If you want an AI to manage issues, review PRs and search code, you need a GitHub MCP server. In 2026 the answer is mostly settled — but the right deployment depends on your setup. Here is the rundown.
The pick: GitHub's official server
GitHub maintains the official, Go-based github/github-mcp-server (v1.0.0, 2026). It is the most complete and best-maintained option, and it replaced the old @modelcontextprotocol/server-github npm package, which is now archived. Use one of two deployments:
- Remote server — hosted by GitHub at
https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp, with OAuth or token auth. Zero install; best for most users. - Local Docker — run
ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-serveryourself. Best for air-gapped or fully self-hosted setups.
Full configs for Claude, Cursor and Windsurf are in GitHub MCP server setup.
When to consider alternatives
- Git (local) server — if you only need local history, diffs and blame and do not want to touch the GitHub API, a plain Git MCP server is lighter.
- GitLab / Bitbucket — not GitHub, but the same idea; use the vendor's own server.
For most teams, though, the official GitHub server is the right default — first-party trust and the broadest tool coverage.
Scope it safely
The biggest decision is the token. Use a fine-grained PAT with only the scopes you need — start read-only (Contents, Issues, Pull requests) and add write scopes only when you want the agent to open PRs. Never grant org-admin scopes to an AI tool. See MCP security best practices.
Watch the tool count
The GitHub server exposes a lot of tools, and Cursor caps at ~40. Use the server's toolset flags to enable only what you need — otherwise other servers get crowded out. See Cursor MCP not working.
Going further
Pair GitHub with filesystem and memory for a full coding stack — see best MCP servers for Cursor or the developer tools category.