---
title: "Remote MCP servers: what they are, how to connect one"
url: "https://conecto.chat/guides/remote-mcp-server"
description: "A remote MCP server runs at a web address, with nothing to install. How it differs from a local one, how to add one to Claude or ChatGPT, and seven to try."
author: "Amelia Cardona Hernandez"
author_url: "https://conecto.chat/guides/authors/amelia-cardona-hernandez"
publisher: "Conecto"
published: 2026-11-10
updated: 2026-11-10
sources_checked: 2026-11-10
standards: "https://conecto.chat/guides/standards"
---

# Remote MCP servers: what they are and how to connect one

A remote MCP server is an MCP server that runs at a web address. Your AI app connects to it over the internet, you sign in once, and nothing is installed on your computer. On November 10, 2026, 67 percent of the 60,115 servers in the official MCP Registry were remote, by our count.

Give this to your agent: `Set up Conecto from https://conecto.chat/SKILL.md, then show me what you can run for our business.`

## What a remote MCP server is

An MCP server gives an AI agent tools it can call. The protocol has two ways to reach one. A local server runs as a program on your own computer and usually serves a single client. A remote server runs on someone else's platform, speaks Streamable HTTP, and typically serves many clients at once.[[1]](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/learn/architecture)

For a business, remote is the simple case. The software maker runs the server, you paste its address into your AI app and sign in, and the same connection works wherever you use that app. If MCP itself is new to you, start with [what an MCP server is](https://conecto.chat/guides/what-is-an-mcp-server).

## Remote and local servers compared

| | Remote server | Local server |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where it runs | At a web address, on the maker's platform | As a program on your own computer |
| How the app reaches it | Streamable HTTP[[1]](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/learn/architecture) | Standard input and output[[1]](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/learn/architecture) |
| Who it serves | Many clients at once[[1]](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/learn/architecture) | Usually one client[[1]](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/learn/architecture) |
| Sign-in | OAuth 2.1 for servers that hold private data,[[2]](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest/basic/authorization) or a key | Whatever the program reads from your machine |
| In Claude | Works on the web, phone, Desktop, Cowork and Claude Code[[10]](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11725091-when-to-use-desktop-and-web-connectors) | Claude Desktop and Claude Code only[[10]](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11725091-when-to-use-desktop-and-web-connectors) |
| Good for | Cloud services you sign in to | Local files, a database on your machine, a desktop app[[10]](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11725091-when-to-use-desktop-and-web-connectors) |

Claude's help center calls remote connectors the default choice and says most connectors are remote.[[10]](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11725091-when-to-use-desktop-and-web-connectors)

## How many MCP servers are remote

We counted the official MCP Registry on November 10, 2026. Of its 60,115 servers, 40,562 list a web address to connect to, which is 67 percent. Almost all of those, 98 percent, use Streamable HTTP, and 1,100 still offer the older SSE transport. The registry is in preview and lists only the servers their makers published there.[[12]](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/registry/about) The full count is on our [statistics page](https://conecto.chat/statistics).

SSE is on its way out. Intercom, for one, labels its SSE addresses legacy and deprecated and recommends Streamable HTTP.[[8]](https://developers.intercom.com/docs/guides/mcp)

## Remote MCP servers you can connect today

These makers publish the address of their own remote server.

| Server | Address | Signs in with |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stripe | `https://mcp.stripe.com` | OAuth, or an agent API key[[3]](https://docs.stripe.com/mcp) |
| PayPal | `https://mcp.paypal.com` | Your PayPal account[[4]](https://developer.paypal.com/ai-tools/mcp-server) |
| Square | `https://mcp.squareup.com/mcp` | Your Square account[[5]](https://developer.squareup.com/docs/mcp) |
| HubSpot | `mcp.hubspot.com` | OAuth through a HubSpot app[[6]](https://developers.hubspot.com/ai-tools/mcp) |
| Asana | `https://mcp.asana.com/v2/mcp` | Your Asana account[[7]](https://developers.asana.com/docs/using-asanas-mcp-server) |
| Intercom | `https://mcp.intercom.com/mcp` in the US, `https://mcp.eu.intercom.com/mcp` in the EU | Your Intercom account[[8]](https://developers.intercom.com/docs/guides/mcp) |
| Conecto (ours) | `https://api.conecto.chat/v1/mcp` | OAuth, or a key[[13]](https://conecto.chat/SKILL.md) |

