Filesystem MCP servers: let an AI assistant read and edit local files

MCP servers for local files and NAS storage, and how to limit access to the folders you choose.

Local filesystem

• Filesystem (official) (Official reference server · last pushed 2026-10-13)
  Secure file operations with configurable access controls.
• rust-mcp-filesystem (180 GitHub stars · Rust · last pushed 2026-08-29)
  Blazing-fast, asynchronous MCP server for seamless filesystem operations.

Network storage

• mcp-server-synology (228 GitHub stars · Python · last pushed 2026-10-13)
  💾 Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Synology NAS - Enables AI assistants (Claude, Cursor, Continue) to manage files, downloads, and system operations through secure API integration. Features Docker deployment, auto-authentication, and comprehensive file system tools.

Limit access to chosen folders

The official Filesystem server only works inside the directories you pass as arguments. Pass one project folder, not your whole home directory:

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

Add more paths as extra arguments. Setup per client: Claude Desktop · Cursor · Windsurf.

About this list

Data: public GitHub repositories, refreshed 2026-10-15. Star counts change daily. A listing is not a security review, so read our security checklist before installing.