Free tool · MCP config · updated Oct 27, 2026

Convert MCP servers from VS Code to Claude Desktop

Got MCP servers working in VS Code and want the same ones in Claude Desktop? The servers don't change, only the config wrapper does. Here's exactly what to change.

Where each file lives

VS Code: .vscode/mcp.json in the workspace
Claude Desktop: claude_desktop_config.json (macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/, Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\)

Before and after

VS Code

{
  "servers": {
    "context7": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@upstash/context7-mcp"],
      "env": {"API_KEY": "..."}
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context7": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@upstash/context7-mcp"],
      "env": {"API_KEY": "..."}
    }
  }
}

What changes

Rename servers to mcpServers and you can drop type. Swap any ${input:...} prompts for real values or env vars.

Open the converter set to Claude Desktop → Paste your VS Code config, copy the result. It runs in your browser and nothing gets uploaded.

Double-check before you paste the result anywhere: if your config has tokens in it, they'll be in the output too.

Other conversions

VS Code → Claude Code · VS Code → Cursor · VS Code → Codex · Codex → Claude Desktop

Questions people ask

How do I convert an MCP config from VS Code to Claude Desktop?

Paste the VS Code config into PickAPlugin's free MCP config converter with the target set to Claude Desktop, then save the result to claude_desktop_config.json (macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/, Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\).

Do I need to change the MCP server itself?

No. A local server runs the same command in every app. Only the config format around it changes.

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