macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install mcptoolslocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install mcptools with Homebrew
CLI for interacting with MCP servers using both stdio and HTTP transport. Version 0.7.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
CLI for interacting with MCP servers using both stdio and HTTP transport
Project links
Commands and aliases
- mcptools
history
Project history and usage
MCP Tools is a command-line interface for inspecting, calling, testing, mocking, and proxying Model Context Protocol servers. Its README describes it as a Swiss Army knife for MCP servers, with support for stdio and HTTP transports, multiple output formats, an interactive shell, a web interface, aliases, config management, mock servers, and project scaffolding.
Project history
The public GitHub repository was created in March 2025, during the first broad wave of standalone MCP utilities. The first GitHub release, v0.0.1, was published the same day as repository creation, and the project reached v0.7.1 by May 2025.
The README shows that the installed command may appear as `mcp`, `mcpt`, or `mcptools` depending on installation method and conflict avoidance. That naming detail is package-history relevant because `mcp` is a tempting but collision-prone binary name in the MCP ecosystem.
Adoption history
By July 2026, GitHub metadata showed about 1.6k stars and more than 100 forks, indicating meaningful adoption among MCP developers and operators. Its feature set is targeted at people building or debugging MCP servers rather than end users chatting with models.
The README includes Homebrew installation instructions via the project's tap as well as `go install`, showing the usual Go CLI distribution path: source install for cross-platform users and a package-manager path for macOS users.
How it is used
Common usage is to connect to an MCP server and list tools, resources, or prompts, then call a specific tool with JSON parameters. The README examples show using a filesystem MCP server over stdio, calling `read_file`, opening an interactive shell, and switching output among table, compact JSON, and pretty JSON formats.
For server developers, MCP Tools also provides mock server, proxy, guard, web UI, and scaffolding modes. That makes it less of a single-purpose client and more of a debugging and interoperability tool for MCP implementations.
Why package nerds care
MCP Tools is significant because protocol ecosystems usually need practical inspection tools before they become comfortable to package and operate. For MCP, `mcptools` fills the role that `curl`, `grpcurl`, or `jq`-heavy scripts fill elsewhere: a small CLI you can install and use to prove what a server exposes.
Its binary-name story also captures a packaging problem in young ecosystems: the obvious command name `mcp` is valuable but can conflict, so formulas and installers need aliases or alternate executable names.
Timeline
- 2025-03: Public GitHub repository created.
- 2025-03: v0.0.1 release published.
- 2025-05: v0.7.1 release published.
- 2026-07: Repository metadata shows about 1.6k stars and 124 forks.
Related projects
- MCP Tools is related to MCP server implementations, MCP Inspector-style workflows, and clients such as MCPHost. It complements MCPM by inspecting and exercising servers after they have been installed or configured.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:http,server
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
mcptools | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version0.7.1
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv0.7.1
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:mcptools |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.7.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/mcptools |
| Homepage | https://github.com/f/mcptools |
| Repository | https://github.com/f/mcptools |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/f/mcptools#readme |
| License | MIT |
| Source archive | https://github.com/f/mcptools/archive/refs/tags/v0.7.1.tar.gz |
| Build dependencies | go |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | mcptools |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment