mcp | Maps, BigQuery, GKE, Compute Engine, Workspace, Firebase, Cloud Run, Analytics, Cloud Storage, Security, gcloud CLI, Flutter/Dart |
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
Research Workflow
# 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")
Quick Search Commands
# 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>"
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