Can I MCP It?
Compare Model Context Protocol support, transports (Stdio vs SSE), sampling capabilities, and configuration paths across all major AI hosts and developer IDEs.
| Client / Host | Config File | Stdio | SSE / HTTP | Tools | Resources | Prompts | Sampling | Hot Reload | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Claude DesktopDesktop App by Anthropic | claude_desktop_config.json | ||||||||
CursorCode Editor by Anysphere | mcp.json | ||||||||
Windsurf (Cascade)Code Editor by Codeium | mcp_config.json | ||||||||
Cline / Roo CodeExtension by Open Source | cline_mcp_settings.json | ||||||||
OpenAI Codex CLICLI Tool by OpenAI / Community | config.toml | ||||||||
AntigravityIDE / Platform by Google DeepMind | mcp_config.json | ||||||||
Zed EditorCode Editor by Zed Industries | settings.json | ||||||||
LangChain / LangGraphPython / TS SDK by LangChain | Programmatic |
Model Context Protocol Capability Guide
Spawns and communicates with local subprocesses over stdin/stdout.
Connects to remote, containerized, or cloud-hosted MCP servers over Server-Sent Events.
Allows the AI model to autonomously invoke tools, execute queries, and inspect results.
Exposes static and dynamic data (files, schemas, tables) as read-only context URIs.
Enables servers to register slash command prompt templates with interactive parameters.
Notifies servers of workspace folder boundaries for safe file operations.
Reloads servers without terminating the client application or losing active session state.
MCP Client Compatibility FAQ
Which AI clients support Model Context Protocol (MCP)?
Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline (VS Code), OpenAI Codex CLI, Google Antigravity, Zed, and LangChain/LangGraph all support Model Context Protocol.
Does Cursor support MCP tools?
Yes, Cursor supports stdio and SSE MCP transports, allowing Composer and Chat agents to autonomously call tools and inspect resource URIs.
What is the difference between stdio and SSE transport in MCP?
Stdio spawns local subprocesses via stdin/stdout on your local machine, whereas SSE (Server-Sent Events) connects to remote or cloud-hosted MCP servers over HTTP.
What is MCP sampling?
Sampling allows an MCP server to request an LLM completion from the host client, enabling recursive sub-agent loops and agentic workflows.