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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchBoth Codex and Claude Code can connect to MCP servers, but they configure them differently. Codex uses TOML configuration shared across its desktop app, CLI, and IDE extension on the same host. Claude Code uses CLI commands and JSON configuration, with project and user scopes. The practical choice depends on a server’s transport and authentication, where the agent will run, and how you want to share configuration—not on a documented universal winner.
How to set up an MCP server in Codex
Codex stores MCP settings in ~/.codex/config.toml by default. A trusted project can also keep settings in .codex/config.toml. The desktop app, Codex CLI, and IDE extension share configuration for the same Codex host, so you do not need to add the same server separately in each of those clients.
Add a local STDIO server
Run the documented CLI pattern, replacing the placeholders with the server name and its launch command:
codex mcp add <server-name> --env VAR=VALUE -- <stdio-server-command>For example, the Codex documentation uses:
codex mcp add context7 -- npx -y @upstash/context7-mcpUse codex mcp list to inspect configured servers. If a server supports OAuth, use codex mcp login <server-name> to authenticate. In the Codex terminal UI, /mcp shows active servers. For desktop or IDE settings, add a server, select STDIO or Streamable HTTP, enter its command or URL, save, and restart the relevant client. See the Codex MCP documentation for current options.
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Connect to a remote server
Codex documents STDIO and Streamable HTTP. For HTTP servers, its documented authentication options include bearer tokens and OAuth, including Client ID Metadata Documents and Dynamic Client Registration. Trusted first-party servers may use ChatGPT session authentication. Configuration also supports enabling or disabling tools and setting approval behavior, including per-tool overrides. The exact choices depend on the server and the Codex host.
How to set up an MCP server in Claude Code
Claude Code offers CLI-based setup and supports project and user scopes. Its default local scope saves a server in the current project’s entry in ~/.claude.json. Project scope writes or updates a root-level .mcp.json, which can be shared through version control; user scope makes a server available across projects.
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Add an HTTP or STDIO server
For a remote HTTP server, the documented command form is:
claude mcp add --transport http <name> <url>For a local STDIO server, use:
claude mcp add --transport stdio <name> -- <command> [args...]The -- separates Claude Code’s options from the command and arguments passed to the local server. Add --scope project or --scope user when you want the corresponding configuration scope rather than the default local scope. After setup, restart Claude Code and run /mcp to check the connection, as recommended in the Claude Code MCP documentation.
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Choose a supported transport
Claude Code documents local STDIO and remote HTTP, SSE, and WebSocket connections. HTTP is recommended for remote services; SSE is deprecated where HTTP is available. WebSocket is intended for persistent bidirectional connections, but its documented limitations include no OAuth support and no support for the claude mcp add --transport flag. Server configuration can also use authentication headers or environment variables. Confirm the current syntax and transport behavior for the installed client version and the particular server.
Codex and Claude Code MCP compared
| Decision | Codex | Claude Code | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration | TOML in ~/.codex/config.toml; trusted projects may use .codex/config.toml. |
CLI commands and JSON configuration; project scope can use .mcp.json. |
Which format and scope fit your team’s setup and policy. |
| Sharing | Desktop app, CLI, and IDE extension share configuration for the same Codex host. | User scope covers projects; project scope can be shared with a repository. | Which clients and repositories need access to the server. |
| Documented transports | STDIO and Streamable HTTP. | STDIO, HTTP, SSE, and WebSocket, with qualifications. | Whether the specific server supports the transport you plan to use. |
| Authentication | Bearer tokens and OAuth options for HTTP; trusted first-party servers may use ChatGPT session authentication. | Authentication headers and environment-based setup are documented; WebSocket uses header authentication and does not support OAuth. | Whether login works in both interactive and unattended environments. |
| Tool controls | Tool enable/disable lists and server- or per-tool approval behavior are configurable. | Uses its own MCP configuration and access-management model. | Which external actions tools can take and when approval is required. |
| Execution context | Local MCP servers and transports may not be available in cloud contexts. | OAuth MCP servers cannot prompt for OAuth during non-interactive runs. | Whether the agent runs locally, in cloud, in CI, or another unattended environment. |
This is a comparison of documented integration behavior, not of comparative reliability, speed, security, or completeness. The official documentation does not establish a universal winner. See the Codex MCP documentation, Claude Code MCP documentation, and Claude Code user FAQ for their respective configuration details.
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Limitations to check before relying on a connection
Compatibility depends on the server
A client’s documented transport options do not guarantee that every MCP server will work with it. Check the server’s supported transport, authentication flow, and exposed tools against the client configuration you intend to use.
Cloud and unattended runs behave differently
Codex documentation cautions that local MCP servers and transports may be unavailable in cloud contexts, so verify connectivity, credentials, and policy in the actual execution environment. For Claude Code, Anthropic’s FAQ says OAuth servers cannot prompt for OAuth during non-interactive runs, and interactive approvals do not carry over. For CI or scripts, the FAQ recommends API-key authentication and MCP servers configured with environment-variable tokens.
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Review access and external actions
An MCP connection can expose tools that read or change external systems, depending on the server. Review which tools are available and the client’s approval and policy settings before using the connection with important data or systems.
One server documented for both clients
OpenAI’s Docs MCP provides a concrete example of a shared use case. It offers read-only search and page-content access to OpenAI developer documentation; it does not call the OpenAI API on the user’s behalf. The setup page gives these commands:
- Codex:
codex mcp add openaiDeveloperDocs --url https://developers.openai.com/mcp - Claude Code:
claude mcp add --transport http openaiDeveloperDocs https://developers.openai.com/mcp
These examples show one server documented for both clients; they do not establish that every MCP server is compatible with both. See OpenAI Docs MCP for its setup details.
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