For standard integrations (GitHub, Jira, Slack, databases), use official or community MCP servers. They’re maintained, tested, and cover common use cases. Build custom servers only when your integration is genuinely unique.
When to use community/official servers
- Standard GitHub PR reviews and issue management → official GitHub MCP server
- Standard Jira ticket tracking → community Jira MCP server
- Standard database queries → community database MCP server
No custom development needed. Configure in .mcp.json and go.
When to build custom
- Proprietary internal APIs with no public equivalent
- Highly specialized workflows that community servers don’t cover
- Integration with internal tools that have no MCP server
Why not “always build custom”?
Building a custom GitHub MCP server when an official one exists wastes engineering time: you implement, test, maintain, and debug what someone else has already built and is actively maintaining. The official server covers standard use cases — customization is only needed for genuinely non-standard requirements.
Why not fork?
Forking a community server creates an ongoing maintenance burden. You take on all future bug fixes and feature updates. Version pinning (using a specific version of the community server) achieves update control with far less maintenance overhead.
One-liner: Use official/community MCP servers for standard integrations (GitHub, Jira, databases) — build custom only for genuinely unique internal APIs and proprietary workflows.