Locus product guide · Updated November 10, 2026

Best MCP servers in 2026: the short list by job

The best MCP servers in November 2026, by job: Context7 for current library docs, GitHub for repos and pull requests, Playwright or Chrome DevTools for a real browser, Firecrawl or Exa for web search and scraping, and Supabase for a Postgres database. Context7, Playwright, Chrome DevTools, Firecrawl and Exa work with no account for light use. GitHub needs a personal access token in Cursor and Codex, and Supabase needs a Supabase account. For paid data such as leads, SEO and market data, one Locus Pro connection replaces a key per vendor.

Which MCP servers should you install first?

Pick one server per job you do every week. These are official servers from the vendor or project, checked on November 10, 2026. Each works in Claude Code, Cursor and Codex. ChatGPT takes remote servers only, so the local ones need a tunnel there.

Playwright's own README suggests its CLI with skills over MCP for coding agents, because CLI calls use fewer tokens. The MCP server still suits long-running agents that need to keep one browser open across many steps.
Supabase lets you scope the server to one project and run it read-only. Supabase also says not to hand the server to your customers, since it acts with your developer permissions.

Which MCP servers should you install first?
Job	Server	How it connects	Account or key
Library and framework docs	Context7	Remote https://mcp.context7.com/mcp	Works anonymously; a free key raises rate limits
Repos, issues and pull requests	GitHub MCP server	Remote https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/	GitHub account, plus a personal access token in Cursor and Codex
Browser automation and testing	Playwright MCP	Local npx @playwright/mcp@latest	None
Browser debugging and performance traces	Chrome DevTools MCP	Local npx chrome-devtools-mcp@latest	No account needed
Web search, scraping and parsing	Firecrawl	Remote https://mcp.firecrawl.dev/v2/mcp	No key for search, scrape and parse within daily limits
Web search and research	Exa	Remote https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp	No key at a free rate limit
Postgres database	Supabase	Remote https://mcp.supabase.com/mcp with OAuth	Supabase account
Paid data: leads, SEO, market data	Locus Pro	Remote https://api.paywithlocus.com/api/credits/mcp with OAuth	One Locus account and prepaid credits

How do you add an MCP server in each AI host?

Every major host reads the same MCP servers. Only the setup differs. Remote servers are a URL. Local servers are a command the host starts for you.

How do you add an MCP server in each AI host?
Host	Where servers are saved	How to add one	Full roundup
Claude Code	Local, project (.mcp.json) or user scope	claude mcp add --transport http name url, or /plugin for plugins	Best MCP servers for Claude Code
Cursor	~/.cursor/mcp.json or .cursor/mcp.json	Cursor Marketplace, or an entry with command or url in mcp.json	Best MCP servers for Cursor
Codex	~/.codex/config.toml or .codex/config.toml	codex mcp add name --url url, or codex mcp add name -- command	Best MCP servers for Codex
ChatGPT	Your ChatGPT account, as a plugin	chatgpt.com/plugins, then plus, then Add custom MCP server	Best MCP servers for ChatGPT

Which MCP servers cover sales, SEO and market data?

Data vendors run their own servers, but each one needs its own account and plan. Apollo bills its MCP calls to your Apollo credits. DataForSEO asks for a minimum top-up. Alpha Vantage gives a free key good for 25 requests a day. Details checked November 10, 2026.

The roundups below compare the official servers and the community ones, and show how each job is paid for.

What does each job cost through Locus Pro?

Locus Pro is one MCP server for paid APIs. Your agent searches the catalog, sees the price, and runs the call from one prepaid balance. You need no account or key at each vendor. Search, describe and balance checks are free. 1,000 credits equal $1.

Prices below are live catalog prices on November 10, 2026. Variable prices depend on the request, and a call can carry a credit ceiling.

MCP URL: https://api.paywithlocus.com/api/credits/mcp
Or tell your agent: Install Locus Pro by following https://paywithlocus.com/SKILL.md.
Free servers such as Context7, Playwright and GitHub do not need Locus. Keep them direct.

What does each job cost through Locus Pro?
Job	Locus endpoint	Credits per call	About
Web search	firecrawl/search	1.7 (fixed)	$0.0017
Cited search answer	perplexity/search	5.8	$0.0058
Page to clean text	firecrawl/scrape	1 to 38.6, most calls 1	From $0.001
Find leads	apollo/people-search	2 (fixed)	$0.002
Google results for a keyword	dataforseo/serp-google-organic	2 to 14,140, most calls 2	From $0.002
Stock quote	alphavantage/global-quote	5.1 (fixed)	$0.0051
Company filings data	edgar/company-facts	5.1 flat	About $0.0051

How do you choose which MCP servers to keep?

Start with 2 or 3 servers for the work you do daily, then add more only when a task needs them. Every server adds tool names and descriptions to the context, and similar tools make the model pick the wrong one more often.

Prefer the official server from the vendor. Check the publisher in the official MCP Registry before you install a community one.
Prefer remote servers with OAuth over local servers that need a key in a config file.
Turn off tools you never use. In Codex, enabled_tools and disabled_tools trim a server to the tools you need.
Use read-only modes for databases and production systems.
For paid data, match the billing to your use. A vendor plan suits steady use of one vendor. Per-call billing suits low or bursty use, or use spread across many vendors.

Where to find more MCP servers

Are MCP servers safe to install?

Only as safe as the publisher. OpenAI warns that an untrusted server can steal data shared with it or trick the model into changing or deleting data. A local server also runs code on your machine with your permissions.

Hosts add guard rails. ChatGPT asks before any tool that is not marked read-only. Cursor asks before MCP tools by default. Codex can require approval per server or per tool.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most popular MCP servers?

On Anthropic's Claude plugin marketplace, the most installed MCP-based plugins on November 10, 2026 were Context7 with about 418,000 installs, Playwright with about 320,000 and GitHub with about 319,000.

Are MCP servers free?

The protocol and most servers are free. You pay for what a server calls. Context7, Playwright and Chrome DevTools cost nothing. Data servers bill through the vendor plan or, with Locus Pro, per call from credits.

Should I pick a local or a remote MCP server?

Pick remote when the vendor offers one. It works in every host, including ChatGPT, and signs in with OAuth instead of a key in a file. Pick local for tools that need your machine, such as a browser you control.

Do MCP servers work in every AI host?

Mostly. Claude Code, Cursor and Codex run both local and remote servers. ChatGPT connects remote servers over SSE or streaming HTTP and reaches local ones only through a Secure MCP Tunnel.

Implementation references

Use these first-party references for current request contracts and account requirements. Tool availability, prices, and negotiated terms can change.

Sources

Third-party details were checked on November 10, 2026. Vendors change pricing and features often, so confirm on their site before you decide.