The Top AI & MCP Tools to Watch in 2025: Where Does Craft CMS AI Stand?

The AI tool space moves fast. What worked six months ago might be outdated today. Meanwhile, MCP has emerged as the standard way for AI agents to connect with real-world tools and data sources. Understanding both landscapes helps you make better decisions about your tech stack.

This article breaks down the top AI and MCP tools worth watching in 2025, then gives you a realistic assessment of Craft CMS's AI capabilities. No marketing fluff—just practical information to help you choose the right tools for your projects.

Understanding AI and MCP Tools

What Are AI Tools?

AI tools use artificial intelligence—typically large language models like GPT-4, Claude, or Gemini—to automate tasks that usually require human thinking. They can write code, generate content, analyze data, or solve complex problems. Think of them as smart assistants that can handle everything from debugging code to planning project architecture.

What Is Model Context Protocol (MCP)?

MCP is like USB-C for AI. It's an open standard that lets AI agents securely connect to external tools, databases, and services. Instead of each AI tool needing custom integrations, MCP servers act as universal adapters.

For example, a Playwright MCP server lets any MCP-compatible AI agent control web browsers, scrape data, or run automated tests. The AI doesn't need to know the specifics of browser automation—it just connects through the MCP server.

Why This Matters in 2025

AI tools have moved beyond novelty into necessity for many teams. They're not just writing emails anymore—they're debugging production code, managing databases, and running entire workflows.

MCP servers make this possible by giving AI agents hands and feet in the digital world. Without MCP, AI agents are stuck in chat windows. With MCP, they can actually do work.

The Top AI Tools to Watch in 2025

Based on developer surveys, GitHub activity, and real-world usage patterns, here are the AI tools making the biggest impact:

Claude 4 Sonnet and Opus

Claude leads in reasoning and code generation. Developers praise its ability to understand large codebases and maintain context across long conversations. If you're working on complex software architecture or need an AI that can follow detailed technical discussions, Claude often performs best.

Gemini 2.5 Pro

Google's Gemini handles multiple input types—text, images, audio, and video—with context windows up to 2 million tokens. This makes it excellent for analyzing design files, converting mockups to code, or processing large documents. Teams working with visual content find it particularly useful.

GPT-4.1

Still the most versatile option for general-purpose AI work. GPT-4.1 excels at writing, brainstorming, and quick coding tasks. It has the largest ecosystem of tools and integrations, making it the safe choice for teams just starting with AI.

Cursor IDE

This AI-native code editor understands your entire codebase in real-time. Unlike traditional IDEs with AI plugins, Cursor was built from the ground up for AI-assisted development. Developers report significant productivity gains for refactoring and code review tasks.

Workflow Automation Tools

Gumloop, Lindy, Relay, and VectorShift represent the new generation of AI workflow builders. They let non-technical teams create AI agents that handle repetitive tasks like data entry, customer support, or content moderation.

Working with teams has taught us that the best AI tool depends heavily on your specific use case. A content team might love Gemini's multimodal capabilities, while developers often prefer Claude's reasoning abilities.

Leading MCP Servers in 2025

MCP servers are where the real productivity gains happen. These are the most impactful ones:

Playwright MCP Server

The most popular MCP server on GitHub (12,000 stars) handles browser automation. Connect it to any AI agent, and suddenly your AI can browse websites, fill forms, scrape data, or run UI tests. It's become essential for teams doing automated testing or data collection.

File System MCP

Lets AI agents read, write, and organize files on your computer. Simple but powerful—your AI assistant can now manage project files, organize downloads, or backup important documents.

GitHub MCP

Connects AI agents directly to GitHub repositories. The AI can review pull requests, create issues, manage branches, or analyze code changes. Development teams use this to automate routine repository management tasks.

Database MCP Servers (SQL, MongoDB)

These servers let AI agents query databases directly. Instead of writing SQL queries yourself, you can ask the AI to find specific data, generate reports, or update records. Just be careful with permissions—you don't want AI accidentally deleting production data.

Communication MCPs (Slack, Discord)

AI agents can now participate in team communications, post updates, or respond to common questions. Some teams have AI agents that automatically update project status or answer frequently asked questions in Slack channels.

