PlanExe MCP Server
io.github.PlanExeOrg/planexe
Turn a plain-English idea into a 40-page draft project plan via MCP in ~15 minutes.
What is the PlanExe MCP server?
PlanExe is an MCP server that turns a natural-language project idea into a comprehensive ~40-page draft plan (executive summary, Gantt chart, governance structure, role descriptions, stakeholder maps, risk registers, SWOT analysis) in about 15 minutes. It's accessible as a remote hosted MCP endpoint or can be run locally via Docker, and is designed to be used by AI agents as planning infrastructure.
PlanExe is an open-source MCP server that generates structured, domain-aware rough-draft project plans from a single natural-language goal statement, using local or cloud LLMs. Output includes an executive summary, Gantt chart, governance structure, role descriptions, stakeholder maps, risk registers, and SWOT analyses — a first-draft scaffold meant to be critiqued and refined rather than used as a client-ready deliverable. It's available as a hosted remote MCP endpoint (requiring an account and API key) or can be self-hosted locally via Docker with an OpenRouter or Ollama/LM Studio model backend.
How to install PlanExe
Copy-paste configuration for popular MCP clients.
X-API-KeyrequiredsecretPlanExe API key (UserApiKey from home.planexe.org, usually prefixed pex_).
{
"mcpServers": {
"planexe": {
"url": "https://mcp.planexe.org/mcp"
}
}
}{
"mcpServers": {
"planexe": {
"serverUrl": "https://mcp.planexe.org/mcp"
}
}
}{
"servers": {
"planexe": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://mcp.planexe.org/mcp"
}
}
}{
"mcpServers": {
"planexe": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"mcp-remote",
"https://mcp.planexe.org/mcp"
]
}
}
}claude mcp add --transport http planexe https://mcp.planexe.org/mcpTools & capabilities
Tools this server exposes to the agent.
example_plans— Optional tool to preview what PlanExe output looks like.example_prompts— Returns example prompts showing the expected format for plan requests.model_profiles— Optional tool that helps choose a model_profile for plan generation.plan_create— Creates a new plan from a natural-language prompt; returns a plan_id.plan_status— Polls the status of a plan generation job using its plan_id.plan_retry— Retries plan generation if a previous plan_create attempt failed.plan_file_info— Retrieves information for downloading the completed plan result.
Use cases
- Generate a first-draft business plan for a new venture idea in minutes
- Create a Gantt chart, governance structure, and stakeholder map scaffold for a project pilot
- Produce a risk register and SWOT analysis as a starting point for further refinement
- Let an AI agent autonomously draft and iterate on project plans via the MCP workflow
- Quickly brainstorm and outline a project before investing in a detailed, client-ready plan
PlanExe MCP server FAQ
It exposes tools (example_prompts, plan_create, plan_status, plan_retry, plan_file_info, example_plans, model_profiles) that let an MCP client submit a natural-language project idea and receive a ~40-page draft plan with sections like executive summary, Gantt chart, governance structure, risk register, and SWOT analysis.
The remote hosted endpoint (https://mcp.planexe.org/mcp) requires an account, an API key, and sufficient account funds to create plans. Alternatively, you can self-host it locally for free via Docker using your own OpenRouter, Ollama, or LM Studio API key/model.
Add the remote MCP endpoint https://mcp.planexe.org/mcp with an X-API-Key header set to your PlanExe API key (pex_...) in your client's MCP server configuration. Setup guides are provided for Claude, Cursor, Codex, LM Studio, Windsurf, and Antigravity at docs.planexe.org/mcp/.
The remote server requires an X-API-Key header with a PlanExe API key obtained from an account at home.planexe.org. When running locally via Docker with default docker-compose settings, authentication is disabled.
Yes. Clone the repo, set an OPENROUTER_API_KEY in a .env file, run `docker compose up --build`, and connect your MCP client to http://localhost:8001/mcp.
The README describes it as a first-draft scaffold with correct terminology and logical structure, but notes that budgets are assumed, timelines aren't grounded in real constraints, risk mitigations are generic, and legal/regulatory details are plausible but unverified — so output should be treated as a starting point, not a final deliverable.
README (reference)
Source of truth, from the repository.
Example plans generated with PlanExe
- A business plan for a Minecraft-themed escape room.
- A business plan for a Faraday cage manufacturing company.
- A pilot project for a Human as-a Service.
- See more examples here.
What is PlanExe?
PlanExe is an open-source tool and the premier planning tool for AI agents. It turns a single plain-english goal statement into a 40-page, strategic plan in ~15 minutes using local or cloud models. It's an accelerator for outlines, but no silver bullet for polished plans.
Typical output contains:
- Executive summary
- Gantt chart
- Governance structure
- Role descriptions
- Stakeholder maps
- Risk registers
- SWOT analyses
PlanExe produces well-structured, domain-aware output: correct terminology, logical task sequencing, and coherent sections. For technical topics (engineering programs, regulated industries), it often gets the vocabulary and structure right. Think of it as a first-draft scaffold that gives you something concrete to critique and refine.
