GitHub MCP Server vs Jira MCP Server

Updated June 2026

Compare these two MCP servers to find which one fits your needs best.

GitHub MCP Server

by GitHub

✓ Official
Jira MCP Server

by Atlassian

✓ Official
Description
authenticated access to the whole GitHub platform — repositories, files, branches, issues, pull requests, Actions runs, security alerts, discussions and notifications — from Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Copilot CLI and any other MCP host. There is no npm package for this server, and that trips up most people who try to install it: `@github/mcp-server` is not published to the npm registry, so any `npx` line you find for it will fail. GitHub ships it three other ways. The easiest is the hosted remote server at https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/, which needs no install at all — point an HTTP-transport MCP client at that URL and log in with OAuth (VS Code 1.101+, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and Windsurf all support this). The second is the official Docker image ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server, which is what the copy-paste command on this page runs; on github.com it now performs a browser-based OAuth login on first use and keeps the token in memory only, which is why the published Docker configs map a fixed loopback callback port (-p 127.0.0.1:8085:8085 with GITHUB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PORT=8085) so the container can receive the callback. Prefer a token? Set GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN instead — it takes precedence over OAuth, and the minimum useful scopes are repo, read:org and read:packages. The third is the native Go binary from the repository's releases, which needs no fixed port for the OAuth flow. GitHub Enterprise Server has no hosted option: use the local server with --gh-host or GITHUB_HOST set to your instance (include the https:// scheme — it defaults to http://, which GHES rejects). Toolsets can be narrowed with GITHUB_TOOLSETS, and an insiders channel is available at /mcp/insiders or via the X-MCP-Insiders header.
The Jira MCP server is Atlassian's official Remote MCP Server, giving AI assistants like Claude and Cursor direct, enterprise-grade access to Jira Software project management through natural-language interactions. Powered by Atlassian's Teamwork Graph and hosted on Cloudflare infrastructure, it requires no local process to run — authentication is handled via OAuth 2.1, making it the most secure way to connect AI to Jira in corporate environments. With this MCP server, product managers, engineers, and team leads can ask their AI to create and update Jira issues, transition ticket statuses through workflow stages, search with JQL (Jira Query Language), summarize sprint progress, view open epics and their child issues, retrieve assignee workloads, and bulk-triage backlogs. AI assistants can connect sprints to related Confluence documentation through Atlassian's graph layer, giving richer context for planning and retros. Enterprise customers including AT&T, NVIDIA, and Pfizer use Atlassian's MCP integration in production. Connect from Claude Desktop via Settings > Connectors, or add it to Claude Code with: `claude mcp add --transport http atlassian https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/mcp/authv2`. Cursor and Windsurf users add the remote URL to their MCP config file. No install command needed — it's a fully hosted remote MCP server.
Install Type
docker
remote
Categories
💻 coding🔧 devops
📋 productivity💻 coding
Integrations
🟣 claude-desktop cursor💙 vs-code🏄 windsurf🤖 cline
🟣 claude-desktop cursor💙 vs-code🏄 windsurf🤖 cline

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between GitHub MCP Server and Jira MCP Server?
GitHub MCP Server and Jira MCP Server are both MCP servers but differ in their categories and capabilities. GitHub MCP Server (coding, devops) is authenticated access to the whole GitHub platform — repositories, files, branches, issues, pull requests, Actions runs, security alerts, discussions and notifications — from Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Copilot CLI and any other MCP host. There is no npm package for this server, and that trips up most people who try to install it: `@github/mcp-server` is not published to the npm registry, so any `npx` line you find for it will fail. GitHub ships it three other ways. The easiest is the hosted remote server at https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/, which needs no install at all — point an HTTP-transport MCP client at that URL and log in with OAuth (VS Code 1.101+, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and Windsurf all support this). The second is the official Docker image ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server, which is what the copy-paste command on this page runs; on github.com it now performs a browser-based OAuth login on first use and keeps the token in memory only, which is why the published Docker configs map a fixed loopback callback port (-p 127.0.0.1:8085:8085 with GITHUB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PORT=8085) so the container can receive the callback. Prefer a token? Set GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN instead — it takes precedence over OAuth, and the minimum useful scopes are repo, read:org and read:packages. The third is the native Go binary from the repository's releases, which needs no fixed port for the OAuth flow. GitHub Enterprise Server has no hosted option: use the local server with --gh-host or GITHUB_HOST set to your instance (include the https:// scheme — it defaults to http://, which GHES rejects). Toolsets can be narrowed with GITHUB_TOOLSETS, and an insiders channel is available at /mcp/insiders or via the X-MCP-Insiders header. while Jira MCP Server (productivity, coding) is The Jira MCP server is Atlassian's official Remote MCP Server, giving AI assistants like Claude and Cursor direct, enterprise-grade access to Jira Software project management through natural-language interactions. Powered by Atlassian's Teamwork Graph and hosted on Cloudflare infrastructure, it requires no local process to run — authentication is handled via OAuth 2.1, making it the most secure way to connect AI to Jira in corporate environments. With this MCP server, product managers, engineers, and team leads can ask their AI to create and update Jira issues, transition ticket statuses through workflow stages, search with JQL (Jira Query Language), summarize sprint progress, view open epics and their child issues, retrieve assignee workloads, and bulk-triage backlogs. AI assistants can connect sprints to related Confluence documentation through Atlassian's graph layer, giving richer context for planning and retros. Enterprise customers including AT&T, NVIDIA, and Pfizer use Atlassian's MCP integration in production. Connect from Claude Desktop via Settings > Connectors, or add it to Claude Code with: `claude mcp add --transport http atlassian https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/mcp/authv2`. Cursor and Windsurf users add the remote URL to their MCP config file. No install command needed — it's a fully hosted remote MCP server..
Which MCP server should I choose: GitHub MCP Server or Jira MCP Server?
Choose GitHub MCP Server if you need coding capabilities and prefer docker installation. Choose Jira MCP Server if you need productivity capabilities and prefer remote installation. Consider your specific use case and integration requirements.
Can I use both GitHub MCP Server and Jira MCP Server together?
Yes, you can use multiple MCP servers together in Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients.GitHub MCP Server and Jira MCP Servercan complement each other if their capabilities don't overlap.