Author | Sergio De SimoneTranslator | Liu Yameng
Recently, Anthropic introduced support for connecting to remote MCP servers in Claude Code, allowing developers to integrate external tools and resources without the need for manual local server setup.
This new feature makes it easier for developers to obtain context from their existing tools, including security services, project management systems, and knowledge bases. For example, developers can use the Sentry MCP server to retrieve a list of errors and issues in their projects, check for available fixes, and apply them using Claude, all within a unified workflow.
Other integration examples include pulling data from APIs, accessing remote documents, utilizing cloud services, collaborating on shared team resources, and more.
Before the native support for remote MCP servers in Claude Code, developers had to set up a local MCP server to integrate it with their existing toolchain.
Remote MCP servers provide a lower maintenance cost alternative to local servers: simply add the vendor’s URL to Claude Code—no manual setup required. The vendor handles updates, scaling, and availability, allowing you to focus on building rather than managing server infrastructure.
For authentication, Claude Code supports OAuth 2.0 via HTTP or SSE, allowing developers to authenticate directly through the terminal without providing an API key. For example, here’s how to connect Claude Code to a GitHub MCP:
$ claude mcp add --transport sse github-server https://api.github.com/mcp>/mcp
The command <span>/mcp</span> executed in Claude Code opens an interactive menu that provides options for authenticating using OAuth. This initiates the browser to automatically connect to the OAuth provider. After successful authentication through the browser, Claude Code stores the received access token locally.
Some Reddit users commented on Anthropic’s announcement, downplaying its significance and noting that while convenient, this feature is far from a game changer.
However, others emphasized the importance of Claude Code gaining support for streaming HTTP as an alternative to connecting to MCP servers via stdio.
According to Robert Matsukoa, former head of product engineering at Tripadvisor and current fractional CTO, this is not just a convenient upgrade but an upgrade that “changes the economics of AI tool integration.”:
Remote servers eliminate the infrastructure costs associated with local MCP deployment. Teams no longer need to configure servers, manage updates, or handle scaling of MCP services.
However, Matsukoa pointed out that using MCP servers typically incurs an additional 25-30% cost because the context extracted from external resources is larger, and remote MCP may actually increase these costs by making this task easier. Therefore, careful consideration is needed regarding where it makes sense to use it:
The advantage of MCP lies in scenarios that require deep context integration: multi-repository debugging sessions, legacy system analysis requiring historical context, or workflows that combine multiple data sources simultaneously. This protocol excels when Claude needs to maintain state between tool interactions or correlate information from different systems.
Conversely, for CLI and standard API-based workflows, he believes there is no need to pursue the MCP route.
Anthropic has released a list of MCP servers developed in collaboration with their respective creators, but a broader collection can be found on GitHub.
Original link:
https://www.infoq.com/news/2025/06/anthropic-claude-remote-mcp/
Disclaimer: This article was translated by InfoQ and may not be reproduced without permission.
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