[The best MCP servers for small business](https://conecto.chat/guides/best-mcp-servers-for-small-business) says what each one can do and what to watch for.

## How to connect a remote MCP server

### In Claude

Custom connectors that use a remote MCP server are available on Claude's Free, Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise plans, and Free accounts are limited to one.[[9]](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp)

1. Go to Customize > Connectors.
2. Click "+ Add", then "Add custom connector".
3. Enter a name and the server's address.
4. Review the sign-in settings Claude detected, and continue.
5. Click Connect and sign in on the maker's own page.[[9]](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp)

On Team and Enterprise plans an owner adds the connector first, and members then find it in the list and connect.[[9]](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp) More on this in [Claude connectors](https://conecto.chat/guides/claude-connectors).

### In ChatGPT

1. Go to Plugins, select the plus button, then Add custom MCP server.
2. Enter a name and the server's public HTTPS address.
3. Set up its sign-in, read the risk warning and tick the box.
4. Select Create as a plugin and review the tools ChatGPT found.[[11]](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12584461-connecting-custom-mcp-servers-in-chatgpt)

We added a server this way on a Free account on November 3, 2026. In a Business workspace only admins and owners can create one.[[11]](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12584461-connecting-custom-mcp-servers-in-chatgpt) More on this in [ChatGPT connectors](https://conecto.chat/guides/chatgpt-connectors).

### In a coding agent

Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and the other coding agents take the address in a command or a configuration file. Our [pages for each agent](https://conecto.chat/agents) show the exact line.

## How a remote server signs you in

A remote server that holds private data has to know who is asking. The MCP specification builds that on OAuth 2.1: the server points the client to its authorization server, you approve the access there, and the client receives a token.[[2]](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest/basic/authorization) When you add a server to Claude, you can choose whether people sign in now, sign in when needed, or use no sign-in.[[9]](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp)

Some servers also take a key. Stripe offers OAuth for a client that acts for your user account, and agent API keys for an AI application that needs independent, lasting access.[[3]](https://docs.stripe.com/mcp)

## When a local server is the better choice

Claude's help center says to use a local one, which Claude calls a desktop extension, when the tool runs on your computer, needs access to your files or local processes, or has no cloud version to connect to.[[10]](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11725091-when-to-use-desktop-and-web-connectors) A local server reaches things a remote one can't. It also works only in the desktop app and Claude Code, and not on the web or your phone.[[10]](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11725091-when-to-use-desktop-and-web-connectors)

## What to check before you connect one

- **Who runs it.** A server published by the maker of the software is the safest start.
- **What it can change.** Reading is low risk. Sending, paying, refunding and deleting need care.
- **Whether you can take the access back.** Stripe lists each authorized client under OAuth sessions, where you can revoke it.[[3]](https://docs.stripe.com/mcp)
- **Whether it asks first.** Stripe recommends turning on your client's tool approval so you can review each call before it runs.[[3]](https://docs.stripe.com/mcp)

## Where Conecto fits

Conecto, our product, is a remote MCP server that hosts the business systems itself: a CRM, an inbox, invoices, bookkeeping, a phone line and bookings. There is one address for every area, `https://api.conecto.chat/v1/mcp`, and each area also has an address of its own.[[13]](https://conecto.chat/SKILL.md) You add it to Claude or ChatGPT the same way as any server above.

