Our verdict: install Filesystem and Playwright first. Those two cover most of what MCP is good for. Add GitHub, Linear or Slack if you work on a team, and Postgres MCP Pro or Sentry when you're next debugging.
Install Claude Code, use it for a week, and one question comes up fast: which MCP servers deserve a slot in your config? The official MCP Registry keeps growing, and plenty of the servers in it haven't been updated in months.
Filesystem
Playwright
GitHub
Linear
Slack
Postgres MCP Pro
Sentry
SQLite
Memory
Fetch
What changed in 2026
Several old @modelcontextprotocol/server-* packages (GitHub, Slack, Postgres, Sentry and SQLite) are now archived. GitHub, Linear, Slack and Sentry run their own hosted servers instead, which you add by URL and sign in to with /mcp. Every install command below matches the current setup.
The 10 servers at a glance
Filesystem- Files outside your project root
- Sibling repos, notes, PDFs
- You pick which folders it sees
The catch: scope it tightly or it wanders.
- Drives a real browser
- Clicks, fills forms, takes screenshots
- Chrome, Firefox, WebKit or Edge
The catch: may need to install a browser first.
GitHub- PRs, issues, labels and comments
- Kicks off Actions
- Added by URL
The catch: needs a personal access token.
Linear- Create and update tickets
- Query backlogs
- OAuth sign-in with /mcp
The catch: only useful if your team uses Linear.
- Summarize channels and threads
- Post updates
- Follows your own Slack permissions
The catch: a workspace admin must approve it.
Postgres MCP Pro- Query a dev or replica database
- Restricted mode is read-only
- Replaces the archived Postgres server
The catch: keep it away from production writes.
Sentry- Errors and stack traces
- Search issues
- OAuth sign-in with /mcp
The catch: only pays off when things break.
SQLite- Point it at any SQLite file
- Datasets, note databases, exports
- Runs with uvx
The catch: archived, so no more fixes.
Memory- Notes that last across sessions
- Stored as a small knowledge graph
- Good for style rules and quirks
The catch: only as useful as what you save.
Fetch- Quick HTTP and JSON pulls
- Test your own webhooks
- Lighter than a full browser
The catch: no clicking or page scripts.
Type, use and who maintains it
Checked October 23, 2026, on each project's own repo or docs. All ten are free to use.
| Server | Type | Best for | Maintained by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filesystem | Local (npx) | Files outside your project root | MCP reference servers |
| Playwright | Local (npx) | Driving a real browser | Microsoft |
| GitHub | Hosted (HTTP) | PRs, issues, Actions | GitHub |
| Linear | Hosted (HTTP, OAuth) | Tickets and backlogs | Linear |
| Slack | Hosted (HTTP, OAuth) | Channel summaries, posting updates | Slack |
| Postgres MCP Pro | Local (uvx) | Read-only queries on a dev database | Crystal DBA (open source) |
| Sentry | Hosted (HTTP, OAuth) | Errors and stack traces | Sentry |
| SQLite | Local (uvx) | Querying local data files | Archived reference server |
| Memory | Local (npx) | Notes that persist across sessions | MCP reference servers |
| Fetch | Local (uvx) | Quick HTTP and JSON pulls | MCP reference servers |
What each one can do
| Server | Runs on your machine | Hosted by the vendor | Sign in with /mcp | Can change things | Still maintained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filesystem | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Playwright | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| GitHub | ✗ | ✓ | Token | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linear | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Slack | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Postgres MCP Pro | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | Optional | ✓ |
| Sentry | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| SQLite | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Memory | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fetch | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
– means the project hasn't said. "Optional" means Postgres MCP Pro can run in a read-only restricted mode.
Filesystem: the one to install first
Claude Code already reads files inside your project. Filesystem opens up everything outside it: ~/Documents, scratch folders, notes, downloaded PDFs and sibling repos, so Claude can pull context from a neighbor project without you moving files around.
Install: claude mcp add filesystem -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem ~/Documents ~/GitHub. Don't grant all of ~/, or Claude can wander into cached browser data and burn tokens.
Playwright: a real browser for Claude
Playwright lets Claude open a page, click around, fill forms, read the DOM, watch network requests and take screenshots. It's the quickest way to check whether your own deploy works, grab a screenshot for a bug report or test a flow end to end.
