Best MCP Directories and Registries for Finding Servers

The best MCP directory depends on what you need. The official MCP Registry is the source of record for server metadata. Marketplaces like Smithery, Glama and the Docker MCP Catalog add search, ratings or packaging on top.

An MCP directory is a searchable list of MCP servers. An MCP server is the small program that lets an AI app such as Claude or ChatGPT use a tool, like GitHub or your CRM. Directories help you find servers. They do not make a server safe.

We compared eight directories and registries against their own pages and docs on 28 October 2026. Counts and features change often, so treat every number here as "as of October 2026."

How we chose

We only included a directory if it met three tests:

1. Live and public. We could open the site or repo on 28 October 2026 and see real listings.
2. Clear about cost. It publishes pricing, or it is plainly free to browse.
3. Some trust signal. It documents at least one check, such as namespace verification, grades, review before listing, or signed images.

We did not rank by size alone. A bigger list is not a better list if you cannot tell which servers are official. We also did not install servers from these directories as part of this review. Every claim below comes from the vendor's own page, linked inline.

Comparison table

1. Official MCP Registry: the source of record for public server metadata

What it is. The MCP Registry docs call it "the official centralized metadata repository for publicly accessible MCP servers." It is backed by contributors including Anthropic, GitHub, PulseMCP and Microsoft. It stores a server.json record for each server: the name, where to get it (for example an npm package or a remote URL), and how to run it.

The registry does not host code. Package registries like npm, PyPI and Docker Hub hold the code, and the registry points to them. The docs say the registry "is currently in preview" and that "breaking changes or data resets may occur before general availability." The registry's GitHub repo says the preview launched on 8 September 2025 and froze the v0.1 API on 24 October 2025.

Trust comes from namespaces. A name like io.github.username/server requires a GitHub login as that user. A name like com.example/server requires proof that you control the domain. The registry does not scan code. Its docs say it "delegates security scanning" to package registries and downstream aggregators.

Best for: MCP server owners who need to publish once, and teams building their own internal catalog on top of the official data.

Pricing: Free. The public API answered without a key when we queried it on 28 October 2026.

Pros

• Verified namespaces tie a server name to a real GitHub account or domain.
• One standard server.json format that other directories can read.
• An OpenAPI spec other registries can implement, including private ones.

Cons

• Still in preview, so data resets are possible before general availability.
• It is "deliberately unopinionated," with no ratings, reviews or security scores.

Checked against: MCP Registry docs on 28 October 2026.

The registry is meant mainly for other directories to consume, not for end users browsing. Our MCP Registry explainer covers how listings, namespaces and versions work in more detail.

2. GitHub MCP Registry: curated servers inside GitHub

What it is. GitHub's MCP Registry page lists "servers and tools from the community that connect models to files, APIs, databases, and more." Each entry shows the publisher and an Install button. On 28 October 2026 it showed 647 servers across 22 pages, including Markitdown and Playwright from Microsoft, GitHub's own server, and Context7 from Upstash.

The page does not explain how a server gets listed. It is a much shorter list than the open directories, and the entries we saw were mostly from well-known publishers.

Best for: Developers who already work in GitHub and VS Code and want well-known servers with a clear publisher name.

Pricing: Free to browse. No pricing is shown on the page.

Pros

• Publisher is shown on every listing, so you can spot official servers fast.
• Short list, which means less noise than open directories.
• Install buttons cut setup time for supported editors.

Cons

• The page does not document its listing or review process.
• Far smaller coverage, so niche or business-specific servers may be missing.

Checked against: GitHub MCP Registry on 28 October 2026.

3. Docker MCP Catalog: containerized servers with provenance data

What it is. Docker's docs describe the catalog as "a curated collection of verified MCP servers, packaged as Docker images and distributed through Docker Hub." Each server runs in its own container. The docs refer to "300+ servers" in the catalog.

Docker says "all servers are versioned with full provenance and SBOM metadata." An SBOM (software bill of materials) is a list of every component inside a package. Docker also says it "builds and signs all local servers in the catalog." The catalog includes partner tools, such as New Relic, Stripe and Grafana, and remote services such as GitHub, Notion and Linear.

You can browse at hub.docker.com/mcp or inside Docker Desktop's MCP Toolkit. Companies can also import custom catalogs to restrict which servers staff can use.

Best for: IT and engineering teams that want servers isolated in containers and a way to limit the approved list.

Pricing: Free to browse. The catalog docs do not list a price.

Pros

• Signed, Docker-built images for local servers.
• Provenance and SBOM data on every server, per Docker.
• Custom catalogs let you publish an approved list for your company.

Cons

• Much smaller than open directories like Glama or Smithery.
• Works best if your team already runs Docker Desktop.

Checked against: Docker MCP Catalog docs on 28 October 2026.

4. Smithery: a public directory, now part of Arcade

What it is. Smithery links to "27,365+ MCPs" from its homepage. Its change notice says that on 31 October 2026 it shuts down its "connection management services." After that, smithery.ai stays as "a public directory of MCP servers, now powered by Arcade.dev." Verified servers will show the vendor's direct MCP URL. Smithery's cofounder now signs as part of Arcade; see our Arcade.dev profile.

The same notice lists what stops working on 31 October: server URLs on run.tools and server.smithery.ai, the Smithery API, Connect and Toolbox, Smithery accounts and API keys, and the Smithery CLI and SDKs. That means the managed OAuth, hosted connections and CLI installs that older guides describe are ending.

