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What Is an MCP Client? Which AI Apps Support MCP Servers

Short answer

An MCP client is the part of an AI app that connects to one MCP server and calls its tools. The app that contains it, such as Claude Desktop, Cursor or VS Code, is the host. Most major AI apps can run local servers, which start on your computer, and remote servers, which you reach by URL. The table below shows which apps support each, and every app has its own setup guide.

Tested withMCP spec 2026-07-28Checked 20 Oct 2026

By Tony Lewis·How we test these guides

Before you start

• An AI app you already use, or two or three you're choosing between.
• For a local server, the runtime it needs, such as Node.js or Python. The setup guides cover this.

What a client and a host are

The MCP specification separates two roles. The host is the application you use, like Claude Desktop or an IDE. A host starts one client for each server it connects to, and each client handles one connection with one server. The host handles the screen and the conversation, and the clients handle the protocol. For a full definition, see the MCP client concepts page.

So one app can talk to several servers at once, with a separate connection and a separate sign-in for each.

Which AI apps support which features

App	Local server (stdio)	Remote server (Streamable HTTP)	OAuth sign-in	MCP Apps
Claude Desktop	Yes	Yes, as a custom connector	Yes	Yes
Claude Code	Yes	Yes	Yes	Not stated
Codex (CLI, IDE and desktop app)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Not stated
Cursor	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ChatGPT (web)	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
VS Code with GitHub Copilot	Yes	Yes	Not stated	Yes, experimental
Gemini CLI	Yes	Yes	Yes	Not stated
Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Not stated

"Not stated" means the vendor's documentation I checked on 2026-10-20 doesn't mention the feature. It doesn't mean the app lacks it. Check the guide for that app before you rely on a feature.

Notes on the rows above:

• Claude: Custom connectors work on Free (one connector), Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans. Claude connects to a remote server from Anthropic's cloud, so the server must be reachable on the public internet. A server behind a VPN or a firewall won't connect.
• ChatGPT: Full MCP support is for Business and Enterprise/Edu workspaces on the web. Pro users can connect custom servers with read and fetch permissions. ChatGPT on the web doesn't run local servers, but the ChatGPT desktop app can run them through its MCP server settings.
• Gemini CLI: Google stopped serving Gemini CLI to individual accounts (free, Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra) on June 18, 2026, and points those users to Antigravity CLI. Enterprise licenses and API-key use still work.
• MCP Apps: The MCP project's own list of MCP Apps clients names Claude, Claude Desktop, VS Code with GitHub Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Goose, Postman, MCPJam and Archestra.AI. Cursor and ChatGPT state their own support in their documentation.

Questions that decide it

1. Does the server run on your computer or on the internet? A local server runs on the same machine as the app, and you need its runtime installed there. A remote server runs somewhere else, and the app connects to its URL. If all you have is a URL, every app in the table connects to remote servers. The one exception is ChatGPT on the web, which can't run local servers at all.
2. Does the server need you to sign in? Many remote servers use OAuth. The app opens the provider's sign-in page, and you approve access. Read how sign-in works for MCP servers before you connect one.
3. Which plan or account do you have? Plan limits decide whether a feature is available at all. The plan notes above list the ones that change what you can connect.
4. Do you want the server's tools to show a visual interface? MCP Apps let a tool show an interactive view in the chat, such as a form or a chart. In an app without MCP Apps support, the same tool still returns its normal text result, so nothing breaks.
5. Where do you work? Terminal tools (Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI), code editors (Cursor, VS Code, Devin Desktop) and chat apps (Claude, ChatGPT) each add servers in a different place. Pick the one you'll use every day, because you'll manage its servers there.

What changed recently

• MCP revision 2026-07-28. The protocol is stateless now and adds a server/discover request. Streamable HTTP is the remote transport, and the older SSE transport is deprecated. Clients that only speak the 2025-era initialize handshake still work. Devin Desktop added support for the 2026-07-28 revision on October 12, 2026.
• Windsurf is now Devin Desktop. Windsurf became Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026, with the same IDE and features. Devin's own docs give more than one MCP config path, so check the Devin Desktop guide before you edit a file.
• Gemini CLI for individuals has ended. Google stopped serving Gemini CLI to individual accounts on June 18, 2026, and Antigravity CLI replaces it. Google's migration guide covers moving your MCP server configuration over.
• ChatGPT custom servers are added from Plugins. You no longer need to turn on Developer Mode first, but you still review a risk warning for each server you add.
• Cursor lists MCP Apps as supported in its current MCP documentation.

How to connect each app

Each app keeps its own list of servers and its own sign-in, so you add a server to every app where you want to use it.

• Claude Desktop: Local servers go in claude_desktop_config.json, or install a .mcpb desktop extension. Remote servers are added as custom connectors. See Claude Desktop.
• Claude Code: Add servers with claude mcp add, then sign in to remote servers from /mcp. See Claude Code.
• Codex: Servers live in config.toml, and codex mcp add writes them for you. The Codex CLI, IDE extension and desktop app share that configuration. See Codex.
• Cursor: Servers go in mcp.json, either for one project or for every project on your computer. See Cursor.
• ChatGPT: On the web, open Plugins, select the plus button, then choose Add custom MCP server. See ChatGPT.
• VS Code: Open the Command Palette, run MCP: Add Server, then choose a URL (HTTP) or a launch command (stdio). See VS Code.
• Gemini CLI: Servers go under mcpServers in settings.json. See Gemini CLI.
• Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): Servers go in an mcp_config.json file. See Devin Desktop.

If a server doesn't appear in any of these apps after you add it, work through Fix MCP connection errors.

Doing this on MCPBundles

MCPBundles works with any AI app that supports MCP. You give the app one MCP URL, and the setup page covers Claude Desktop, ChatGPT and Cursor step by step. Read Connecting your AI to see the steps for your app.

FAQ

Is an MCP client the same thing as an MCP server?

No. The client sits inside the AI app and connects to one server. The server is the program or URL that offers tools, resources and prompts. One app can run a client for each server it uses.

Do I have to choose one AI app?

No. Each app keeps its own server list and its own sign-in, so you can connect the same server to more than one app. You add it separately in each one.

Can I use a local MCP server in ChatGPT?

Not in ChatGPT on the web. OpenAI says ChatGPT connects to remote MCP servers, and it points private servers to its Secure MCP Tunnel. The ChatGPT desktop app can run local STDIO servers through its MCP server settings.

Which apps can connect to a remote server?

Every app in the table above can connect to remote servers. Most of them can also sign you in to a remote server that uses OAuth. The VS Code docs don't say, so check its guide if your server needs sign-in.

• Claude DesktopLocal config file, remote connectors and where the logs are.
• CursorAdd servers to mcp.json for one project or for all of them.
• Claude CodeAdd servers with claude mcp add and sign in from /mcp.
• Sign in to MCP serversWhat happens when a remote server asks you to sign in, and how to sign out.
• Fix MCP connection errorsThe errors that stop a server from connecting, and the fix for each.