RUNLOCALAIv38
->Will it run?Best GPUCompareTroubleshootStartLearnPulseModelsHardwareToolsBench
Run check
RUNLOCALAI

Independently operated catalog for local-AI hardware and software. Hand-written verdicts. Source-cited claims. Reproducible commands when we have them.

OP·Fredoline Eruo
DIR
  • Models
  • Hardware
  • Tools
  • Benchmarks
TOOLS
  • Will it run?
  • Compare hardware
  • Cost vs cloud
  • Choose my GPU
  • Prompting kits
  • Quick answers
REF
  • All buyer guides
  • Learn local AI
  • Methodology
  • Glossary
  • Errors KB
  • Trust
EDITOR
  • About
  • Author
  • How we make money
  • Editorial policy
  • Contact
LEGAL
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Sitemap
MAIL · MONTHLY DIGEST
Get monthly local AI changes
Monthly recap. No spam.
DISCLOSURE

Some links on this site are affiliate links (Amazon Associates and other first-class retailers). When you buy through them, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate links do not influence our verdicts — there are cards we rate highly that we don't have affiliate relationships with, and cards that sell well that we refuse to recommend. Read more →

© 2026 runlocalai.coIndependently operated
RUNLOCALAI · v38
Glossary / Agents & agentic AI / MCP (Model Context Protocol)
Agents & agentic AI

MCP (Model Context Protocol)

MCP is an open protocol introduced by Anthropic in late 2024 for connecting AI agents to tools and data sources in a standardized way. Instead of every agent reinventing tool definitions, MCP defines a common JSON-based contract: a server exposes tools/resources/prompts, a client (the agent) discovers and calls them.

For local AI: MCP servers can run entirely locally, exposing your file system, terminal, GitHub repos, databases, etc. to a local agent like Claude Code or OpenCode. There's a growing registry of community MCP servers for Notion, Linear, Slack, Postgres, Cloudflare, and dozens more.

Why it matters: before MCP, every coding agent had its own tool framework. After MCP, a tool you build once works across Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor (with MCP support), Continue, and any future MCP-aware client. It's the USB-C of AI tooling.

Related terms

Function Calling / Tool Use

See also

tool: claude-codetool: claude-desktop
Buyer guides
  • Best GPU for local AI →
  • Best laptop for local AI →
  • Best Mac for local AI →
When it doesn't work
  • CUDA out of memory →
  • Ollama running slowly →
  • ROCm not detected →