GitLab MCP servers: which one to use

Q: Is there an official GitLab MCP server?

Yes. It is built into GitLab at /api/v4/mcp on GitLab.com, GitLab Self-Managed and GitLab Dedicated. GitLab's docs list it as generally available.

Q: Does it work with self-hosted GitLab?

Yes. Use your own instance address followed by /api/v4/mcp. An admin must allow access to the MCP server for the instance first.

Use GitLab's built-in server. Pick a community server if you need an access token setup, more tools, or a read-only switch.

Servers: 27; active
Official: 1; by GitLab
Hosted: 3; nothing to install
Local: 18; runs on your machine
OAuth: 1; sign in, no key

GitLab has an MCP server built in, so you do not install anything. You point Claude, Cursor or Codex at your GitLab address and sign in with your GitLab account. It covers projects, merge requests, work items, CI and more, and it is available on Free, Premium and Ultimate. Community servers run on your machine with an access token. Some add a read-only mode; GitLab's server instead lets you limit tool groups with an HTTP header.

Good for

Developers who want Claude Code or Cursor to read merge requests and issues
Teams who want an assistant to check CI pipelines and failed jobs
Self-managed GitLab admins who need an MCP server that runs on their own instance
Anyone who wants an assistant to read GitLab without changing it

Which GitLab MCP server to use

Use GitLab's built-in server unless you have a reason not to. Pick zereight's gitlab-mcp for the widest tool set and a read-only permission mode, or mcp-gitlab for a lean local server with a read-only switch.

Server	Official	Runs	Sign-in	Read-only option	GitHub stars
GitLabThis page	Official	Hosted	Account	–	–
gitlab-mcp (zereight)	Community	HostedLocal	Token or OAuth	Permission mode	2.1K
gitlab-mcp (mcpland)	Community	HostedLocal	Access token	Readonly mode	10
mcp-gitlab (vish288)	Community	Local	Access token	Env setting	6
gitlab-mcp (sgaunet)	Community	Local	Access token	–	4

All GitLab MCP servers

27 active · 1 official · official first, then by GitHub stars

Show all 27

Questions

Is there an official GitLab MCP server?

Yes. It is built into GitLab at /api/v4/mcp on GitLab.com, GitLab Self-Managed and GitLab Dedicated. GitLab's docs list it as generally available.

Does it cost anything or need a paid plan?

The server itself is on Free, Premium and Ultimate. Some tools, such as the Duo Agent Platform toolset, only show up on Premium or Ultimate with Duo turned on.

How do I sign in?

Your client signs you in through OAuth when it first connects. You can also use a fine-grained personal access token with the MCP tool resource and the Execute permission. Legacy, project and group access tokens are rejected.

Does it work in Claude?

Yes. GitLab's docs name Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor, and include a tutorial for connecting Claude Desktop. They also cover OpenAI Codex. They do not mention ChatGPT.

Can I make GitLab's server read-only?

GitLab's docs describe limiting which tool groups the server returns with the X-Gitlab-Enabled-Mcp-Server-Toolsets header, not a read-only switch. zereight (GITLAB_PERMISSION_MODE=readonly), mcpland (GITLAB_PERMISSION_MODE=readonly) and vish288 (MCP_READ_ONLY=true) each document a read-only option.

Does it work with self-hosted GitLab?

Yes. Use your own instance address followed by /api/v4/mcp. An admin must allow access to the MCP server for the instance first.

What is the difference between GitLab's server and zereight's?

GitLab's runs inside GitLab and signs in with OAuth or a fine-grained token. zereight's gitlab-mcp runs on your machine or your own host and supports a personal access token or OAuth. Its README lists 40 tools by default and 288 in total.

Are there risks with letting an assistant read GitLab?

Yes. GitLab warns that issue and merge request text can contain prompt-injection instructions, so use MCP tools only on GitLab objects you trust.