Is DesktopCommanderMCP free to use? What license does it have?

DesktopCommanderMCP is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.

Is DesktopCommanderMCP still maintained?

Actively maintained. The last commit to DesktopCommanderMCP was on Oct 19, 2026.

What can I use DesktopCommanderMCP for?

Letting an AI assistant refactor code across a local project with small, reviewable edits Analyzing CSV, JSON or Excel files with Python code run in memory Driving SSH sessions or development servers from an AI chat Automating file organization or document conversion on a personal computer

How do I install DesktopCommanderMCP?

Run the setup command with Node.js installed: npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest setup Restart Claude Desktop if it is running

Where can I get DesktopCommanderMCP?

The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/wonderwhy-er/DesktopCommanderMCP

wonderwhy-er/DesktopCommanderMCP

MCP server that gives Claude and other AI clients terminal control, file search, diff-based file editing, and document handling on your local machine.

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Stars: 10,105
Forks: 1,290
Open issues: 315
Last commit: 16 hours ago

What is it?

Desktop Commander is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that lets AI clients such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code and Gemini CLI run terminal commands, manage processes and work with files on the computer where it runs. It is built on the MCP Filesystem Server and adds search and replace-based file editing, so an assistant can make targeted changes to code instead of rewriting whole files.

Beyond shell commands, it can start interactive programs such as Python, Node.js or SSH sessions and read their output in pages. It also reads and writes Excel, PDF and DOCX files, and it includes a file preview panel with a markdown editor for Claude Desktop. Local tool-call history is recorded to disk, and a Remote Device mode lets web-based AI services send commands to the local machine while it runs.

The server offers configurable safeguards such as a command blocklist, allowed directories and symlink traversal checks. The project's security documentation notes these are not a sandbox, and Docker installation is offered for isolation.

Key features

01Run terminal commands and interactive programs, with output pagination and background execution
02Search files and content, including text and Excel data
03Targeted search-and-replace edits as well as full file rewrites
04Read and write Excel, PDF and DOCX files
05File preview panel with a markdown editor in Claude Desktop
06Remote Device mode for connecting web-based AI services to the local machine

Use cases

Letting an AI assistant refactor code across a local project with small, reviewable edits
Analyzing CSV, JSON or Excel files with Python code run in memory
Driving SSH sessions or development servers from an AI chat
Automating file organization or document conversion on a personal computer

Quick start

1
Run the setup command with Node.js installed
npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest setup
2
Restart Claude Desktop if it is running

Things to know

Not a sandbox; it can run terminal commands and access files on your machine.
Option 5 (local checkout) requires manual git updates.

Topics

#mcp #ai-agent #terminal #file-system #code-editing #claude #automation #agent #ai #code-analysis

FAQ

What is DesktopCommanderMCP?: MCP server that gives Claude and other AI clients terminal control, file search, diff-based file editing, and document handling on your local machine. Desktop Commander is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that lets AI clients such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code and Gemini CLI run terminal commands, manage processes and work with files on the computer where it runs. It is built on the MCP Filesystem Server and adds search and replace-based file editing, so an assistant can make targeted changes to code instead of rewriting whole files.
Is DesktopCommanderMCP free to use? What license does it have?: DesktopCommanderMCP is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is DesktopCommanderMCP still maintained?: Actively maintained. The last commit to DesktopCommanderMCP was on Oct 19, 2026.
What can I use DesktopCommanderMCP for?: Letting an AI assistant refactor code across a local project with small, reviewable edits Analyzing CSV, JSON or Excel files with Python code run in memory Driving SSH sessions or development servers from an AI chat Automating file organization or document conversion on a personal computer
How do I install DesktopCommanderMCP?: Run the setup command with Node.js installed: npx @wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest setup Restart Claude Desktop if it is running
Where can I get DesktopCommanderMCP?: The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/wonderwhy-er/DesktopCommanderMCP

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