How do I add an MCP server to Claude Code?

Run claude mcp add with the transport, a name, and the server URL. For a remote server over streamable HTTP that is claude mcp add --transport http, followed by the name and URL. Open /mcp inside Claude Code afterwards to check health and complete OAuth sign-in.

Where does Claude Code store MCP servers?

By default in the local scope, with project scope available for servers you want to commit alongside the repo and user scope for servers shared across all projects. Use claude mcp list to see what is registered in each scope.

Do I need an API key for every MCP server in Claude Code?

No. Remote servers generally use OAuth, which you approve in /mcp. Local stdio servers sometimes need a key passed as an environment variable. With Locus Pro there are no per-provider keys at all: one OAuth connection covers the whole catalog.

What does Locus Pro add to Claude Code?

Paid capabilities beyond free servers: specialist search, enrichment, finance, voice, and verification APIs. The agent discovers them by outcome, sees the price before each call, and spends from one prepaid balance under policy controls.

How do I add an MCP server to Claude Code?

Run claude mcp add with the transport, a name, and the server URL. For a remote server over streamable HTTP that is claude mcp add --transport http, followed by the name and URL. Open /mcp inside Claude Code afterwards to check health and complete OAuth sign-in.

Where does Claude Code store MCP servers?

By default in the local scope, with project scope available for servers you want to commit alongside the repo and user scope for servers shared across all projects. Use claude mcp list to see what is registered in each scope.

Do I need an API key for every MCP server in Claude Code?

No. Remote servers generally use OAuth, which you approve in /mcp. Local stdio servers sometimes need a key passed as an environment variable. With Locus Pro there are no per-provider keys at all: one OAuth connection covers the whole catalog.

What does Locus Pro add to Claude Code?

Paid capabilities beyond free servers: specialist search, enrichment, finance, voice, and verification APIs. The agent discovers them by outcome, sees the price before each call, and spends from one prepaid balance under policy controls.

Guide

Best MCP servers for Claude Code

Published 2026-09-15 · Updated 2026-09-15 · By Locus

Claude Code talks to outside tools through MCP servers: remote servers over HTTP and local servers over stdio. Add a handful once and every session gets more capable. These six cover what working developers actually reach for.

The short list

1
Locus Pro
One connection for thousands of paid APIs — search, enrichment, finance, voice, verification — billed per call from one balance.
```
claude mcp add --transport http locus-pro https://api.paywithlocus.com/api/credits/mcp
```

Brave Search

General web search with grounding-grade results for research tasks.

claude mcp add --transport stdio brave-search -- npx -y @brave/brave-search-mcp-server

3
Playwright
Real browser automation: open pages, click, screenshot, and scrape JavaScript-heavy sites.
```
claude mcp add --transport stdio playwright -- npx -y @playwright/mcp@latest
```
4
GitHub
Read and manage repos, issues, and pull requests without leaving the session.
```
claude mcp add --transport http github https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/
```

Filesystem

Scoped read and write access to project directories on the host machine.

claude mcp add --transport stdio filesystem -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /path/to/project

6
Fetch
Pull a URL into context as markdown for quick reads without a full browser.
```
claude mcp add --transport stdio fetch -- uvx mcp-server-fetch
```

After adding a remote server, open /mcp inside Claude Code to confirm it shows Connected and to complete OAuth sign-in where needed. Add --scope project when the server belongs in the repo so teammates get it automatically.

Why Locus Pro belongs on the list

Free servers cover search, browsing, and files. The moment the agent needs specialist data — company enrichment, verified contacts, market filings, transcripts, threat lookups — each provider normally means another account, another key, another subscription. Locus Pro replaces all of that with one MCP connection and one prepaid balance: the agent searches the agent tool catalog, sees the price before each call, and spends only what permitted calls cost.

Connect Locus Pro to Claude Code Browse all tools

Best MCP servers for Claude Code

The short list

Why Locus Pro belongs on the list

Keep going

Frequently asked questions