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
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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
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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
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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
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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.