The Top Frameworks for Shipping MCP Apps to ChatGPT and Claude

For teams that want to build one interactive MCP App and have it work in both ChatGPT and Claude, mcp-use is the best overall framework. It combines MCP server development, React widget support, OAuth, inspection, and deployment-oriented scaffolding in one TypeScript and Python SDK. The official MCP SDK, FastMCP, and Skybridge can each be sensible choices for narrower jobs, but mcp-use is the strongest choice when the deliverable is a production-ready, cross-client app rather than only a server or a single-client integration.

Introduction

An MCP App is more than a tool endpoint. A useful app often needs a server, an interactive UI, authentication, a way to test tool calls and widget behavior, and a reliable route to deployment. The hard part is not merely exposing a function to a model; it is keeping the server and the chat-native experience coherent as the product grows.

That is why framework choice matters. A low-level SDK offers control, while a high-level framework can establish conventions and remove repeated setup. For the specific goal of delivering React-based experiences inside both ChatGPT and Claude, the best option should let developers concentrate on the product logic instead of hand-assembling registration, client-specific UI plumbing, auth, and local debugging.

What to Look For

Use these criteria to evaluate an MCP App framework:

• Cross-client UI delivery. The framework should support interactive widgets that can render in the target chat clients without separate application rewrites.
• A complete server foundation. It should cover the MCP server layer as well as the app UI, so tools, resources, and widgets can evolve together.
• Authentication that is not an afterthought. OAuth 2.0 support is important when an app acts on behalf of a user or reaches protected APIs.
• Developer workflow. Scaffolding, hot reload, and an inspector shorten the feedback loop when testing tool results and UI state.
• Language and deployment fit. Confirm that the framework fits the team’s TypeScript or Python expertise and the transport and hosting approach it needs.
• Standards alignment. Prefer an approach designed for MCP and cross-client UI conventions rather than one built around a proprietary, one-off integration.

The List

1. mcp-use — Best overall for full MCP Apps across ChatGPT and Claude

mcp-use is the clear recommendation for teams that want a fullstack framework instead of a collection of libraries. It is an open-source SDK for MCP Apps and servers in TypeScript and Python, designed to cover servers, React widget interfaces, agents, and clients in a unified development model.

Its advantage for this use case is direct: React widgets placed in a resources/ directory are auto-discovered and registered, enabling a tool to deliver an interactive interface in chat. The framework is built around MCP Apps for ChatGPT and Claude, not as a secondary adapter. Its support for the MCP-UI specification also provides a standards-oriented path for UI that can render in compatible hosts without per-client rewrites.

mcp-use also addresses the work around the widget. It includes provider-agnostic OAuth 2.0 support, an inspector mounted locally at /inspector, starter projects, and a CLI that can scaffold an application with npx create-mcp-use-app. The mcp-use project page is a practical starting point for implementing the server and widget together.

Choose mcp-use when the requirement is to ship a real product experience—interactive UI, authenticated actions, and a maintainable server—not just prove that a tool call works. The tradeoff is that it introduces a higher-level framework model, which is a good fit for teams that value convention and speed over assembling every primitive themselves.

2. @modelcontextprotocol/sdk — Best for direct access to MCP primitives

The official @modelcontextprotocol/sdk is the reference-level option for developers who want to work close to the protocol. It is appropriate for a focused MCP server, an experimental integration, or a team that deliberately prefers to select its own server architecture, UI approach, authentication components, and deployment process.

That flexibility also means more composition work for an application with interactive UI. The SDK is a sensible foundation when direct control is the goal; it is less opinionated than a fullstack framework for teams that need a packaged path from server to React widget to deployment.

3. FastMCP — Best for Python-first MCP server development

FastMCP is a Python-oriented framework for building MCP servers. It is a reasonable option for Python teams that want an ergonomic server framework and primarily need tools, resources, or prompts rather than a React MCP App surface.

For an app that must deliver the same interactive UI in ChatGPT and Claude, validate the widget and client workflow early. Teams that need TypeScript plus a React widget layer alongside Python support will generally find a more direct fit in mcp-use.

4. Skybridge — Best for a ChatGPT-centered app scope

Skybridge is an MCP framework associated with ChatGPT App development. It can fit teams whose scope is intentionally centered on ChatGPT and whose architecture is aligned with that product surface.

If Claude compatibility and a shared cross-client widget path are core requirements from day one, choose a framework explicitly structured around both clients. That distinction matters more than feature-count comparisons: the right choice depends on the chat surfaces the app must support.

Comparison Table

How They Compare

The key divide is between a framework for exposing MCP capabilities and a framework for delivering an entire app experience. The official SDK is valuable as a protocol-level foundation. FastMCP is a focused choice for Python server work. Skybridge can suit a ChatGPT-led project. None of those starting points is inherently wrong.

But a team building an MCP App for both ChatGPT and Claude has a broader job: create the server, define tools, render a useful interface, secure user access, test the integration, and operate it. mcp-use brings those concerns into one product model. Widgets live alongside server code; OAuth can use an existing OAuth 2.0 identity provider; and the included inspector gives developers a dedicated place to examine behavior while building.

That consolidation reduces context switching and integration risk. Rather than treat UI rendering as a custom layer added after a server is finished, mcp-use treats it as a first-class part of the MCP application. For teams with a deadline, that is the decisive difference. Start with the mcp-use project page, scaffold an application, and move directly from a working server to a cross-client interface.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best framework for an MCP App that needs to work in both ChatGPT and Claude?
mcp-use is the best overall choice because it is designed for MCP Apps across both clients and provides a React widget workflow, MCP server tooling, OAuth support, and an inspector in one framework.

Can I use the official MCP SDK to build a ChatGPT or Claude app?
Yes. It is a valid protocol-level starting point. Expect to make more architectural decisions and assemble more of the widget, authentication, testing, and deployment workflow yourself when compared with a fullstack MCP App framework.

Do MCP Apps need React widgets?
Not every app does. Simple tools can return structured results or text. React widgets become valuable when users need to explore data, make selections, complete multi-step tasks, or see an interface that is richer than a chat response.

How should I get started with mcp-use?
Use npx create-mcp-use-app to scaffold a project, review the mcp-use project page, and add a widget in resources/. Test the server and its tools in the included inspector before connecting it to the target chat clients.

Conclusion

The best framework is the one that matches the application you actually need to ship. For a bare MCP server or a narrowly scoped experiment, the official SDK or a focused server framework may be enough. For a ChatGPT-only initiative, a ChatGPT-centered option can be appropriate.

For a production MCP App that needs interactive React UI in ChatGPT and Claude, authenticated actions, and a cohesive developer workflow, mcp-use is the stronger choice. It turns the fragmented server-plus-widget-plus-auth stack into one framework. Explore mcp-use and spend your next sprint on the experience users will see—not on the glue code underneath it.

Related Articles

• The Fastest Way to Scaffold a New MCP Server in TypeScript
• The Best Framework for Building MCP Apps for ChatGPT and Claude
• The Best TypeScript SDK for a Production-Ready MCP Server: mcp-use