3 MCP servers I actually use daily (and how to set them up)

Not a hype list. These are the three MCP servers I have running right now in Claude Desktop.

1. Filesystem

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem

Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

I use this to let Claude read project files directly instead of me copy-pasting code. Configure it to point at your project root.

Real usage: “Read the auth module and explain how the token validation works.”

2. GitHub

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Lets Claude check issues, read PRs, and browse repos. I use it for code reviews.

Real usage: “Check what changed in the last 3 PRs and summarize.”

3. PostgreSQL

mcp-hub install @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres

Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Direct database access from Claude. I run queries without leaving the conversation.

Real usage: “Show me users who signed up this week but haven’t logged in.”

Setup

Each one takes 2 minutes:

mcp-hub install <server>
# Add to claude_desktop_config.json
# Restart Claude Desktop

Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Warning

The filesystem server can read your entire disk if you configure it that way. Be careful with paths.

All servers verified on npm. mcp-hub CLI to discover more.