Where Craft CMS Stands in the AI Space

Let's be direct: Craft CMS is not a leading AI platform. It doesn't appear in top AI tool rankings, and it's not built as an AI-native content management system.

Craft CMS's Actual AI Capabilities

Craft CMS handles AI through plugins, not core features. The main AI-focused plugin is Sidekick by Double Secret Agency, which provides AI-powered development assistance within the Craft admin panel. It helps with code suggestions, workflow advice, and development questions.

Other AI-adjacent plugins include SEOMate for AI-powered SEO suggestions and ImageOptimize for intelligent image processing. These are helpful but limited compared to dedicated AI tools.

No Native MCP Integration

Craft CMS doesn't support MCP servers out of the box. If you want to connect AI agents to your Craft site, you'll need custom development work or third-party integrations through APIs and webhooks.

The Plugin Reality

Craft's plugin ecosystem focuses on traditional CMS needs: SEO (Retour, SEOMate), e-commerce (Craft Commerce), forms (Freeform), and performance (Blitz, Imager X). AI plugins are niche additions, not central features.

We recommend thinking of Craft CMS as a solid, flexible CMS that can work alongside AI tools rather than as an AI-powered platform itself.

Practical Integration Approaches

If you're using Craft CMS and want to add AI capabilities, here are realistic options:

Plugin-Based AI Features

Install Sidekick for development assistance or SEOMate for content suggestions. These provide basic AI features without requiring custom development.

External AI Tool Integration

Use dedicated AI tools for heavy lifting, then connect them to Craft through APIs. For example, you might use Claude to generate content, then push it to Craft through its GraphQL API.

MCP Server Connections

Set up external MCP servers (like GitHub MCP or File System MCP) and connect them to your development workflow. While they won't integrate directly with Craft, they can automate tasks around your Craft projects.

Custom Development

For deeper integration, build custom modules that connect Craft to AI services. This requires development expertise but offers the most flexibility.

Teams we work with report that the most effective approach is using best-in-class AI tools for their specific strengths, then integrating them with existing systems like Craft CMS through APIs and custom development.

Making the Right Choice for Your Team

Consider your primary needs:

Choose dedicated AI tools if:

• You need advanced AI features like code generation, complex automation, or multimodal processing
• Your team works heavily with content creation, development, or data analysis
• You want access to the latest AI capabilities as they're released

Stick with Craft CMS plugins if:

• You need basic AI assistance within your existing Craft workflow
• Your AI needs are simple (SEO suggestions, image processing, development hints)
• You prefer keeping everything within one admin interface

Plan for integration if:

• You want the best of both worlds—Craft's flexibility plus powerful AI tools
• Your team has development resources to build custom connections
• You're willing to manage multiple tools for better capabilities

Professional Recommendations

For most teams, the best approach combines tools rather than seeking one AI-powered CMS. Use Craft CMS for what it does well—flexible content management and developer-friendly customization. Then connect dedicated AI tools for advanced automation and intelligence.

If your primary goal is AI-powered content creation or workflow automation, consider platforms specifically built for that purpose. Craft CMS can be part of your tech stack, but it probably shouldn't be your AI strategy.

For teams just starting with AI, begin with general-purpose tools like Claude or GPT-4 for content and development assistance. Add MCP servers as you identify specific automation opportunities. This approach lets you learn what works before committing to complex integrations.

Conclusion

Craft CMS remains a strong, flexible content management system with growing plugin support for AI features. However, it's not competing with dedicated AI tools like Claude, Cursor IDE, or MCP servers for advanced artificial intelligence capabilities.

The AI and MCP tool space in 2025 is dominated by specialized platforms that do specific things exceptionally well. Craft CMS serves a different purpose—providing developers with a reliable, customizable foundation for content-driven websites.

We've found that the most successful projects combine the right tools for each job rather than expecting one platform to excel at everything. Craft CMS can anchor your content strategy while dedicated AI tools handle automation, code generation, and complex workflows.

If you're evaluating AI integration options for your Craft CMS projects, we can help you assess which AI tools would complement your current setup and provide the biggest productivity gains for your specific content and development workflows.