Install: claude mcp add playwright npx @playwright/mcp@latest. It's Microsoft's server and uses Chrome by default; pass --browser for Firefox, WebKit or Edge.
GitHub: PRs and issues from the terminal
GitHub's own hosted server lets Claude create PRs, read issues, comment, manage labels and start Actions. Ask it to summarize what changed in a PR, or to open one with your changes. You sign in with a GitHub personal access token.
Install: claude mcp add-json github '{"type":"http","url":"https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp","headers":{"Authorization":"Bearer YOUR_GITHUB_PAT"}}'
Linear and Slack: team tools
Linear lets Claude create tickets, update status and query backlogs, for example a P1 ticket with labels and acceptance criteria. Install: claude mcp add --transport http linear-server https://mcp.linear.app/mcp, then run /mcp to sign in.
Slack hosts its own server, so there's no bot token to make. A workspace admin approves it, and access follows your own Slack permissions. Start with channel summaries; posting deserves more care. Install: claude mcp add --transport http --scope local slack https://mcp.slack.com/mcp, then /mcp.
claude mcp add saves servers for you in the current project by default. Add --scope user for servers you want everywhere, like Filesystem, and --scope project to share a server with your team through a .mcp.json file in the repo.Postgres MCP Pro: ask your dev database
Give Claude a connection string and ask plain questions, like how many orders have a null user_id. The old reference Postgres server is archived, so use Postgres MCP Pro. Its restricted mode keeps Claude to read-only transactions.
Install: claude mcp add postgres -e DATABASE_URI=postgresql://localhost/mydb -- uvx postgres-mcp --access-mode=restricted
Sentry: errors without the digging
Sentry's server reads errors, searches issues and pulls stack traces. Claude can boil ten error events down to one likely cause, which is where it earns its keep during an incident.
Install: claude mcp add --transport http sentry https://mcp.sentry.dev/mcp, then run /mcp to sign in.
SQLite, Memory and Fetch: add when needed
SQLite queries any local SQLite file, handy for datasets and exports. It's an archived reference server, so it works but won't get fixes. Memory keeps notes across sessions as a small knowledge graph; it's only as useful as what you save. Fetch makes HTTP requests and is lighter than Playwright when you just want JSON from an API.
What about Browser-Use, Time and Wikipedia servers?
Browser-Use overlaps with Playwright, so pick Playwright. Time and date servers add little, since Claude Code already knows the date. Wikipedia and Wolfram servers are fun demos that web search mostly covers. For one-person servers, check the last commit date before installing.
Tool search is now the default, so Claude Code looks up tools when it needs them instead of loading every one up front. Local servers still take a moment to start, and each one is another thing to update and trust.
Which MCP server should you use?
The verdict
Filesystem and Playwright are the best Claude Code MCP servers to install first in 2026. Add GitHub, Linear or Slack for team work, Postgres MCP Pro and Sentry when you debug, and keep Memory, Fetch and SQLite until you have a real use for them.
FAQ
What are MCP servers in Claude Code?
MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers give Claude Code new tools, like reading a Postgres database, opening a browser or creating a Linear ticket. Some run as local processes; others, like GitHub, Linear, Slack and Sentry, are hosted by the vendor and added by URL. Most users only need a handful.
How do I install an MCP server in Claude Code?
One command in most cases. Local servers use npx or uvx, for example: claude mcp add playwright npx @playwright/mcp@latest. Hosted servers use a URL, for example: claude mcp add --transport http sentry https://mcp.sentry.dev/mcp. Then run /mcp in Claude Code to sign in to any server that uses OAuth.
Do MCP servers slow down Claude Code?
Much less than they used to. Tool search is now the default, so Claude Code looks up tools as it needs them instead of loading every one up front. Local servers still take a moment to start, and each one is another thing to maintain. Install what you use and remove the rest.
Which MCP server should I install first?
Filesystem and Playwright. Filesystem lets Claude read and write files outside your project root, and Playwright lets it open and use web pages for debugging, screenshots and testing. Together they cover most of the value of the whole MCP ecosystem.
Are MCP servers safe?
MCP servers run with the permissions you give them. Servers run by the vendor itself (GitHub, Linear, Slack, Sentry) and the official reference servers are the safest bets. Vet third-party servers like any npm package: check the repo, recent activity and what access it asks for. Skip archived packages.