MCP Servers

GitHub MCP Server

Name: GitHub MCP Server
Author: GitHub

by GitHub

Give a compatible assistant structured access to repositories, issues and pull requests.

Visit GitHub ↗

Our verdict

Source reviewedReviewed 18 Oct 2026 by Enterprise DNA editorial

Give a compatible assistant structured access to repositories, issues and pull requests.

Best for: Teams that want their assistant to work with GitHub context.

Choose something else if: you do not need repository access or cannot grant the required permissions.

Source review

Using GitHub MCP Server in practice

Where it runs

GitHub-hosted remote server or a local deployment.

How to install

Choose the documented setup for your MCP host and limit permissions to the task.

What it costs

Check host, account and connected model costs.

Prices and plans change. Check the linked sources before committing.

Why consider it

Maintained by GitHub with remote and local options.
Supports repository, issue and pull-request operations.

What to watch for

Available actions depend on host support and account permissions.
Write access needs deliberate configuration.

A first task to try

Connect with the smallest permissions available and ask for a summary of open issues in a public test repository.

Suggested exercise, not an installation test. We reviewed the linked documentation; no host compatibility is implied.

Other options to understand

Related tools can solve different parts of the same job. Compare fit before treating them as replacements.

Fetch MCP ServerReading a known public URL without a full browser session.Filesystem MCP ServerWorking with a small local folder through an assistant that supports MCP.Playwright MCPBuilders inspecting and testing a web interface with an assistant.

Compare with another tool →Explore code ↗Explore connections ↗

Key facts

What we have checked

Days since the last commit: 0; Checked 9 Nov 2026GitHub
GitHub forks: 5,313; Checked 9 Nov 2026GitHub
GitHub stars: 34,348; Checked 9 Nov 2026GitHub
Open issues: 226; Checked 9 Nov 2026GitHub
Releases in the last 90 days: 13; Checked 9 Nov 2026GitHub

Each value shows when we last confirmed it and where it came from. Values we have not confirmed are left out, never guessed.

Install

Add GitHub MCP Server to your client

Not verified yet

Our lab has not run this server yet. "Config checked" on a client means the recipe matches that client's documented config format; it does not mean we ran it.

Claude Code

Config checked

Run in your terminal (remote server)

claude mcp add --transport http github-mcp-server https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/

Version 2.0.3 · From the Official MCP registry, read 24 Oct 2026 · Format checked against Claude Code's config docs

Claude Desktop

Config checked

Add to claude_desktop_config.json (runs on your computer)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-mcp-server": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-p",
        "127.0.0.1:8085:8085",
        "-e",
        "GITHUB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PORT=8085",
        "-e",
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=YOUR_TOKEN",
        "ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server:2.0.3"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Version 2.0.3 · From the Official MCP registry, read 24 Oct 2026 · Format checked against Claude Desktop's config docs

Cursor

Config checked

Add to .cursor/mcp.json (remote server)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/"
    }
  }
}

Version 2.0.3 · From the Official MCP registry, read 24 Oct 2026 · Format checked against Cursor's config docs

VS Code

Config checked

Add to .vscode/mcp.json (remote server)

{
  "servers": {
    "github-mcp-server": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/"
    }
  }
}

Version 2.0.3 · From the Official MCP registry, read 24 Oct 2026 · Format checked against VS Code's config docs

Codex

Config checked

Add to ~/.codex/config.toml (remote server)

[mcp_servers.github-mcp-server]
url = "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/"

Version 2.0.3 · From the Official MCP registry, read 24 Oct 2026 · Format checked against Codex's config docs

ChatGPT

Config checked

Fill in the Add custom MCP server form (remote server)

Where: ChatGPT Plugins > + > Add custom MCP server
Name: GitHub
Description: Connect AI assistants to GitHub - manage repos, issues, PRs, and workflows through natural language.
Connection: Public endpoint
MCP server URL: https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/

Version 2.0.3 · From the Official MCP registry, read 24 Oct 2026 · Format checked against ChatGPT's config docs

Recipes come from the server's entry in the official MCP registry. Check the package name before you run it, and keep keys out of shared files.

Works with

What GitHub MCP Server connects to

1 product and 6 clients, each with how we know and when we checked.

Works with	Type	How we know	Checked
GitHub	Product	Its repo belongs to the product's GitHub organisationGitHub org github	24 Oct 2026GitHub
Claude Code	Client	Install recipe matches the client's documented formatRemote server, version 2.0.3Config checked	24 Oct 2026Claude Code docs
Claude Desktop	Client	Install recipe matches the client's documented formatRuns locally, version 2.0.3Config checked	24 Oct 2026Claude Desktop docs
Cursor	Client	Install recipe matches the client's documented formatRemote server, version 2.0.3Config checked	24 Oct 2026Cursor docs
VS Code	Client	Install recipe matches the client's documented formatRemote server, version 2.0.3Config checked	24 Oct 2026VS Code docs
Codex	Client	Install recipe matches the client's documented formatRemote server, version 2.0.3Config checked	24 Oct 2026Codex docs
ChatGPT	Client	Install recipe matches the client's documented formatRemote server, version 2.0.3Config checked	24 Oct 2026ChatGPT docs

Stars and usage

How GitHub MCP Server is growing

GitHub stars

34,032 to 34,348

stars. 28 Oct 2026 to 9 Nov 2026, 3 readings.

Source: GitHub. Checked 9 Nov 2026.

Health and security

Is GitHub MCP Server looked after, and what do its setup files show

Health score

100 out of 100

Does someone look after this repository? It does not say the code is good or safe. Worked out from GitHub signals checked 9 Nov 2026. How it is worked out

Part	Points	What we saw
Recent activity	30 of 30	Last push 0 days ago
Releases	15 of 15	13 releases in 90 days
Issue replies	Not counted	The latest check has no issue response reading (fewer than 3 measured issues, or issues switched off)
Maintainer	15 of 15	Owned by an organisation
Official source	20 of 20	Official server

Sources

Where this comes from

GitHubRegistry
Checked 9 Nov 2026 · Days since the last commit, GitHub forks, GitHub stars, Open issues, Releases in the last 90 days
Official repository and host-specific setupOur review
Checked 18 Oct 2026 · Source review

A source shows what was published when we checked it. It does not certify security, performance or a working installation. Read our method.

Changelog

What changed

No changes recorded yet. Releases, price changes and deprecations appear here, with their dates, once we track them for this record.

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