## Questions

### What is a remote MCP server?

An MCP server that runs at a web address on its maker's platform. Your AI app connects to it over Streamable HTTP, and many clients can use the same server.[[1]](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/learn/architecture)

### What is the difference between a local and a remote MCP server?

A local server is a program on your own computer that usually serves one client. A remote server runs elsewhere and serves many.[[1]](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/learn/architecture) In Claude, remote connectors work everywhere you use Claude, and local ones only in Claude Desktop and Claude Code.[[10]](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11725091-when-to-use-desktop-and-web-connectors)

### Can I add a remote MCP server on a free plan?

Yes. Claude's Free plan allows one custom connector.[[9]](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp) In ChatGPT we added one on a Free account on November 3, 2026.

### Do remote MCP servers use OAuth?

The specification's sign-in for remote servers is built on OAuth 2.1.[[2]](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest/basic/authorization) Some servers also accept a key, as Stripe's does for agents.[[3]](https://docs.stripe.com/mcp)

### Can a server on my own network work as a remote server?

In ChatGPT, yes. A custom MCP server needs a public HTTPS address, or a Secure MCP Tunnel for a server on a private network.[[11]](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12584461-connecting-custom-mcp-servers-in-chatgpt)

### Is SSE still supported?

Some servers still offer it. In the official registry, 1,100 of 40,562 remote servers listed SSE on November 10, 2026, and 98 percent listed Streamable HTTP. Intercom marks its SSE addresses as deprecated.[[8]](https://developers.intercom.com/docs/guides/mcp)

## Sources

We read these pages on November 10, 2026. Each number in the guide links to the page behind that sentence.

1. [Architecture overview, Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/learn/architecture)
2. [Authorization, MCP specification](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/latest/basic/authorization)
3. [Model Context Protocol, Stripe documentation](https://docs.stripe.com/mcp)
4. [PayPal MCP server, PayPal Developer](https://developer.paypal.com/ai-tools/mcp-server)
5. [Square MCP server, Square Developer](https://developer.squareup.com/docs/mcp)
6. [HubSpot MCP servers, HubSpot Developers](https://developers.hubspot.com/ai-tools/mcp)
7. [Using Asana's MCP server, Asana Developers](https://developers.asana.com/docs/using-asanas-mcp-server)
8. [Model Context Protocol, Intercom Developers](https://developers.intercom.com/docs/guides/mcp)
9. [Get started with custom connectors using remote MCP, Claude Help Center](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp)
10. [When to use desktop and web connectors, Claude Help Center](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11725091-when-to-use-desktop-and-web-connectors)
11. [Connecting custom MCP servers in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12584461-connecting-custom-mcp-servers-in-chatgpt)
12. [The MCP Registry](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/registry/about)
13. [Conecto SKILL.md](https://conecto.chat/SKILL.md)

Conecto publishes this guide and sells business tools for AI agents. [How we write our guides](https://conecto.chat/guides/standards.md). To report a mistake, write to hello@conecto.chat.

