Open-source MCP server · v2.0.4 · AGPL-3.0

Let your agent find its own MCP servers.

Name: MCPfinder
Author: Coder AI

MCPfinder is an open-source MCP server that searches 137,000+ servers in the Official MCP Registry and Glama, flags the risky ones and writes the config for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or Cline.

$npx -y @mcpfinder/server

Set up your client GitHub

example session · cursorreal output, trimmed

you

Let me file Linear issues from here.

search_mcp_servers({ query: "linear" })

3 candidates · best: app.linear/linear

get_server_details({ name: "app.linear/linear" })

✓ official✓ no secrets! single-source-only

get_install_config({ name: "app.linear/linear", platform: "cursor" })

{ "mcpServers": { "linear": { "url": "https://mcp.linear.app/mcp" } } }

cursor

Linear's official server needs no API key — you sign in with OAuth on first use. Add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json. Heads-up: it's listed in only one registry.

Generates config for Claude DesktopClaude CodeCursorWindsurfCline / VS Code

How it works

Three tool calls between “I need X” and a working server.

You install MCPfinder once. After that, your agent uses it on its own whenever a request needs a tool it doesn't have.

01search_mcp_servers

Search the merged index
Matches by keyword, technology or use case across both registries, deduplicated. Every result says why it ranked and what looks off.
```
confidenceScore: 0.55
sources: ["official"]
warningFlags: ["single-source-only", "missing-repository-url"]
```
02get_server_details

Check before recommending
Transport, required environment variables or HTTP headers, last update, repository, and the tools the server exposes — so the agent can explain the trade-offs instead of guessing.
```
installComplexity: "low"
secretCount: 0
freshnessDays: 23
```
03get_install_config

Write the exact config
JSON for your client, the file it belongs in, which secrets you need to fill in, and whether to restart.
```
configFilePath: { mac: "~/.cursor/mcp.json", … }
requires_user_secrets: false
```

Only know the domain, not the product? browse_categories lists categories like database, filesystem, communication and security with the top servers in each.

What it checks

It tells your agent when to hesitate.

Registries list everything: abandoned forks, placeholder entries, look-alikes of official servers. MCPfinder scores every candidate and returns the reasons, so your agent can repeat them to you instead of installing blind.

Scores

confidenceScore: 0 to 1. Built from official-registry presence, how many registries list the server, metadata completeness and freshness. Higher means more evidence it is real and installable.
installComplexity: low: runs via npx, uvx or Docker with at most one non-secret setting. medium: a few settings, some secret. high: many secrets or no clean install path.
requires_user_secrets: Whether you must supply API keys or tokens. MCPfinder separates local environment variables from remote HTTP headers and lists optional ones separately.

Warning flags

single-source-only: Listed in only one registry.
missing-repository-url: No public source code link.
missing-update-date: No reliable last-updated date.
install-method-unclear: No package or URL MCPfinder can turn into config.
stale-over-12-months stale-over-18-months: Not updated in over a year (or 18 months).
archived-repo: The source repository is archived.
deprecated-npm: The npm package is marked deprecated. The largest score penalty.
status:<value>: The registry marks the server with a non-active status, e.g. deprecated.

Install

Install in under a minute.

MCPfinder runs locally as a stdio MCP server through npx. Pick your client, add the snippet, restart if asked.

Claude Desktop

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcpfinder": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mcpfinder/server"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop. On Windows the file is %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json.

Claude Code

terminal

$ claude mcp add mcpfinder -- npx -y @mcpfinder/server

Or add the same mcpServers block to .mcp.json in your project.

Cursor

~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcpfinder": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mcpfinder/server"]
    }
  }
}

Use .cursor/mcp.json for a single project. Cursor picks up the change without a restart.

VS Code

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "mcpfinder": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mcpfinder/server"]
    }
  }
}

Reload the window, then enable the server in Copilot Chat's tools picker.

Windsurf

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcpfinder": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mcpfinder/server"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Windsurf.

Cline

Cline → MCP Servers → Configure

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcpfinder": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mcpfinder/server"]
    }
  }
}

Cline reloads the file on save; reload the VS Code window if the server does not appear.

Agent Skill

terminal

$ mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/install-mcpfinder && \
  curl -sSf -o ~/.claude/skills/install-mcpfinder/SKILL.md \
  https://mcpfinder.dev/skill/install-mcpfinder/SKILL.md

Then tell your agent “install MCPfinder”. The skill finds your client's config and merges the entry without touching your other servers. Works with any agent that supports Agent Skills.

