@smithery/cli
MCP ServerFreeAn NPX command to install and list Model Context Protocols from Smithery
Capabilities5 decomposed
mcp server discovery and installation from registry
Medium confidenceDiscovers Model Context Protocol servers published to the Smithery registry and installs them locally via NPX invocation. The CLI queries the Smithery registry API to enumerate available MCPs, resolves dependencies, and orchestrates the installation workflow by downloading and configuring server binaries or Node.js packages into the user's environment. Installation includes automatic configuration file generation for client integration.
Provides a centralized Smithery registry specifically for MCP servers, eliminating the need to manually locate and configure MCPs from disparate GitHub repositories. The CLI abstracts away MCP server setup complexity by handling dependency resolution, binary placement, and client configuration generation in a single command.
Faster and more discoverable than manually cloning MCP repositories and configuring them by hand; more curated than searching npm for MCP packages without a dedicated registry.
mcp server listing and metadata inspection
Medium confidenceQueries the Smithery registry to enumerate all available MCP servers and displays their metadata including name, description, version, author, and compatibility information. The CLI fetches server manifests from the registry API and formats them for human-readable output, supporting filtering and sorting options to help users discover relevant MCPs for their use case.
Provides a unified registry view of all MCP servers with standardized metadata, rather than requiring users to search npm, GitHub, or other fragmented sources. The CLI integrates directly with Smithery's curated MCP registry, ensuring discoverability of production-ready servers.
More discoverable than searching npm for 'mcp' packages; more curated and MCP-specific than generic package registries.
local mcp installation management and configuration
Medium confidenceManages the lifecycle of locally installed MCP servers, including installation paths, configuration files, and integration with MCP clients (Claude, etc.). The CLI maintains a local registry of installed MCPs, generates client-compatible configuration (typically in ~/.mcp/servers.json or similar), and provides commands to list, update, or remove installed servers. Configuration generation handles environment variable substitution and client-specific formatting.
Provides centralized local state management for MCP installations, tracking which servers are installed, their versions, and their configuration. The CLI generates client-compatible configuration files automatically, abstracting away the manual JSON editing that would otherwise be required.
Simpler than manually managing MCP server configurations in JSON files; more reliable than ad-hoc installation scripts because it maintains consistent state.
npx-based zero-install mcp server execution
Medium confidenceEnables running MCP servers directly via NPX without requiring a pre-installed local copy, using the Smithery registry as the source of truth for server binaries and versions. The CLI resolves the MCP server name to a registry entry, downloads the appropriate binary or Node.js package on-demand, and executes it with the correct environment configuration. This pattern supports both one-off execution and integration with MCP clients that invoke servers dynamically.
Leverages NPX's package resolution to enable MCP server execution without pre-installation, treating the Smithery registry as a dynamic source of executable MCPs. This pattern is unique to registry-based MCP distribution and eliminates the need for local package management in ephemeral environments.
More flexible than pre-installed MCPs for testing and CI/CD; more convenient than manually downloading and executing server binaries.
mcp server version resolution and compatibility checking
Medium confidenceResolves semantic version specifiers (e.g., '^1.0.0', '~2.1.x') against the Smithery registry to determine compatible MCP server versions, and validates compatibility with the user's MCP client and other installed servers. The CLI queries registry metadata to identify available versions, applies semver matching rules, and performs basic compatibility checks (e.g., MCP protocol version compatibility, required dependencies).
Integrates semver resolution with MCP-specific compatibility metadata from the Smithery registry, enabling intelligent version selection that accounts for both npm package versioning and MCP protocol compatibility. This is distinct from generic npm version resolution because it considers MCP client compatibility constraints.
More intelligent than blindly installing 'latest' because it validates MCP protocol compatibility; more reliable than manual version selection because it automates semver matching.
Capabilities are decomposed by AI analysis. Each maps to specific user intents and improves with match feedback.
Related Artifactssharing capabilities
Artifacts that share capabilities with @smithery/cli, ranked by overlap. Discovered automatically through the match graph.
mcp-get
** - Command line tool for installing and managing MCP servers by **[Michael Latman](https://github.com/michaellatman)**
install-mcp
A CLI tool to install and manage MCP servers.
add-mcp
Add MCP servers to your favorite coding agents with a single command.
OpenTools
** - An open registry for finding, installing, and building with MCP servers by **[opentoolsteam](https://github.com/opentoolsteam)**
MCP Linker
** - A cross-platform Tauri GUI tool for one-click setup and management of MCP servers, supporting Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, Cline, and Neovim.
1mcpserver
** - MCP of MCPs. Automatic discovery and configure MCP servers on your local machine. Fully REMOTE! Just use [https://mcp.1mcpserver.com/mcp/](https://mcp.1mcpserver.com/mcp/)
Best For
- ✓developers building AI applications with Claude or other MCP-compatible clients
- ✓teams standardizing on MCP for tool integration across multiple projects
- ✓non-technical users who want one-command MCP setup without manual configuration
- ✓developers exploring the MCP ecosystem for the first time
- ✓teams evaluating which MCPs to standardize on for their AI application stack
- ✓MCP server authors wanting to verify their server is discoverable in the registry
- ✓developers managing multiple MCP servers across different projects
- ✓teams with centralized MCP server deployments that need version tracking
Known Limitations
- ⚠Limited to MCPs published to the Smithery registry — private or self-hosted MCPs require manual installation
- ⚠Installation assumes Node.js or compatible runtime available on the system
- ⚠No built-in version pinning or dependency conflict resolution — relies on NPM's semver resolution
- ⚠Configuration generation may require manual edits for complex MCP server setups with custom environment variables
- ⚠Listing performance degrades if the registry contains thousands of MCPs — no pagination or lazy-loading in early versions
- ⚠Metadata is only as complete as what server authors provide to the registry — some MCPs may have minimal documentation
Requirements
Input / Output
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Package Details
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An NPX command to install and list Model Context Protocols from Smithery
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