Best MCP Servers for Developers

What Best MCP Servers for Developers do

MCP servers expose external tools to your AI coding environment with explicit permissions. This page focuses on practical selection and safe usage.

Best use cases

• Reduce context switching (repos, docs, DB, browser)
• Automate repetitive checks with guardrails

Recommended MCP servers

• Start with 1–2 servers that match your workflow
• Prefer tools with clear permission controls

Installation guide

• Follow each server's README
• Prefer least-privilege tokens

Cursor configuration example

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "example",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "some-mcp-server"]
    }
  ]
}

Security notes

• Treat tokens as production secrets
• Scope permissions tightly
• Avoid granting write access unless required

Alternatives

• Use native integrations when available
• Use a read-only MCP server variant

FAQ

Do MCP servers need an API key?

Some do. Only add keys via environment variables or secure secret stores.