MCP client feature matrix
Which AI clients support remote MCP servers, OAuth, resources, and prompts. Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Cline, ChatGPT, Goose, and Continue connect to remote servers; Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, and ChatGPT also handle OAuth sign-in.
Show clients that support
Clear filterCapability
Only confirmed support counts. Partial and Unknown values are left out of a filtered view.
Clients with one-click install
4 of 10 clients. Scroll sideways on small screens; column names link to what each feature means.
| Transport | Auth | Server features | Client features | Install | Setup | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Client | stdio | Streamable HTTP | SSE | OAuth | Tools | Resources | Prompts | Sampling | Roots | Elicitation | One-click | Config | Platforms |
| Claude Desktop | Yes | YesAs a custom connector | YesAs a custom connector | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Unknown | Unknown | YesDesktop Extensions (.mcpb) | claude_desktop_config.jsonRemote servers are added as custom connectors in Settings, not in the config file. | macOS, Windows |
| Cursor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Yes | YesInstall deeplinks | mcp.json | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| VS Code | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | YesAs slash commands | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yesvscode: install links | mcp.jsonMCP runs in GitHub Copilot Chat agent mode. | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Goose | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Yes | YesVia /prompts in the CLI | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Yesgoose:// extension links | config.yaml | macOS, Linux, Windows |
Last reviewed from official docs and changelogs. Unknown means we could not confirm it, not that it is missing.
What each capability means
Servers can only use the features your client implements, so check this before picking a server.
Transport
- Local servers (stdio)
- The client starts the server as a local process and talks to it over standard input and output. Most open-source servers ship this way, through npx, uvx, or Docker.
- Remote servers (Streamable HTTP)
- The client connects to a hosted server by URL over the current MCP HTTP transport. Nothing runs on your machine, so this is the only shape web and mobile clients can use.
- Remote servers (legacy SSE)
- The older HTTP + Server-Sent Events transport that Streamable HTTP replaced in the 2025-03-26 spec. Some hosted servers still only offer an /sse endpoint.
Auth
- OAuth for remote servers
- The client runs the MCP authorization flow: it discovers the server's OAuth metadata, opens a browser sign-in, and stores the token. Without it you paste an API key into a header, if the server allows that.
Server features
- Tools
- Functions the model can call, such as search_issues or run_query. Every MCP client supports tools; they are the reason most servers exist.
- Resources
- Read-only data the server exposes by URI, such as files, records, or schemas, which you or the client attach as context. Support varies more than for tools.
- Prompts
- Reusable prompt templates the server publishes. Clients usually surface them as slash commands or a menu you pick from.
Client features
- Sampling
- Lets a server ask the client's model for a completion, with the user approving the request. Servers use it to summarize or classify without their own API key.
- Roots
- The client tells the server which folders or URIs it may work in, usually the open project. File and code servers use it to stay in scope.
- Elicitation
- Lets a server pause and ask the user for structured input, such as a confirmation or a missing field, through a form the client renders. Added in the 2025-06-18 spec.
Install
- One-click install
- An install link, deeplink, extension bundle, or built-in marketplace that adds a server without editing a config file by hand.
MCP client questions
Which AI clients support remote MCP servers?
Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Cline, ChatGPT, Goose, and Continue connect to remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP, so you install a hosted server by pasting its URL. ChatGPT only supports remote servers. Browse remote MCP servers to find ones that need no local install.
Which MCP clients support OAuth for remote servers?
Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, and ChatGPT run the MCP OAuth flow: they open a browser sign-in for the server and store the token for you. Where the table says Unknown we could not confirm it from the client's docs. Without OAuth you can still use servers that accept an API key in a header. The remote directory can filter servers by the authentication they use.
Can ChatGPT use local MCP servers?
Not directly. ChatGPT cannot start a process on your computer, so stdio servers that install with npx, uvx, or Docker do not work in it. Pick a server with a hosted endpoint instead, or run the local server behind an HTTP bridge you host yourself.
Which MCP clients support resources and prompts?
Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Goose, and Continue support both. Prompts usually show up as slash commands and resources as attachable context. Tools are the one feature every client supports, so a server that only exposes tools works everywhere.
What is the difference between Streamable HTTP and SSE?
Both carry MCP over the network. SSE was the original remote transport and needed two endpoints. Streamable HTTP replaced it in the 2025-03-26 spec with a single endpoint that can still stream. Most clients speak both, so a server that only offers an /sse URL still works, but new servers should use Streamable HTTP.
Which clients support sampling and elicitation?
VS Code supports sampling. Cursor and VS Code support elicitation. Both are newer, client-side parts of the spec, so check the client before you build a server that depends on them.
How current is this comparison?
We last reviewed every client in Nov 2026 against its official docs and changelog. MCP clients ship often, so a value can change between reviews. Unknown means we could not confirm it either way, not that the feature is missing. Each client guide links to the official docs.