PluginBench
MCP Server
Active
MIT

com.xcodebuildmcp/XcodeBuildMCP MCP Server

com.xcodebuildmcp/XcodeBuildMCP

MCP server for Xcode project management, simulator control, and iOS/macOS app development automation.

RepositoryRegistry

What is the com.xcodebuildmcp/XcodeBuildMCP MCP server?

XcodeBuildMCP is an MCP server that provides tools for managing Xcode projects, controlling iOS/macOS simulators, and automating app builds and tests. It works as both an MCP server for AI agents and a CLI for direct terminal use, enabling automated iOS and macOS development workflows.

XcodeBuildMCP gives AI agents and developers command-line access to Xcode build automation, simulator management, and app testing. Use it to build apps for simulators, run tests, manage devices, and automate iOS/macOS development tasks without manual Xcode interaction.

How to install com.xcodebuildmcp/XcodeBuildMCP

Copy-paste configuration for popular MCP clients.

transport: stdio
Config generated by PluginBench — verify against the source before use.
Environment / auth
  • INCREMENTAL_BUILDS_ENABLED

    Enable experimental xcodemake incremental builds (true/false or 1/0).

  • XCODEBUILDMCP_ENABLED_WORKFLOWS

    Comma-separated list of workflows to load at startup (e.g., 'simulator,device,project-discovery').

  • XCODEBUILDMCP_SENTRY_DISABLED

    Disable Sentry error reporting (preferred flag).

  • XCODEBUILDMCP_DEBUG

    Enable verbose debug logging from the server.

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "XcodeBuildMCP": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "xcodebuildmcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "INCREMENTAL_BUILDS_ENABLED": "<YOUR_INCREMENTAL_BUILDS_ENABLED>",
        "XCODEBUILDMCP_ENABLED_WORKFLOWS": "<YOUR_XCODEBUILDMCP_ENABLED_WORKFLOWS>",
        "XCODEBUILDMCP_SENTRY_DISABLED": "<YOUR_XCODEBUILDMCP_SENTRY_DISABLED>",
        "XCODEBUILDMCP_DEBUG": "<YOUR_XCODEBUILDMCP_DEBUG>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools & capabilities

Tools this server exposes to the agent.

  • simulator build — Build iOS/macOS apps for simulator targets, with options for test product preparation
  • simulator test — Run tests on prepared test products in simulators
  • device management — Manage connected iOS/macOS devices (requires code signing configuration)
  • project tools — List and inspect available Xcode project tools

Use cases

  • Build and test iOS apps in simulators automatically as part of CI/CD pipelines
  • Run unit and integration tests on multiple simulator configurations without manual setup
  • Automate Xcode project builds with custom schemes and configurations from CLI or AI agents
  • Prepare portable test products for reproducible testing across environments
  • Manage simulator state and device configurations programmatically

com.xcodebuildmcp/XcodeBuildMCP MCP server FAQ

What is XcodeBuildMCP?

XcodeBuildMCP is an MCP server that automates Xcode builds, simulator management, and testing for iOS and macOS projects. It works with AI agents like Claude and Cursor, or as a standalone CLI tool.

Is XcodeBuildMCP free?

Yes, XcodeBuildMCP is open-source under the MIT License and free to use.

How do I install XcodeBuildMCP in Cursor or Claude?

Install via npm (npm install -g xcodebuildmcp@latest) or Homebrew, then add the MCP server config to your client. See https://xcodebuildmcp.com/docs/clients for drop-in config snippets for Cursor and Claude.

What are the system requirements?

macOS 14.5+, Xcode 16.x, and Node.js 18.x (not required for Homebrew installation).

Do I need authentication or API keys?

No API keys required. Device tools require Xcode code signing to be configured. XcodeBuildMCP uses Sentry for error telemetry only; see docs for opt-out.

Can I use XcodeBuildMCP as a CLI without an MCP client?

Yes. Run xcodebuildmcp commands directly in the terminal for building, testing, and managing simulators without needing an MCP client.

README (reference)

Source of truth, from the repository.

<img src="assets/banner.png" alt="XcodeBuild MCP" width="600"/>

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server and CLI that provides tools for agent use when working on iOS and macOS projects.

CI npm version License: MIT Node.js Xcode 16 macOS MCP Ask DeepWiki AgentAudit Security pkg.pr.new

Installation

XcodeBuildMCP ships as a single package with two modes: a CLI for direct terminal use and an MCP server for AI coding agents. Either install method gives you both.

Option A — Homebrew

brew tap getsentry/xcodebuildmcp
brew install xcodebuildmcp

Option B — npm (Node.js 18+)

npm install -g xcodebuildmcp@latest

Verify either install:

xcodebuildmcp --help

Connect your MCP client

Drop-in config snippets for Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, can be found in the official docs page MCP Clients. Most clients can also run the MCP server on demand via npx -y xcodebuildmcp@latest mcp without a global install.

Requirements

  • macOS 14.5 or later
  • Xcode 16.x or later
  • Node.js 18.x or later (not required for Homebrew installation)

Skills

XcodeBuildMCP now includes two optional agent skills:

  • MCP Skill: Primes the agent with instructions on how to use the MCP server's tools (optional when using the MCP server).

  • CLI Skill: Primes the agent with instructions on how to navigate the CLI (recommended when using the CLI).

To install with a global binary:

xcodebuildmcp init

Or install directly via npx without a global install:

npx -y xcodebuildmcp@latest init

For further information on installing skills, see Agent Skills.

Notes

  • XcodeBuildMCP requests xcodebuild to skip macro validation to avoid errors when building projects that use Swift Macros.
  • Device tools require code signing to be configured in Xcode. See Device Code Signing.

Privacy

XcodeBuildMCP uses Sentry for internal runtime error telemetry only. For details and opt-out instructions, see Privacy & Telemetry.

CLI

XcodeBuildMCP provides a unified command-line interface. The mcp subcommand starts the MCP server, while all other commands provide direct terminal access to tools:

# Install globally
npm install -g xcodebuildmcp@latest

# Start the MCP server (for MCP clients)
xcodebuildmcp mcp

# List available tools
xcodebuildmcp tools

# Build for simulator
xcodebuildmcp simulator build --scheme MyApp --project-path ./MyApp.xcodeproj

# Prepare portable test products without running tests
xcodebuildmcp simulator build --scheme MyApp --project-path ./MyApp.xcodeproj --simulator-name "iPhone 17" --build-for-testing --test-products-path ./MyApp.xctestproducts

# Run previously prepared test products
xcodebuildmcp simulator test --test-products-path ./MyApp.xctestproducts --simulator-name "iPhone 17"

Check for updates and upgrade in place:

xcodebuildmcp upgrade --check
xcodebuildmcp upgrade --yes

The CLI uses a per-workspace daemon for stateful operations (log capture, debugging, etc.) that auto-starts when needed. See the CLI guide for full documentation.

Documentation

Licence

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details. For third-party licensing notices see the THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES file for details. For npm package attributions see the THIRD_PARTY_PACKAGE_LICENSES file for details.

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