Popular MCP servers to start with

The fastest way to understand MCP is to run a few servers. These are the ones most people install first, all available from the reference collection.

Where to find them #

The Reference servers repository collects official and community servers. Most install with a single npx or uvx command, so you can try one in minutes.

Common servers #

• Filesystem: read and write files within directories you allow. A safe first server because roots constrain what it can touch.
• Git and GitHub: inspect repos, read diffs, open issues and pull requests.
• Databases (Postgres, SQLite): run read queries and inspect schemas.
• Web fetch and search: pull page content or search results into context.
• Slack, and other SaaS: post messages and read channels through the service API.

Read the source #

These servers are small and readable. When you are ready to build your own, the reference servers are the best templates, they show real tool schemas, error handling, and auth against a real API.

Because every one of these servers sits in front of a live API, the safest way to try an agent that uses them is to swap that API for a stand-in, so a test run reads and writes against a replica instead of sending real messages or moving real money.