Jira MCP servers: which one to use

Q: How do I make a Jira MCP server read-only?

With mcp-atlassian, set READ_ONLY_MODE to true and write tools are hidden. With the official server, only an org admin can turn off Write, for the whole organization.

Use Atlassian's own server on Jira Cloud. Choose mcp-atlassian for Data Center or a read-only switch, and a Jira-only server if you want a smaller tool list.

Servers: 78; active
Hosted: 3; nothing to install
Local: 66; runs on your machine

Atlassian runs an official hosted server that covers Jira, Confluence and other Atlassian products. You sign in with your Atlassian account and install nothing. It works on Atlassian Cloud only, so Jira Server and Data Center teams need a community server. Every option here can edit issues with your own permissions, so test on a small project first.

Good for

Teams on Jira Cloud who want an assistant to find, create and update issues
Self-hosted Jira Server and Data Center users
Developers who want sprint, worklog and linked pull request lookups in chat
Admins who want a read-only assistant

Which Jira MCP server to use

Start with Atlassian's own server if your site is on Jira Cloud. Use mcp-atlassian for Data Center or a read-only setting; atlassian-dc-mcp is a Jira-only Data Center server, and the other Jira-only servers have shorter tool lists.

Server	Official	Runs	Sign-in	Data Center	Read-only option	GitHub stars
For Jira
Atlassian RovoThis page	Official	Hosted	Account	No	Admin setting	1.1K
atlassian-dc-mcp	Community	Local	API token	Yes	–	–
nguyenvanduocit jira	Community	Local	API token	–	–	96
aashari jira	Community	Local	API token	–	–	78
SoftSpark jira	Community	Local	API token	No	–	3
Other tools for the same job
mcp-atlassianFor Atlassian	Community	Local	API token	Yes	Setting	–

All Jira MCP servers

78 active · official first, then by GitHub stars

Show all 78

Questions

Is there an official Jira MCP server?

Yes. Atlassian makes it and runs it hosted for Jira, Confluence and other Atlassian products. PlugWiki lists it under the Atlassian app, and it is a row here because it covers Jira. You sign in with your Atlassian account.

Does it work with Jira Data Center or Server?

Not the official one, which supports Atlassian Cloud only. mcp-atlassian lists Jira Server and Data Center 8.14 and later as supported, with a personal access token. atlassian-dc-mcp is a Jira-only server written for Data Center.

How do I make a Jira MCP server read-only?

With mcp-atlassian, set READ_ONLY_MODE to true and write tools are hidden. With the official server, only an org admin can turn off Write, for the whole organization.

Can it delete Jira issues?

Not by default on the official server, where an admin must turn delete tools on. mcp-atlassian and aashari can delete. SoftSpark can delete only a task you created.

Do I need an API token?

Not for the official server, which uses browser sign-in. The four community servers use an Atlassian API token with your email and site name. Create one in your Atlassian account's security settings.

What does the aashari server do differently?

It has 5 generic tools (get, post, put, patch and delete) that call any Jira API path. The others offer named tools such as search issues or add comment.

Which server handles sprints and linked pull requests?

nguyenvanduocit. Its README lists sprint tools, worklogs, issue history and a tool for the branches, pull requests and commits linked to an issue.

Which has the fewest tools?

aashari with 5 generic tools. nguyenvanduocit lists 21 and SoftSpark's Jira server has 23. mcp-atlassian has 98 and covers Confluence too, but you can narrow it to the groups you want.

Why does Atlassian's server keep asking me to sign in?

Sign-ins expire often, so you may need to reconnect now and then. Your org admin can turn on API token sign-in for a steadier login.

How do I add a Jira server to Claude?

Open the server's page from the table and follow its install box. The official one adds as a hosted connector with no install.