This article is part of our MCP Guide: what the Model Context Protocol is, how to use it safely, and how to choose servers, tools and help. Want a second opinion on your setup? Request a free MCP readiness review.
Most major AI apps now support the Model Context Protocol (MCP) in some form. As of October 2026, that includes Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot (through Copilot Studio and Microsoft 365 Copilot agents), Google's Gemini CLI and Gemini Enterprise, and coding tools such as VS Code with GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Zed and Claude Code.
"Supports MCP" can mean very different things, though. Some apps let any user paste in a server URL. Others need an admin, a developer toolkit or a paid business plan. Some support only MCP tools, while others also handle prompts, resources and interactive MCP Apps.
This guide sums up each vendor's own documentation, checked on 28 October 2026. If MCP is new to you, read how MCP works first.
Key Takeaways
- An app that supports MCP is called an MCP client or host; it connects to MCP servers that expose tools and data.
- Claude, ChatGPT, VS Code, Cursor, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Zed and Microsoft's Copilot products all document MCP support.
- Google's consumer Gemini app now lets US users aged 18 and over with personal Google Accounts add custom MCP servers, per Google's help article. Google also documents MCP in Gemini CLI and Gemini Enterprise.
- Support levels differ: some apps only use MCP tools, and few support every feature in the spec.
- Business deployments often need an admin to allow a server first, which is a useful security control.
- The interactive MCP Apps extension is supported by Claude, ChatGPT, VS Code GitHub Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot and Cursor, among others.
What "MCP support" means
In MCP terms, the AI app is the host. Inside it runs an MCP client that talks to each server. A server is a small program or web service that gives the AI access to a tool, such as your CRM, analytics or files. Our MCP server explainer covers servers in more detail.
When you compare apps, check four things:
- Local or remote servers. Local servers run on your computer (often called "stdio"). Remote servers run on the web and are reached by URL.
- Which features work. The core features are tools (actions), resources (data to read) and prompts (saved templates).
- Who can add servers. Any user, an admin only, or a developer with a toolkit.
- Extensions. Optional add-ons such as MCP Apps (interactive UI) and Tasks (long-running jobs). See MCP extensions explained.
Quick comparison
| App | How you add MCP servers | Notes from the vendor's docs |
|---|---|---|
| Claude (web, desktop, mobile) | Custom connector by URL, Anthropic's directory, or plugins | Remote servers in all Claude apps; local servers via desktop extensions |
| Claude Code | claude mcp add command or .mcp.json file | stdio, HTTP and SSE (deprecated); admin-managed settings |
| ChatGPT | ChatGPT Plugins > "Add custom MCP server" | Public HTTPS endpoint or a Secure MCP Tunnel |
| Gemini CLI | settings.json or gemini mcp add | stdio, SSE and Streamable HTTP; tools, prompts, resources |
| Gemini Enterprise | Admin creates a Custom MCP Server data store | Streamable HTTP only; tools off by default |
| Microsoft Copilot Studio | MCP onboarding wizard | Supports MCP tools and resources |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | Declarative agent plugin via Agents Toolkit | Remote servers; OAuth or Entra SSO |
| VS Code (GitHub Copilot) | MCP server gallery or config | stdio and HTTP; tools, resources, prompts, MCP Apps (experimental) |
| Cursor | mcp.json or Cursor Marketplace | stdio, SSE, Streamable HTTP; tools, prompts, resources, roots, elicitation, Apps |
| Windsurf / Devin Desktop | mcp_config.json | stdio, Streamable HTTP, SSE; 100-tool limit |
| Zed | Settings > AI > MCP Servers, or extensions | Tools and prompts; resources not listed |
Claude
Anthropic built MCP, so Claude has broad support. According to Anthropic's guide to building MCP servers for Claude, Claude connects to remote servers from claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Claude mobile, Cowork and Claude Code. A local server can be packaged for the desktop app as a desktop extension.
A user or organization Owner can add a server as a custom connector by URL, with no Anthropic review. Servers can also be listed in Anthropic's reviewed directory or bundled inside a plugin.
Servers can expose tools, prompts and resources to Claude. The same page says Claude does not yet support resource subscriptions or sampling. Hosted apps allow about 150,000 characters per tool result and 240 seconds per tool call.
Claude Code
Claude Code is Anthropic's coding agent for the terminal. Its MCP documentation recommends HTTP for remote servers, supports local stdio servers, and marks SSE as deprecated. Servers can be scoped to one project, shared with a team through a .mcp.json file, or set for one user.
For companies, Claude Code supports admin-managed MCP settings, including allowlists and denylists. For help rolling it out, our Claude Code development team sets up Claude Code for businesses.
ChatGPT
OpenAI supports MCP in ChatGPT, Codex and its API. Its guide to connecting an MCP server to ChatGPT describes the flow: open ChatGPT Plugins, choose "Add custom MCP server," enter a URL or tunnel, set up authentication, accept a risk warning, then create the plugin.
The connection can be a public HTTPS endpoint or a Secure MCP Tunnel. OpenAI's docs say account and workspace policies apply. OpenAI's custom MCP server help article says custom servers and full MCP are for ChatGPT Business and Enterprise/Edu on the web, and Pro users can connect servers with read/fetch permissions only, as of October 2026. It adds that you don't need to turn on Developer Mode first.
