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# Introduction
Organising Mannequin Context Protocols (MCPs) servers in your native machine may be difficult. You must cope with putting in varied packages, managing Node/nvm variations, fixing PATH points, and troubleshooting servers that gained’t begin even after you comply with all of the setup steps. Regardless of following guides, native internet hosting can nonetheless be difficult and take quite a lot of time.
A a lot simpler resolution is to make use of distant hosted MCP servers. You’ll be able to join to those servers just by utilizing a URL and an API key or OAuth token. This implies you gained’t have to fret about setting something up domestically, coping with dependency points, or consistently managing processes. In lots of instances, distant servers are quicker and extra dependable than attempting to run every thing by yourself laptop.
On this article, we are going to discover seven free distant MCP servers that simplify the administration of planning, design, coding, and analysis in a seamless workflow. You’ll study their use instances and key functionalities that they supply.
# 1. GitHub
The distant GitHub MCP Server, hosted by GitHub, offers the simplest technique to join MCP-compatible assistants and IDEs to your GitHub instruments with a one-click OAuth setup and automated updates.
As soon as related, your assistant can work together with repositories, points, and pull requests straight out of your chat or editor. It will probably even automate workflows, similar to opening pull requests, initiating steady integration, and performing safety triage, permitting you to ship code quicker with much less context switching.
The MCP Server helps OAuth 2.1 with PKCE and is built-in with first-party Copilot IDEs, together with VS Code, Visible Studio, JetBrains, Eclipse, and Xcode, guaranteeing a clean setup expertise.
{
"mcpServers": {
"github": {
"url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_GITHUB_PAT"
}
}
}
}
# 2. Canva
The Canva MCP Server offers a seamless connection between your AI assistant, similar to Claude or Cursor, and Canva. This integration enhances your design expertise by permitting you to generate new designs effortlessly.
With the MCP Server, you possibly can robotically fill templates along with your distinctive content material and simply export your outcomes as photos or PDFs. This streamlines the design course of and saves you helpful time.
Moreover, the server facilitates work with present designs. You’ll be able to summarize them or generate new content material based mostly on what you have already got. This implies you possibly can preserve a clean workflow with out switching between completely different instruments, holding your artistic course of flowing inside your editor or chat surroundings.
{
"mcpServers": {
"Canva": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"mcp-remote@latest",
"https://mcp.canva.com/mcp"
]
}
}
}
# 3. Figma
The Figma MCP distant server (open beta) connects MCP-compatible assistants in instruments like VS Code, Cursor, and Claude Code on to your Figma recordsdata utilizing OAuth and a share hyperlink.
This integration permits you to generate code from chosen frames, extract variables, elements, and format metadata, retrieve Make sources, and make sure that the output aligns along with your design system by way of Code Join.
Consequently, groups can incorporate correct design context into their IDEs without having the desktop app, cut back handoff friction, and iterate extra rapidly from prototype to manufacturing.
{
"inputs": [],
"servers": {
"figma": {
"url": "https://mcp.figma.com/mcp",
"kind": "http"
}
}
}
# 4. Notion
Notion MCP Server is a hosted service that securely connects widespread AI assistants, similar to ChatGPT, Claude, and Cursor, to your workspace through a easy one-click OAuth course of. This integration offers real-time learn and write entry to your pages and databases, together with instruments particularly designed for AI brokers.
As soon as related, you possibly can search your whole workspace, create new pages based mostly on search outcomes, and replace properties throughout a number of pages. By combining these options, you possibly can automate documentation, planning, and process updates straight out of your editor or chat. This minimizes context switching and streamlines your workflow.
{
"mcpServers": {
"Notion": {
"url": "https://mcp.notion.com/mcp"
}
}
}
# 5. Hugging Face
The Hugging Face MCP Server connects your MCP-compatible assistant on to the Hugging Face Hub. This lets you seek for and discover fashions, datasets, Areas, and papers straight out of your editor, chat, or command line interface (CLI). It helps widespread shoppers like VS Code, Cursor, Zed, and Claude Desktop.
Moreover, it allows you to run group instruments by way of MCP-compatible Gradio apps hosted on Areas and brings the outcomes again into your assistant with wealthy metadata, hyperlinks, and context. These options streamline the invention, analysis, and fast prototyping of fashions and datasets with out the necessity for context-switching, holding analysis and implementation inside one built-in workflow.
{
"mcpServers": {
"hf-mcp-server": {
"url": "https://huggingface.co/mcp?login"
}
}
}
# 6. Linear
Linear MCP offers your AI assistant with premium entry to your Linear workspace, permitting you to handle software program tasks and observe points utilizing pure language.
You’ll be able to simply discover, create, and replace Linear objects similar to points, tasks, and groups. Moreover, it allows you to automate widespread duties straight from shoppers like Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf.
This integration brings Linear into your modifying surroundings, enhancing your growth expertise and streamlining planning, triage, and standing updates.
{
"mcpServers": {
"linear": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.linear.app/sse"]
}
}
}
# 7. Firecrawl
The Firecrawl MCP Server is out there for each native and distant use, integrating the Firecrawl API to offer LLM shoppers with highly effective internet crawling, scraping, and search capabilities. You’ll find it on GitHub.
Along with fundamental scraping, it presents options similar to JavaScript rendering, batch scraping, and search performance. It helps self-hosted choices and contains superior options like parallel processing, automated retries, and content material filtering.
Designed particularly for AI workflows, Firecrawl can fetch and construction internet content material into machine-readable codecs similar to Markdown, JSON, or HTML, guaranteeing dependable content material extraction.
It’s generally used to reinforce instruments like Cursor and Claude, including real-time internet information to mannequin context.
{
"mcpServers": {
"firecrawl-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "firecrawl-mcp"],
"env": {
"FIRECRAWL_API_KEY": "YOUR-API-KEY"
}
}
}
}
# Conclusion
Integrating MCP servers similar to GitHub, Canva, Figma, and Notion streamlines planning, design, coding, and analysis right into a single workflow. This consolidation reduces context switching and accelerates supply. With safe OAuth-based entry and actionable instruments out there straight in your editor or chat, you possibly can improve collaboration and set up quicker suggestions loops all through the whole product lifecycle.
Listed here are some use instances of MCP servers:
- GitHub: Open PRs, triage points, and set off CI from chat/editor to ship quicker.
- Canva: Generate designs, autofill templates, and export belongings (PNG/JPG/PDF) with out leaving your IDE/chat.
- Figma: Flip frames into starter code and pull variables/elements for design‑system‑constant output.
- Notion: Search, create, and replace pages to automate docs, duties, and standing studies.
- Hugging Face: Uncover fashions/datasets/Areas and run Gradio instruments for fast analysis and prototyping.
- Linear: Create/replace points and tasks, automate triage, and put up standing updates out of your assistant.
- Firecrawl: Crawl/scrape websites with JS rendering and return structured Markdown/JSON/HTML to floor AI responses.
Abid Ali Awan (@1abidaliawan) is an authorized information scientist skilled who loves constructing machine studying fashions. At the moment, he’s specializing in content material creation and writing technical blogs on machine studying and information science applied sciences. Abid holds a Grasp’s diploma in know-how administration and a bachelor’s diploma in telecommunication engineering. His imaginative and prescient is to construct an AI product utilizing a graph neural community for college students combating psychological sickness.
