There is no single "video MCP server": video work splits into five jobs, and each has different servers. For editing finished videos, official servers exist from JSON2Video, Creatomate, Shotstack and Plainly. For AI footage, Runway, Artlist, OpenArt and Google's Genmedia MCP. For hosting, Mux and Cloudinary. Processing and video calls have only documentation servers so far. Which ones work in claude.ai depends on one thing: remote servers (a URL) can be added as custom connectors in claude.ai; local (stdio) servers run only in Claude Code and Claude Desktop.
This page lists the servers by job, with what each can do to your account, how to install it and where to find the price. It was checked on 18 October 2026, mostly on each vendor's own documentation. We make one of the servers listed (JSON2Video), and we say where it does not fit.
Read this table first
- Acts on your account means the server has tools that create, render, upload or delete things in your account at the vendor. Documentation only servers just let Claude search the vendor's docs while it writes code.
- Official means published by the vendor. Community servers exist too (see below), but we did not test them.
- Rendering and generation are billed by the vendor, not by Claude. Your Claude plan only covers Claude's own usage.
Video editing and rendering
Editing servers assemble finished videos from scenes, text, clips, voice-over and captions, and return an MP4 link. Compared in detail on our video editing API page.
| Server | Official? | Acts on your account? | Transport and where it works | Install | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JSON2Video | Yes (ours) | Yes: renders, templates, media library | local (stdio): Claude Code and Claude Desktop only, not a claude.ai connector | npm i -g @json2video/cli, json2video auth, json2video mcp install claude | Pricing (600 free credits) |
| Creatomate | Yes | Yes: renders in your project | remote URL: works as a claude.ai custom connector, in Claude Desktop and in Claude Code (https://api.creatomate.com/mcp) | claude mcp add creatomate --transport http https://api.creatomate.com/mcp, or add the URL as a connector | Pricing |
| Shotstack (beta) | Yes | Yes: composes and renders | remote URL: works as a claude.ai custom connector, in Claude Desktop and in Claude Code (https://mcp.shotstack.io/) | claude mcp add --transport http shotstack https://mcp.shotstack.io, or add the URL as a connector | Pricing |
| Plainly | Yes | Yes: browses designs and projects, renders | local (stdio) through npx: Claude Code and Claude Desktop | npx -y @plainly-videos/mcp-server@latest with a PLAINLY_API_KEY | Pricing |
Being clear about our own server: the JSON2Video MCP server is local (stdio). It works in Claude Code and Claude Desktop (and Cursor, VS Code and Windsurf), but it is not available as a claude.ai connector. If you need to work only from claude.ai, Creatomate and Shotstack are remote servers you can add there today. Try JSON2Video free with Claude Code →
AI video generation
Generation servers make new footage from a prompt or an image. Claude writes the prompts and calls the tools; the vendor bills per second or in credits. Prices and the step from clips to a finished video: Claude video generation. More generation APIs: AI video generation APIs.
| Server | Official? | Acts on your account? | Transport and where it works | Install | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runway | Yes | Yes: creates media in your Runway account | remote URL https://mcp.runwayml.com/mcp: claude.ai custom connector and Claude Code. A second server, Runway Dev (https://dev.runwayml.com/mcp), works on your Developer Portal account (tasks, docs). | Add the URL as a connector, or claude mcp add --transport http runway https://mcp.runwayml.com/mcp | API pricing |
| Artlist | Yes | Yes: 100+ image and video models | remote URL https://mcp.artlist.io/mcp: claude.ai custom connector | Add the URL as a connector | Artlist credits (paid users); see Artlist |
| OpenArt | Yes | Yes: 13 models, 6 of them video | remote URL https://mcp.openart.ai/mcp: claude.ai custom connector | Add the URL as a connector | Pricing |
| Google Genmedia MCP | Yes (open source, under experiments/) | Yes: Veo and Imagen through your Google Cloud project | local (stdio) by default: Claude Code and Claude Desktop | Install script from the repository; Google Application Default Credentials | Veo pricing (Gemini API) |
| HyperFrames (HeyGen) | Yes | Yes: composes and renders HTML video; draws HeyGen credits | remote URL mcp.heygen.com/mcp/hyperframes: in Claude's connector directory (beta) | Connector page | Not published |
OpenAI removed the Sora video API on 24 September 2026, so there is no Sora server to add.