Then ask your agent

“Find me an MCP server for Postgres.”
“I need to read Google Drive files.”
“What's a safe way to give you browser access?”

Using Codex? See the MCP stack for Codex.

Data

Where the servers come from.

MCPfinder merges the Official MCP Registry and Glama into one deduplicated SQLite index and ships it as a published snapshot. The local server downloads that snapshot, then answers your agent's searches from the local copy.

Smithery used to be a third source; it stopped syncing after Smithery shut down its API on 31 October 2026. What changed →

current snapshot

servers in snapshot: 137,253
snapshot published: 2026-11-15
sources: Official MCP Registry, Glama
manifest: /api/v1/snapshot/manifest.json

Compare

Why not just browse a directory?

Directories are built for people clicking around. MCPfinder is built for the agent doing the work.

Feature	MCPfinder	Directory sites	Official Registry API	The model's memory
Used by the agent directly	Yes, it's an MCP server	No, web UI	REST only	Yes, but out of date
Sources	Official Registry + Glama, merged	One per site	Official only	Training data
Trust signals	Score, reasons, warning flags	Stars, downloads	Raw metadata	None
Install config	Generated per client	Copy-paste by hand	No	Often wrong
Flags required secrets	Env vars and HTTP headers	Sometimes, in prose	Raw schema	Unreliable
Freshness	Per-server updatedAt + public snapshot manifest	Implicit	Per-record updatedAt	Unknown
Price	Free, AGPL-3.0	Free	Free	—

Directory sites such as Glama are great for browsing by hand; the Official MCP Registry is the canonical metadata source. MCPfinder sits on top of both. MCP server directories compared →

FAQ

Questions

What is MCPfinder?

MCPfinder is a free, open-source MCP server that helps AI agents discover, evaluate and install other MCP servers. It searches the Official MCP Registry and Glama, returns trust signals and warning flags for each candidate, and generates install config for Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf and Cline in VS Code.

What is an MCP server?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard, introduced by Anthropic, that lets AI applications connect to external tools and data. An MCP server exposes tools, resources or prompts — for example a database, GitHub, Slack or a browser — that an MCP client like Claude Desktop or Cursor can use.

How do I find the right MCP server for a task?

Install MCPfinder and ask your agent for the capability in plain words. It calls search_mcp_servers, inspects the best candidates with get_server_details, and uses get_install_config to produce the config. You get a recommendation with reasons and warnings, not just a list of links.

Is MCPfinder free? Does it need an API key?

Yes, it is free and open source under AGPL-3.0. It needs no account and no API key; it runs locally through npx -y @mcpfinder/server.

Can I use it at work or in a commercial product?

Yes. You can run it and use it with your agents in any personal, internal or commercial setting. AGPL-3.0 only requires that if you modify MCPfinder and offer it as a network service, you publish those changes under the same licence. For other licensing, contact Coder AI.

Does MCPfinder install servers by itself?

No. It only returns the config and tells your agent which secrets are needed and what to restart. Your agent or you apply the change, so nothing is added to your client without you seeing it.

Which registries does it search, and how fresh is the data?

The Official MCP Registry and Glama, merged and deduplicated. The data ships as a published snapshot; its publish date and server count are public at /api/v1/snapshot/manifest.json. Each result also carries its own updatedAt and freshness flags such as stale-over-12-months.

Is there a hosted HTTP endpoint?

Not yet. The local stdio server is the supported interface. A hosted endpoint with the same tools is on the roadmap.

How can I contribute?

Issues and pull requests are welcome on GitHub at github.com/mcpfinder/mcpfinder. The project is maintained by Coder AI.

Guides

MCP servers for ClaudeFind and install servers for Claude Desktop and Claude Code. MCP servers for CursorSearch registries and get Cursor-ready config. MCP servers for VS CodeServers for Copilot Chat (.vscode/mcp.json) and Cline (cline_mcp_settings.json). Best MCP servers 2026Vendor-published picks from the Official MCP Registry. How to pick the best MCP serverCompare candidates by trust signals, tools and install effort. How to find MCP serversA discovery guide across registries. MCP server directories comparedOfficial Registry, Glama, mcp.so, PulseMCP and more. Smithery alternativeWhat to use after Smithery's 31 October shutdown.