What is the difference between MCP and RAG?

RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) typically pulls static information from a pre-indexed database. MCP provides a live, two-way connection to your stack. While RAG is for "reading" old data, MCP allows Claude to "act"—like opening GitHub PRs or querying live databases.

Are MCP servers secure for company data?

Yes. The protocol supports OAuth and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). You can grant Claude "Read-Only" permissions to ensure it can view documentation or logs without the ability to delete or modify sensitive internal data.

Do I need coding skills to use MCP?

Not necessarily. While developers build them, users can connect to existing tools like C1 MCP or Brave Search in minutes by adding a snippet to their Claude Desktop configuration file.

Can I run multiple MCP servers at once?

Yes. Claude can act as an orchestrator across multiple servers simultaneously. You can pull data from Postgres, summarize it in Slack, and create a task in GitHub all within a single conversation.

How does MCP affect Claude’s token limit?

Data retrieved via MCP counts toward Claude’s context window. To prevent "context bloat," the best servers use token-aware streaming, sending only the most relevant snippets rather than entire files to keep responses fast and cost-effective.