Filesystem (Reference) vs Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp)

A side-by-side comparison of two Files & Storage servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	Filesystem (Reference) Official MCP reference server for secure local filesystem read/write within allowed directories. Verified stdio (local) No auth TypeScript	Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp) Popular community server that feeds Figma layout data to coding agents via a Figma API token. Verified stdio (local) API key TypeScript
Category	Files & Storage	Design & Media
Language	TypeScript	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	API key
GitHub stars	74k	15k
Last commit	5 months ago	21 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /absolute/path/to/dir`	`npx -y figma-developer-mcp --stdio`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Filesystem (Reference) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Pick Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp) if you prefer its approach (popular community server that feeds figma layout data to coding agents via a figma api token).

Add Filesystem (Reference)

Install / run

npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /absolute/path/to/dir

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem-reference": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/absolute/path/to/dir"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Add Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp)

Install / run

npx -y figma-developer-mcp --stdio

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "figma-context-mcp-figma-developer-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "figma-developer-mcp",
        "--stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "FIGMA_API_KEY": "<your-figma-api-token>"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Filesystem (Reference) or Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp) — which is better?

Pick Filesystem (Reference) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option. Pick Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp) if you prefer its approach (popular community server that feeds figma layout data to coding agents via a figma api token).

Can I use both Filesystem (Reference) and Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp)?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do Filesystem (Reference) and Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View Filesystem (Reference) →View Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp) →More comparisons →