Can I use multiple MCP servers at once?

Yes. MCP clients are designed to connect to many servers simultaneously and merge their tool sets into one unified interface. In Claude Desktop, you list each server under the mcpServers key in claude_desktop_config.json. The model sees all available tools and picks the right one for each request. Be aware that loading ten or more servers can bloat the system prompt with tool definitions and burn context tokens. If you hit limits, group servers into presets or disable unused ones. Some users run a virtual MCP gateway that aggregates multiple backends behind a single endpoint to simplify configuration and reduce token overhead.