The 10 Best MCP Tools for AI Agent Development

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is how AI agents interact with the real world. Instead of writing custom API integrations for every service, you mount an MCP server and your agent gets tool access instantly — in Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client.

Here are the 10 MCP servers worth installing today, with setup instructions for each.

1. GitHub (@modelcontextprotocol/server-github)

The most essential MCP server for developer agents. Read repos, create branches, open PRs, search code, and manage issues — all through natural language.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": { "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token" }
    }
  }
}

Best for: Code review agents, PR automation, repo analysis.

2. Filesystem (@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem)

Gives agents read/write access to local directories. Essential for any agent that needs to modify files, generate code, or process local data.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/allowed/dir"]
    }
  }
}

Best for: Code generation, file processing, local automation.

3. Hoist (@hoist/mcp-server)

Domain registration, deployment, and DNS management in one MCP server. Search for available domains, register them, deploy code from GitHub, and manage DNS records — without leaving your editor.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hoist": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@hoist/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "HOIST_API_URL": "https://hoist-g8do.polsia.app",
        "HOIST_API_KEY": "hoist_sk_your_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Six tools: search_domain, register_domain, get_pricing, check_status, deploy, manage_dns. Full reference in our MCP server guide.

Best for: Autonomous deployment agents, domain management, infrastructure automation.

4. PostgreSQL (@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres)

Direct database access for agents. Run read-only queries, inspect schemas, and analyze data without writing wrapper code.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "postgres": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres", "postgresql://user:pass@host/db"]
    }
  }
}

Best for: Data analysis agents, database-driven reporting, schema exploration.

5. Brave Search (@modelcontextprotocol/server-brave-search)

Web search without scraping. Agents can research topics, find documentation, and gather competitive intelligence through Brave's search API.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brave-search": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-brave-search"],
      "env": { "BRAVE_API_KEY": "your_brave_key" }
    }
  }
}

Best for: Research agents, competitive analysis, fact-checking.

6. Slack (@modelcontextprotocol/server-slack)

Read channels, post messages, and manage Slack workspaces. Pairs well with scheduling agents that report daily summaries.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "slack": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-slack"],
      "env": { "SLACK_BOT_TOKEN": "xoxb-your-token" }
    }
  }
}

Best for: Notification agents, daily digest bots, team communication automation.

7. Gmail (@gongrzhe/server-gmail-autoauth-mcp)

Read, send, and manage emails. Supports filtering, archiving, and label management. The autoauth variant handles OAuth token refresh automatically.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gmail": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@gongrzhe/server-gmail-autoauth-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GMAIL_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id",
        "GMAIL_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret",
        "GMAIL_REDIRECT_URI": "http://localhost:3000/oauth/callback"
      }
    }
  }
}

Best for: Email management agents, outreach automation, inbox triage.

8. Puppeteer (@modelcontextprotocol/server-puppeteer)

Headless browser automation. Navigate pages, take screenshots, fill forms, and extract data from rendered web pages.

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

Best for: Web scraping agents, UI testing, screenshot generation.

9. SQLite (@modelcontextprotocol/server-sqlite)

Lightweight embedded database access. Create tables, run queries, and manage local data stores. Zero configuration — just point it at a .db file.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sqlite": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sqlite", "./data/local.db"]
    }
  }
}

Best for: Local data agents, prototyping, lightweight analytics.

10. Fetch (@modelcontextprotocol/server-fetch)

Make HTTP requests to any URL. Retrieve web pages as markdown, call REST APIs, and download files. The Swiss army knife for agents that need internet access beyond search.

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

Best for: API integration agents, content aggregation, webhook triggering.

Running Multiple MCP Servers

Most agents need more than one tool. Combine servers in a single config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": { "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_xxx" }
    },
    "hoist": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@hoist/mcp-server"],
      "env": { "HOIST_API_URL": "https://hoist-g8do.polsia.app", "HOIST_API_KEY": "hoist_sk_xxx" }
    },
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "./workspace"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop and Cursor load all servers on startup. Each server's tools appear in the tool palette alongside built-in capabilities.

How to Choose

Need MCP Server Effort
Ship code to production Hoist 2 min setup
Read/write GitHub repos GitHub 2 min setup
Manage local files Filesystem 1 min setup
Query databases PostgreSQL or SQLite 2 min setup
Search the web Brave Search 3 min setup
Send emails Gmail 5 min setup (OAuth)
Post to Slack Slack 3 min setup
Browse websites Puppeteer 1 min setup
Call HTTP APIs Fetch 1 min setup

Start with GitHub + Filesystem for code agents. Add Hoist for autonomous deployment. Layer in communication tools (Slack, Gmail) as your agent's responsibilities grow.

Get Started

  1. Pick the servers your agent needs from the list above
  2. Add them to your Claude Desktop or Cursor config
  3. For Hoist MCP setup specifically, grab the config from /mcp/config.json
  4. Full MCP protocol docs: modelcontextprotocol.io

For a deep dive on the Hoist MCP server, see MCP Domain Registration Guide.

Hoist — Domain + Deploy in one command. Try it

Hoist gives AI agents their own domain registrar. One API call to search, register, and deploy.

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