Hosting and delivery
Hosting servers let Claude manage videos you already have: upload, list, organise and get playback links. More providers: video hosting and delivery APIs.
| Server | Official? | Acts on your account? | Transport and where it works | Install | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mux | Yes | Yes: your Mux environments | remote URL https://mcp.mux.com (OAuth sign-in): claude.ai custom connector, Claude Code. A local option exists too. | Add the URL as a connector, or as a remote server in Claude Code | Pricing |
| Cloudinary | Yes | Yes: Asset Management, Environment Config, Structured Metadata and Analysis servers | remote URLs such as https://asset-management.mcp.cloudinary.com/mcp (OAuth), or local with npx | Add the URL as a connector; for local, npx -y --package @cloudinary/asset-management -- mcp start with your Cloudinary environment variables | Pricing |
Processing and transcoding
Processing means converting, compressing and extracting from files with FFmpeg-style tools. Only a documentation server is available from the dedicated providers; in Claude Code, Claude can also run FFmpeg directly on your computer. More providers: video processing APIs.
| Server | Official? | Acts on your account? | Transport and where it works | Install | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rendi | Yes | No: documentation only | remote URL https://www.rendi.dev/docs/mcp | Add the URL as a connector or MCP server | Pricing |
Video calls and real time
The real-time providers we checked publish documentation servers, not servers that start rooms or calls for you. More providers: video call APIs. We found no official MCP server from Daily, Twilio or api.video.
| Server | Official? | Acts on your account? | Transport and where it works | Install | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LiveKit docs | Yes | No: docs, code search, changelog and pricing info | remote URL https://docs.livekit.io/mcp | claude mcp add --transport http livekit-docs https://docs.livekit.io/mcp | Free server |
| Agora docs | Yes | No: documentation only | remote URL https://mcp.agora.io | Add the URL as an MCP server | Free server |
| Vonage docs | Yes | No: documentation only | remote URL https://documentation-mcp.vonage.dev | Add the URL as an MCP server | Free server |
Community servers
Many community servers also exist, mostly local servers that wrap FFmpeg or one vendor's API. One of the best known is video-editing-mcp from Video Jungle, an open-source project on GitHub. We have not tested community servers, and they are not listed in the tables. Check who maintains one, what it can access and when it was last updated before you give it your files or keys. For the full map of video APIs, see video APIs for AI agents.
How to add an MCP server
claude.ai: remote servers only
Go to Settings → Connectors, choose Add custom connector, paste the server URL and sign in. Custom connectors are remote MCP servers only; the Free plan allows one, and Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans have them too. On Team and Enterprise, an owner adds the connector for the organisation.
Claude Code: remote and local servers
# remote server
claude mcp add --transport http creatomate https://api.creatomate.com/mcp
# local (stdio) server
claude mcp add plainly --env PLAINLY_API_KEY=your-key -- npx -y @plainly-videos/mcp-server@latestThen run /mcp inside Claude Code to sign in or check the connection. See the Claude Code MCP documentation. Some vendors, JSON2Video among them, have their own installer instead (json2video mcp install claude).
Claude Desktop: local servers
Add the server to claude_desktop_config.json under mcpServers, with its command and environment variables, or install it as a desktop extension. Remote servers are added as custom connectors, the same as in claude.ai. Guide: local MCP servers on Claude Desktop.
The difference between remote and local servers, and what else can make videos in each app, is in where each route works.
Checked on 18 October 2026. Sources: vendor documentation for Runway, Creatomate, Shotstack, Mux, Cloudinary, Plainly, Rendi, LiveKit, Artlist and OpenArt; custom connectors (Anthropic Help Center).
Frequently asked questions
What is the best MCP server for video editing?
It depends on where you work. In claude.ai, Creatomate and Shotstack are remote servers you can add as custom connectors. In Claude Code or Claude Desktop, JSON2Video, Creatomate, Shotstack and Plainly all work. For editing a recording you already have, look at open-source toolkits for Claude Code rather than a cloud editing API.
Which video MCP servers work in claude.ai?
Remote servers, added as custom connectors: Creatomate, Shotstack, Runway, Artlist, OpenArt, Mux and Cloudinary publish a URL for this. Local (stdio) servers, such as JSON2Video's, Plainly's and Google's Genmedia MCP, work in Claude Code and Claude Desktop only.
Does Claude have a built-in video MCP server?
No. Claude Motion is a built-in app feature for making animations, but it is not an MCP server. Video tools come from third-party servers that you add as connectors or MCP servers.
Are video MCP servers free?
The servers are usually free to install, but the work they trigger is billed by the vendor: renders, seconds of generated footage or stored minutes. Documentation-only servers, such as LiveKit's, are free. JSON2Video includes 600 free credits, which is 10 minutes of video with a watermark.
Can Claude generate video with an MCP server?
Yes, through a generator's server: Runway, Artlist and OpenArt can be added to claude.ai as custom connectors, and Google's Genmedia MCP gives Claude Code access to Veo. The vendor's model makes the footage; Claude writes the prompts.
More in this section: can Claude make videos?, video editing with Claude Code and Claude animation.
Published on October 18th, 2026
