MCP servers for Claude Desktop · Research
Best research MCP server for Claude Desktop, tested
In ToolPassed's hands-on tests in Claude Desktop, arXiv MCP is our provisional candidate for research: it passed install, connect, tools and an agent task on 2026-10-18. We ran 2 research MCP servers in Claude Desktop; 2 passed every step.
Last tested · one run per server · How we test
Results in Claude Desktop
| Server | Claude Desktop |
|---|---|
| arXiv MCP Research | Passed 2026-10-18 · install, connect, tools, agent task |
| Simple arXiv MCP Research | Passed 2026-10-18 · install, connect, tools, agent task |
Dated results
- arXiv MCP passed in Claude Desktop on 2026-10-18 (Claude Desktop 2.37337.1 (Linux beta), package version not recorded, connected in 4.8s). Full result
- Simple arXiv MCP passed in Claude Desktop on 2026-10-18 (Claude Desktop 2.37337.1 (Linux beta), package version not recorded, connected in 27s). Full result
Why arXiv MCP is the candidate
arXiv MCP passed every step in Claude Desktop. It is the group’s site-wide candidate (judged 2026-10-20): Found 'Attention Is All You Need' and returned its arXiv ID (1706.03762) in both Claude Code and Cursor in 2 calls in total, and also passed in ChatGPT (Codex). Simple arXiv MCP passed both with 3 calls. Paper Search MCP failed to start in both clients on Oct 15 (its published uvx command crashes on current dependencies). Zotero MCP needs a local Zotero library and isn't tested. Confirmed Oct 20, 2026: a second run in Claude Code and Cursor passed both tasks again (arxiv-mcp-server 0.8.2).
Provisional: based on one dated run per app (no repeat runs yet), so treat it as a candidate, not a final pick. How we test.
Same servers in all 4 apps
| Server | Claude Code | Cursor | Claude Desktop | ChatGPT (Codex) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| arXiv MCP Research | Passed 2026-10-20 · install, connect, tools, agent task | Passed 2026-10-20 · install, connect, tools, agent task | Passed 2026-10-18 · install, connect, tools, agent task | Passed 2026-10-15 · install, connect, tools, agent task |
| Simple arXiv MCP Research | Passed 2026-10-15 · install, connect, tools, agent task | Passed 2026-10-15 · install, connect, tools, agent task | Passed 2026-10-18 · install, connect, tools, agent task | Passed 2026-10-19 · install, connect, tools, agent task |
What failed or is partial in Claude Desktop
None of these servers failed in Claude Desktop.
Install in Claude Desktop
The exact snippet we tested is on the arXiv MCP page (pick the Claude Desktop tab). Not connecting? Claude Desktop MCP troubleshooting.
Not tested in Claude Desktop yet
Hugging Face MCP Server, Paper Search MCP, Perplexity MCP, Gemini Notebook MCP + CLI, Zotero MCP, Korean Law MCP, OpenCity Record, Reyda MCP, Arcmira MCP, Folklore Clinical Variant Interpretation MCP, PredixLab, wordradar MCP, SalesJobs.Now, PaperGraph MCP. Listed from their source; no result in Claude Desktop yet.
Questions
What is the best research MCP server for Claude Desktop?
In ToolPassed's hands-on tests in Claude Desktop, arXiv MCP is our provisional candidate for research: it passed install, connect, tools and an agent task on 2026-10-18. We ran 2 research MCP servers in Claude Desktop; 2 passed every step.
Does arXiv MCP work with Claude Desktop?
arXiv MCP passed in Claude Desktop on 2026-10-18 (Claude Desktop 2.37337.1 (Linux beta), package version not recorded, connected in 4.8s).
More: all MCP servers tested in Claude Desktop · Research in every app · How we test
