GitHub MCP Server (official)

95/100
Last tested 2026-10-23 (Fresh: tested within 30 days) Working API key Security: not tested

Score = points from 5 automated checks. Not a quality or security rating. Methodology

This official server replaces the legacy GitHub (legacy reference) (deprecated, 75/100).

Score 95/100 · Tools 46 · Token cost ~10,822 · Compare · Last tested 2026-10-23 · Version tested 2.0.3 · Package github/github-mcp-server · Repo github/github-mcp-server

Summary: GitHub MCP Server (official) completed an MCP handshake without credentials and exposed 46 tools.

Evidence summary

Handshake
pass
Tools listed
46
Token cost
~10,822 tokens (est.)
API key
Needs a key
Tested
2026-10-23

Test results

TestResultPointsEvidence
installpass20download github-mcp-server_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz from GitHub release v2.0.3, sha256 f797c20fe02a755865d0e2d46184ab47e31bf1619b0855b8d89c531e45a651c2 matched github-mcp-server_2.0.3_checksums.txt, extract (prebuilt binary, Linux) succeeded in 1s.
handshakepass30MCP initialize + tools/list over stdio succeeded with no credentials; 46 tools listed in 0.1s.
maintenancepass25Repo pushed 0 days before test; 33,874 GitHub stars.
docspartial10README over 3,000 chars; install instructions present. Automated check of the package's own README (README.md shipped in release tarball v2.0.3, identical to repo main README).
licensepass10MIT (OSI-approved).

Local-model readiness

Schema context cost: ~10,822 tokens for 46 tools (49,408 bytes) · about 132% of an 8k context. Method: tiktoken cl100k_base over compact JSON of name+description+inputSchema (approximate).

Small-model friendly (schema heuristic, not a model result): low.

Small-model task runs: Not yet tested.

What we tested and what we didn't

Tested on 2026-10-23

  • Install from the registry
  • MCP handshake (initialize + tools/list) with no credentials
  • Maintenance signals (last push, archived/deprecated status)
  • Docs (README length, install and config example)
  • License (OSI-approved or not)
  • Tool-schema token cost (estimate)

Not tested

  • Real tool calls (they need a GitHub token)
  • The Docker image (we tested the release binary only)
  • Security: not audited (no code review, no permission or data-flow analysis)
  • Real tasks (no functional task runs yet)
  • Behaviour with real credentials or a real account
  • Performance, rate limits or load
  • Correctness of results beyond the listed tasks

Methodology: how we test. A high score means it installs and responds, not that it is safe to give it access to your data.

Raw test record (JSON)
{
  "name": "github/github-mcp-server",
  "version": "2.0.3",
  "registry": "github-release",
  "status": "working",
  "tested": "2026-10-23",
  "tools_count": 46,
  "tools_schema_tokens_est": 10822,
  "deprecated": false,
  "archived": false,
  "tests": {
    "install": [
      "pass",
      20,
      "`download github-mcp-server_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz from GitHub release v2.0.3, sha256 f797c20fe02a755865d0e2d46184ab47e31bf1619b0855b8d89c531e45a651c2 matched github-mcp-server_2.0.3_checksums.txt, extract` (prebuilt binary, Linux) succeeded in 1s."
    ],
    "handshake": [
      "pass",
      30,
      "MCP `initialize` + `tools/list` over stdio succeeded with no credentials; 46 tools listed in 0.1s."
    ],
    "maintenance": [
      "pass",
      25,
      "Repo pushed 0 days before test; 33,874 GitHub stars."
    ],
    "docs": [
      "partial",
      10,
      "README over 3,000 chars; install instructions present. Automated check of the package's own README (README.md shipped in release tarball v2.0.3, identical to repo main README)."
    ],
    "license": [
      "pass",
      10,
      "MIT (OSI-approved)."
    ]
  }
}

Install

github-mcp-server stdio

Tools listed

add_comment_to_pending_review, add_issue_comment, add_reply_to_pull_request_comment, assign_copilot_to_issue, create_branch, create_or_update_file, create_pull_request, create_repository, delete_file, fork_repository, get_commit, get_file_contents, get_label, get_latest_release, get_me, get_release_by_tag, get_tag, get_team_members, get_teams, issue_read, issue_write, list_branches, list_commits, list_issue_fields, list_issue_types, list_issues, list_pull_requests, list_releases, list_repository_collaborators, list_tags, merge_pull_request, pull_request_read, pull_request_review_write, push_files, request_copilot_review, search_code, search_commits, search_issues, search_pull_requests, search_repositories

Config used in our test

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-mcp-server-official": {
      "command": "github-mcp-server",
      "args": [
        "stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<your token>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to config Opens the config generator with this server selected.

Setup

Env var required for real use (per its README): GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN

  1. Install. Run download github-mcp-server_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz from GitHub release v2.0.3, sha256 f797c20fe02a755865d0e2d46184ab47e31bf1619b0855b8d89c531e45a651c2 matched github-mcp-server_2.0.3_checksums.txt, extract (prebuilt binary). This is the exact command we ran on 2026-10-23.
  2. Configure. Add the mcpServers entry below to your MCP client config and set GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN.
  3. Verify. Restart the client and check that tools/list returns tools (46 in our test).
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-mcp-server-official": {
      "command": "github-mcp-server",
      "args": [
        "stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<your key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Docker alternative: docker run -i --rm -e GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server

Test history

No dated events yet.

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FAQ

Is GitHub MCP Server (official) deprecated?

No. github/github-mcp-server was not deprecated or archived when we last tested it on 2026-10-23.

What replaces GitHub MCP Server (official)?

Nothing; GitHub MCP Server (official) is not deprecated as of 2026-10-23.

Does GitHub MCP Server (official) need an API key?

The handshake works without a key; real use needs GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN.

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TestedMCP: 95/100, tested 2026-10-23

Free badge for every tested server. Paid re-test ($49/48h, $99/24h) changes speed only, never the score. Badges show the test date and expire after 90 days. The badge is free and always shows the current score and test date; payment never changes it.

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