## More guides

- [What is an MCP server?](https://conecto.chat/guides/what-is-an-mcp-server.md): An MCP server gives an AI agent tools it can call, like a CRM, an inbox or a calendar. How MCP works, how to connect a server, and what to check first.
- [The best MCP servers for small business in 2026](https://conecto.chat/guides/best-mcp-servers-for-small-business.md): Eleven MCP servers a small business can connect to Claude or ChatGPT: payments, accounting, CRM, docs, tasks and support, checked on each vendor's docs.
- [Can ChatGPT and Claude send emails?](https://conecto.chat/guides/can-chatgpt-and-claude-send-emails.md): Claude sends Gmail after you approve it, and Outlook mail from work accounts. What ChatGPT's Gmail and Outlook apps can do, and how any agent can send safely.
- [Will AI replace bookkeepers and accountants?](https://conecto.chat/guides/will-ai-replace-bookkeepers.md): BLS projects bookkeeping clerk jobs to fall 6% by 2035 while accountant jobs grow 5%. What AI does in the books today, and what stays with people.
- [MCP vs API: what's the difference?](https://conecto.chat/guides/mcp-vs-api.md): A developer writes code against an API. An AI agent finds an MCP server's tools and calls them itself. How the two differ, fit together, and when to use each.
- [Zapier MCP alternatives in 2026](https://conecto.chat/guides/zapier-mcp-alternatives.md): Six ways to give Claude or ChatGPT actions in other apps: Composio, Pipedream, n8n, Make, Activepieces and Conecto, with prices read on their pages.
- [Claude connectors](https://conecto.chat/guides/claude-connectors.md): Claude connectors let Claude read and act in your apps. Where to find them, how to add a custom connector, what each plan allows, and what to check first.
- [ChatGPT connectors: apps, plugins and custom MCP servers](https://conecto.chat/guides/chatgpt-connectors.md): ChatGPT's connectors are now called apps. What they do, where to find them, how to add a custom MCP server on any plan, and how to connect a tool with no app.
- [AI bookkeeping: what it does, what it costs, and a two-month test](https://conecto.chat/guides/ai-bookkeeping.md): What AI bookkeeping does, what nine options cost (prices read November 4, 2026), and two months of a sample bike shop's bank lines booked by an AI agent.
- [What an answering service costs: 18 services billed for the same calls](https://conecto.chat/guides/answering-service-cost.md): We priced 18 live and AI answering services on the same 50, 150 and 400 calls a month. For 150 calls, live answering ran $309 to $1,725 and AI $79 to $270.
- [Composio alternatives in 2026](https://conecto.chat/guides/composio-alternatives.md): Seven Composio alternatives for giving an AI agent tools and sign-in: Nango, Arcade, Pipedream, Merge, Scalekit, Paragon and Zapier, priced from their pages.
- [The best Claude connectors in 2026, by job](https://conecto.chat/guides/best-claude-connectors.md): 23 Claude connectors for running a business, by job: email, files, CRM, payments, accounting, payroll, contracts and support, from Anthropic's own directory.
- [The best AI agents for small business in 2026](https://conecto.chat/guides/best-ai-agents-for-small-business.md): Nine AI agents a small business can use in 2026, by job: assistants, support, sales, online stores, the inbox and workflows, priced from each maker's page.
- [What an AI receptionist costs: 8 services billed for the same calls](https://conecto.chat/guides/ai-receptionist-cost.md): We priced 8 AI receptionists on the same 50 to 400 calls a month. For 150 calls the bills run from $79 to $270, against $4,525 for a receptionist on staff.
- [Are MCP servers free? What each kind costs](https://conecto.chat/guides/are-mcp-servers-free.md): The MCP protocol is free and open source. Most vendors add no fee for their own server, connector platforms meter calls, and some servers charge per action.
- [The best AI receptionists in 2026, compared on the same calls](https://conecto.chat/guides/best-ai-receptionist.md): Eight AI receptionists compared on the same calls, from prices read November 10, 2026. Which one costs least at your volume, and what each is good for.
- [What a virtual receptionist costs: six services priced by the minute](https://conecto.chat/guides/virtual-receptionist-cost.md): Six virtual receptionist services priced for the same 50 to 500 minutes a month. A 100-minute month costs $159 to $415, or about $2.72 a minute at the median.
- [Zendesk MCP: the client, the server and what works today](https://conecto.chat/guides/zendesk-mcp.md): Zendesk's MCP client connects Zendesk to other servers. Its own server for your agent was announced for summer 2026. What works today and three ways around it.
- [QuickBooks alternatives in 2026: eight options and what they cost](https://conecto.chat/guides/quickbooks-alternatives.md): Eight alternatives to QuickBooks Online, prices read November 10, 2026. Three have a free plan, paid plans run $19 to $65 a month and one charges per entry.