Cursor supports MCP for connecting to external tools and data sources. Here’s how to set it up.
Adding MCP servers
- Open Cursor Settings (Cmd+,)
- Navigate to the MCP section
- Click “Add Server”
- Enter the server command and arguments
Example: GitHub server
{
"name": "github",
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
"env": { "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_..." }
}Recommended servers
| Server | Use case |
|---|---|
| Filesystem | Project file access |
| GitHub | Issue/PR management |
| Postgres | Database queries |
| Brave Search | Documentation lookup |
| Docker | Container management |
See our full list of 15 servers.
Cursor vs Claude Code for MCP
Both support MCP natively. Claude Code is terminal-based. Cursor is IDE-based. Same MCP servers work with both — they’re model-agnostic.
For security, review our MCP Security Checklist before adding servers with access to sensitive data.
Related: MCP + Claude Code Setup · Best MCP Servers · MCP Complete Guide