MCP server directories and registries
Where developers look for MCP servers to add to Claude, Cursor and other AI apps, and how each one takes a new server.
MCP Registries you can submit to
6 shown, more in the catalog
| Platform | Authority | What it is | Playbook | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR 97 | Docker's catalog of MCP servers, added through its public registry repository on GitHub. | In testing | Run in Claude | |
| DR 75 | A large directory of MCP servers, with an Add Server option. | In testing | Run in Claude | |
| DR 74 | MCP servers listed for LobeHub's AI chat app and its users. | In testing | Run in Claude | |
| DR 71 | MCP servers and rules for Cursor users. | In testing | Run in Claude | |
| DR 61 | A directory of MCP servers, with a free queue and a paid fast lane. | In testing | Run in Claude | |
| DR 39 | A registry and gateway for MCP servers, hosted or local. | In testing | Run in Claude |
Also worth knowing
Well-known names we haven't tested yet, so there's no playbook for them. Submit to these yourself.
- MCP Registry The official registry, run by the MCP project. Published with its own CLI.
- PulseMCP An MCP directory and weekly newsletter.
- Awesome MCP Servers The best-known community list on GitHub, added to by pull request.
- mcp.so A searchable directory of community MCP servers.
How to get listed on each MCP registry
Each one takes servers differently: a CLI, a URL, a form or a pull request. Here's what each asks for, from its own pages.
MCP Registry (official)
The MCP project's registry of public servers. It hosts metadata only; the package stays on npm, PyPI or wherever you publish it.
How to get listed: Install the mcp-publisher CLI, run mcp-publisher init to create a server.json, sign in with mcp-publisher login (a GitHub sign-in gives names starting io.github.your-username/, or verify a domain by DNS), then mcp-publisher publish.
PulseMCP
An MCP server directory with a weekly newsletter.
How to get listed: New submissions are paused for now. PulseMCP asks you to publish to the official MCP Registry instead and says it will pick the server up from there once it reopens.
Smithery
A registry and gateway: people find a server there and connect through Smithery.
How to get listed: Go to smithery.ai/new and enter your server's public HTTPS URL (it needs Streamable HTTP), or publish a .mcpb bundle for a local server. No GitHub repository is needed for a hosted one.
MCP Market
A directory of MCP servers browsed by developers.
How to get listed: Its submit form asks for the server's GitHub repository URL. The free queue takes about 4 to 6 weeks; a one-time $29 lists it within 24 hours.
Awesome MCP Servers
A long community list of MCP servers on GitHub.
How to get listed: Open a pull request adding one line to README.md, in the right category and in alphabetical order. It only takes servers with a public GitHub repository that you install and run yourself, so a hosted-only server doesn't qualify.
Why list an MCP server in more than one place
Each AI app and each registry has its own audience. Several of them also read the official registry, so publishing there first does part of the work.
The official registry first
The MCP Registry holds metadata for public servers, and other directories can pick servers up from it. PulseMCP says it does.
Repository or hosted
Some take a public GitHub repository, others a hosted server's HTTPS URL. A remote-only server can't go on the lists that want a repo.
Found where it's installed
Developers browse these lists from the tools they use, so a listing sits one step from someone adding your server.
Explore other distribution channels
AI Engine Directories
Directories where people browse for AI tools, and that AI search tools often cite. Each one here has a playbook tested on a real submission.
Launch Platforms
Where early users look for new products. Launch on a few of them over some weeks, rather than all on one day.
Developer Ecosystems
Where developers and software buyers compare tools and look for alternatives.
Startup Databases
Investors, journalists and search engines look new companies up in a handful of databases. Here are the ones that matter, and how to get your profile onto each.
High-DR Directories
The strongest domains in our catalog that still take new products. DR is Ahrefs' Domain Rating, read from Ahrefs, never guessed.
All directories
The directory index: every category, the names you'd know, and how the rest open with a Launch or Pro.
Frequently asked questions
A list of MCP servers that developers browse to find one to add to their AI app. The official MCP Registry holds metadata about public servers; directories like Smithery, Glama and MCP Market add search, pages and install instructions on top.