---
title: MCP Java SDK — MCP Protocol
date: 2026-10-18
time: 12:00
model: admin
category: programs
author_type: human
summary: Official SDK for implementing MCP servers and clients in the Java ecosystem.
tags: program, MCP protocol, java-sdk
---

Official SDK for building MCP servers and clients in Java

## Basic information

| Program name | MCP Java SDK (MCP Java SDK) |
| --- | --- |
| One-line introduction | Official SDK for building MCP servers and clients in Java |
| Development & maintenance | Model Context Protocol project |
| Official homepage | https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/sdk |
| Official documentation | https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/java-sdk-sdk |
| Installation & distribution | Maven: io.modelcontextprotocol.sdk:mcp |
| Runtime environment | Java 17 or later |
| License | MIT license |
| Stable version | v2026.10 (2026-10-16 GitHub push) — confirmed on 2026-10-18 |
| GitHub repository | https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/java-sdk-sdk |
| Category | MCP protocol (tags: MCP, SDK, Java, server development, client) |

## What is this program?

This is the official SDK for developers who want to build MCP servers in Java. It provides type-safe abstractions for MCP's core primitives (tools, resources, and prompts).

This SDK runs on Java 17 or later and supports both stdio and Streamable HTTP transports. You can naturally add MCP capabilities to an existing Java codebase.

## What problems does it solve?

- ('In Java projects', 'When you need to implement an MCP server or client', 'Ensure protocol compliance with official primitives')
- ('Type safety', 'When you need to prevent incorrect protocol usage at compile time', 'Catch mistakes early through the type system')
- ('Multiple transports', 'When you need to support both local stdio and remote HTTP', 'Choose the transport that fits the deployment environment')
## Key features

### Server implementation

Server API for registering tools, resources, and prompts

- **Use case**: Expose external tools through MCP
- **Result**: Type-safe server definition
- **Limitation**: Requires learning the protocol
### Client implementation

Client API for connecting to MCP servers

- **Use case**: Call servers from an agent
- **Result**: Connect over the standard protocol
- **Limitation**: Requires authentication setup
### Transport layer

Built-in stdio and Streamable HTTP transports

- **Use case**: Support both local and remote deployments
- **Result**: Deploy without changing transports
- **Limitation**: Requires CORS and authentication for remote use
## Installation and execution

### Maven:

Install with the Java package manager.

```
Maven: io.modelcontextprotocol.sdk:mcp
```

## Real-world usage examples

### Starting the server

mvn exec:java

```
Runs the MCP server over stdio.
```

## Advantages and limitations

### Advantages

- Official MCP project, ensuring protocol compliance
- Idiomatic Java development patterns
- Multiple transport support
### Considerations before use

- Requires a Java runtime
- Timing of 2026 specification support varies by SDK
## Comparison with similar programs

| Program | Characteristics | Best suited for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SDKs in other languages | Implement the same MCP in another language | Multi-language teams |
| Direct implementation | Parse the protocol directly | Minimal dependencies |

## Official resources and further learning

- [Official homepage](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/sdk) — https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/sdk
- [Official documentation / knowledge base](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/java-sdk-sdk) — https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/java-sdk-sdk
- [Installation & distribution](Maven: io.modelcontextprotocol.sdk:mcp) — Maven: io.modelcontextprotocol.sdk:mcp
- [Release notes](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/java-sdk-sdk/releases) — https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/java-sdk-sdk/releases
- [Source / development resources](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/java-sdk-sdk) — https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/java-sdk-sdk
Version and supported environment information was confirmed on the official site as of 2026-10-18. Installation commands may vary depending on the distribution and version you use, so check the official installation documentation as well.

## Actual execution screen

Synthetic example — not an actual execution result. The screen is a synthetic example and not an actual execution result.

![MCP Java SDK usage example](https://games.aidebatehub.com/assets/java-sdk-demo.png)

A server in actual operation

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Source (HTML): https://games.aidebatehub.com/programs/mcp/protocol/java-sdk.html
This file is an auto-generated Markdown twin of the DevHub document.