Best for: Browsing and searching servers, then connecting to each vendor's official URL yourself.

Pricing: Free to browse. Smithery says it is refunding every paid-plan charge since 5 August 2026 and cancelling subscriptions, so there is no paid plan to buy.

Pros

• Large catalog with usage counts on listings.
• Verified listings will point to the vendor's own MCP URL.
• Free to browse.

Cons

• The proxy, accounts, API, CLI and SDKs end on 31 October 2026, so older setup guides that use Smithery URLs will break.
• Usage counts show popularity, not security.

Checked against: Smithery homepage and Smithery's change notice on 28 October 2026.

5. Glama: the largest list we found, with quality grades

What it is. Glama's MCP directory read "111,635 servers. Updated 2026-10-28 20:23" when we opened it. You can filter by language, hosting type (remote, local or hybrid), capability, category and author status. On that day it marked 7,270 servers as "Official" and 9,068 as "Claimed."

Each listing shows letter grades for license, quality and maintenance. You can sort by recent usage, npm and PyPI downloads, or GitHub stars. Glama also offers a directory API. We found that the API requires a key, and its terms require visible attribution to Glama.

Best for: Researchers and teams comparing many servers in one category, or vendors checking how their listing looks.

Pricing: Free to browse. The pricing page we opened did not list prices for the directory. The directory API needs an API key.

Pros

• The largest count we saw on 28 October 2026.
• "Official" and "Claimed" filters help you skip unofficial copies.
• License, quality and maintenance grades on each listing.

Cons

• No separate security score on the listing page we opened.
• A list this large includes many duplicates and hobby projects, so filtering is essential.

Checked against: Glama MCP servers on 28 October 2026.

6. PulseMCP: a curated hub with clients and news

What it is. PulseMCP describes itself as "Everything MCP: servers, clients, use cases, tools, and The Agentic Loop newsletter." It is run by Tadas Antanavicius, listed as an "Active member of the MCP Steering Committee," and Mike Coughlin. The official registry docs name PulseMCP as one of the registry's backers.

There is one caveat today. The site says "new server submissions and listing changes are still paused" while listings are reworked.

Best for: Business and marketing leads who want a readable overview of servers, apps that support MCP, and weekly news.

Pricing: Free to browse. No pricing is shown.

Pros

• Lists MCP clients (the apps that connect to servers), not just servers.
• Run by people active in MCP governance.
• Newsletter helps non-developers keep up.

Cons

• Submissions and listing changes are paused as of October 2026.
• The homepage shows no server count, so coverage is hard to judge.

Checked against: PulseMCP on 28 October 2026.

7. mcp.so: community directory with setup guides

What it is. mcp.so calls itself "a community-driven platform that collects and organizes third-party MCP Servers." It also lists clients, remote servers, CLI tools and agent skills, with setup guides for each. You submit by entering a repo or server URL, and the FAQ says "listings go live after review."

Best for: Quick searches by category, such as developer tools or databases, with setup steps on the same page.

Pricing: Free to browse. No pricing is shown.

Pros

• Setup guides on each listing.
• Rankings, new arrivals and a feed help you spot trends.
• Listings are reviewed before they go live.

Cons

• No total count, so coverage is unclear.
• The review process is not described in detail.

Checked against: mcp.so on 28 October 2026.

8. awesome-mcp-servers: the long-running GitHub list

What it is. awesome-mcp-servers is a public GitHub repo described as "A collection of MCP servers." On 28 October 2026 it had about 97,000 stars and 18,700 forks. It is MIT licensed, translated into several languages, and links to Glama's directory.

Best for: Developers who want a plain text list they can search, fork or copy into an internal wiki.

Pricing: Free and open source (MIT).

Pros

• Simple format that works offline and in any editor.
• Open history, so you can see when entries changed.
• Very widely followed on GitHub.

Cons

• No grades, verification or security checks on entries.
• A long flat list is slower to scan than a filtered directory.

Checked against: awesome-mcp-servers on GitHub on 28 October 2026.

What directories do not do for you

No directory on this list promises that a server is safe. The official registry says so directly. It checks who owns a name, then relies on npm, PyPI, Docker Hub and marketplaces for code scanning.

That leaves you with a few checks before you connect any server:

• Confirm the publisher. Prefer servers from the company that owns the product, such as GitHub's own GitHub server. Glama's "Official" filter and GitHub's publisher labels help.
• Prefer remote servers with OAuth for business data. OAuth lets you sign in and grant limited access instead of pasting a long-lived key.
• Check maintenance. Look at recent releases and open issues.
• Scan before you trust. Open-source scanners can check tool descriptions for hidden instructions. See our list of MCP security tools.

Our checklist for choosing MCP servers walks through these steps in order.

A note for MCP vendors

If you sell an MCP server, the directories above are distribution channels. Publish to the official registry first, because aggregators pull from it. The docs expect aggregators to sync "on a regular but infrequent basis (for example, once per hour)."

Then claim your listings on the larger marketplaces so your company name shows as the publisher. Our guide on how to market an MCP server covers registry metadata, directory listings, SEO and GEO. eSEOspace also offers MCP marketing for vendors.

Next step

Start with how the official registry works, because every other directory builds on it. Read What Is the MCP Registry and How Do Listings Work? next, or browse the full MCP Guide.

Frequently asked questions