On the developer side, OpenAI's MCP docs show remote MCP servers used as a tool type in the Responses API. They also say ChatGPT deep research and company knowledge work with servers that implement search and fetch tools.
Google Gemini
Google's MCP support depends on which Gemini product you mean.
Gemini CLI. The Gemini CLI MCP docs describe full support for stdio, SSE and Streamable HTTP servers, with tools, prompts and resources. OAuth is supported for remote servers. The same page notes that Gemini CLI was replaced by Antigravity CLI on 18 June 2026 for unpaid tier and Google One users.
Gemini Enterprise. Admins can connect a custom MCP server as a data store. Google's custom MCP server setup guide says it supports only the Streamable HTTP transport. By default, no tools from the server are enabled until an admin turns them on.
Consumer Gemini app. Google's custom apps help article says you can add a custom app by its MCP server URL in the Gemini web app, as of October 2026. You must be 18 or over, in the US, signed in with a personal Google Account, with Keep Activity on. The feature is English only and isn't available on work or school accounts, so Gemini Enterprise is still the documented route for teams.
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft has several Copilot products, and MCP reaches them in different ways.
Copilot Studio. The Copilot Studio MCP guide says agents can connect to MCP servers through an onboarding wizard. It "currently supports MCP tools and resources," and generative orchestration must be turned on.
Microsoft 365 Copilot. Developers can wrap a remote MCP server as a plugin for a declarative agent using the Microsoft 365 Agents Toolkit. Authentication can use OAuth or Microsoft Entra single sign-on. Tools are discovered at runtime by default, and MCP Apps widgets can render inline.
VS Code with GitHub Copilot. The VS Code MCP docs cover local stdio and remote HTTP servers. You can use tools, attach resources and run prompts as slash commands. MCP Apps support is marked experimental. VS Code also has an MCP server gallery in preview, and organizations can restrict which servers are available.
Coding editors
Cursor
Cursor's MCP docs list support for tools, prompts, resources, roots, elicitation and the Apps extension. That is one of the broadest feature lists among the apps we checked. Cursor supports stdio, SSE and Streamable HTTP, with OAuth for remote servers. Servers can be set per project or globally in mcp.json.
Windsurf (now documented under Devin)
Windsurf's MCP documentation URL now redirects to Devin's Cascade MCP docs, which describe the product as Devin Desktop. The Cascade agent supports stdio, Streamable HTTP and SSE, with tools, resources and prompts. Cascade can access 100 tools at a time.
Team and Enterprise admins can allowlist approved servers, which blocks all others.
Zed
Zed's MCP docs say it supports MCP tools and prompts, with local and remote servers. Resources are not listed as supported.
Which apps support MCP Apps and other extensions
Extensions are optional add-ons to the core protocol. The official extension support matrix is maintained by the community. On 28 October 2026, it marked these clients as supporting MCP Apps: Claude (web), Claude Desktop, VS Code GitHub Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Goose, Postman, MCPJam, ChatGPT, Cursor, Archestra.AI, PostHog Code and Kiro Crew.
The same matrix marks Tasks support for Claude (web), Claude Code and MCPJam. Skills support is still early: ChatGPT is marked "Partial," and the mcpc command-line client is marked as supported.
How to choose
Pick the app your team already uses, then check three things:
- Can it reach your server? Most business apps need a remote server over HTTPS. Local-only servers suit coding tools.
- Can your admin control it? Look for allowlists, admin-only setup and audit logs. This matters more than feature count. Our guide to MCP governance for IT leaders covers what to ask for.
- Does it support the features your server uses? A server built around resources will do less in an app that only uses tools.
Next step
This page answers "does it support MCP?" For a ranked comparison with pricing, pros and cons, see our list of the best AI apps that support MCP.
Frequently asked questions
Does ChatGPT support MCP?
Yes. OpenAI's docs describe adding a custom MCP server in ChatGPT Plugins using a public HTTPS URL or a Secure MCP Tunnel. Developers can also call remote MCP servers from OpenAI's Responses API. Plan and workspace policies apply, so check your account settings.
Does Gemini support MCP?
Gemini CLI and Gemini Enterprise both document MCP support. Gemini Enterprise connects to custom MCP servers through an admin-created data store and supports Streamable HTTP only. The consumer Gemini app also accepts custom MCP servers for US users aged 18 and over with personal Google Accounts, added in the web app, as of October 2026.
Does Microsoft Copilot support MCP?
Yes, through specific products. Copilot Studio supports MCP tools and resources, Microsoft 365 Copilot declarative agents can use remote MCP servers as plugins, and VS Code with GitHub Copilot supports MCP servers directly.
Can I use the same MCP server in several AI apps?
Usually, yes. That is the main point of MCP. A remote server using Streamable HTTP and standard OAuth will work with most clients, though each app has its own limits on transports, features and authentication.
Do I need to be a developer to connect an MCP server?
Not always. Claude and ChatGPT let users add a server by URL, and Cursor offers one-click installs from its marketplace. Enterprise products like Gemini Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot usually need an admin or developer.