However, the output has consistent weaknesses that matter: budgets are assumed rather than derived, timeline estimates are not grounded in real resource constraints, risk mitigations tend toward generic advice, and legal/regulatory details are plausible-sounding but unverified. The output should be treated as a structured starting point, not a deliverable. How much work it saves depends heavily on the project. For brainstorming or a first outline, it can save hours. For a client-ready plan, expect significant rework on every number, timeline, and risk section.
Model Context Protocol (MCP)
PlanExe exposes an MCP server for AI agents at https://mcp.planexe.org/
Assuming you have an MCP-compatible client (Claude, Cursor, Codex, LM Studio, Windsurf, OpenClaw, Antigravity).
The Tool workflow
example_plans(optional, preview what PlanExe output looks like)example_promptsmodel_profiles(optional, helps choosemodel_profile)- non-tool step: draft/approve prompt
plan_createplan_status(poll every 5 minutes until done)- optional if failed:
plan_retry - download the result via
plan_file_info
Concurrency note: each plan_create call returns a new plan_id; server-side global per-client concurrency is not capped, so clients should track their own parallel plans.
Option A: Remote MCP (fastest path)
Prerequisites
- An account at https://home.planexe.org.
- Sufficient funds to create plans.
- A PlanExe API key (
pex_...) from your account
Use this endpoint directly in your MCP client:
{
"mcpServers": {
"planexe": {
"url": "https://mcp.planexe.org/mcp",
"headers": {
"X-API-Key": "pex_your_api_key_here"
}
}
}
}
Option B: Run MCP server locally with Docker
Prerequisites
- Docker
- OpenRouter account
- Create a PlanExe
.envfile withOPENROUTER_API_KEY.
Start the full stack:
docker compose up --build
Make sure that you can create plans in the web interface, before proceeding to MCP.
Then connect your client to:
http://localhost:8001/mcp
For local docker defaults, auth is disabled in docker-compose.yml.
MCP docs
- Setup overview: https://docs.planexe.org/mcp/mcp_setup/
- Tool details and flow: https://docs.planexe.org/mcp/mcp_details/
- Claude: https://docs.planexe.org/mcp/claude/
- Cursor: https://docs.planexe.org/mcp/cursor/
- Codex: https://docs.planexe.org/mcp/codex/
- PlanExe MCP interface: https://docs.planexe.org/mcp/planexe_mcp_interface/
- MCP Registry publishing metadata (
server.json):mcp_cloud/server.json llms.txt: https://mcp.planexe.org/llms.txt
Running the Pipeline via CLI (no frontend)
If you have a local Python environment set up and want to invoke the pipeline
directly — without the Flask UI — use the planexe CLI script at
the repo root.
# Create a plan from a text prompt
./planexe create_plan \
--plan-text "Small coffee shop in Copenhagen, Denmark" \
--output-dir ./planexe-outputs/1984-12-31/MyCoffeeShop_v1
# Or: read the plan prompt from a file
./planexe create_plan \
--plan-file my_plan.txt \
--output-dir ./planexe-outputs/1984-12-31/MyCoffeeShop_v1
The script creates the run directory if it does not exist and writes:
| File | Contents |
|---|---|
start_time.json | {"server_iso_utc": "<current UTC ISO timestamp>"} |
plan.txt | The plain-text plan prompt |
For AI Agents
PlanExe is designed as infrastructure for AI agents. If you are an AI agent reading this:
- Discovery: Read
public/llms.txtfor service metadata, MCP tools, and endpoints. - MCP endpoint:
https://mcp.planexe.org/mcp— connect with an API key from home.planexe.org. - Workflow: Call
example_promptsto learn the expected prompt format, draft a detailed prompt (~300-800 words of flowing prose), then callplan_create. - Agent guide: See
docs/mcp/autonomous_agent_guide.mdfor the complete autonomous workflow. - Key outputs in zip:
wbs_level1.json(work packages),wbs_level2.json(tasks),pre_project_assessment.json(feasibility).
<details> <summary><strong> Run locally with Docker (Click to expand)</strong></summary> <br>
Prerequisite: Docker with Docker Compose installed; you only need basic Docker knowledge. No local Python setup is required because everything runs in containers.
Follow these steps
- Clone the repo and enter it:
git clone https://github.com/PlanExeOrg/PlanExe.git
cd PlanExe
-
Provide an LLM provider. Copy
.env.docker-exampleto.envand fill inOPENROUTER_API_KEYwith your key from OpenRouter. The containers mount.envandllm_config/; pick a model profile there. For host-side Ollama, use thedocker-ollama-llama3.1entry and ensure Ollama is listening onhttp://host.docker.internal:11434. -
Start the stack (first run builds the images):
docker compose up worker_plan frontend_multi_user
The worker listens on http://localhost:8000 and the UI comes up on http://localhost:5001 after the Postgres and worker healthchecks pass.
- Open http://localhost:5001 in your browser, create an account (or log in with the admin credentials from
.env), enter your idea, and watch progress with:
docker compose logs -f worker_plan
Outputs are written to run/ on the host (mounted into both containers).
- Stop with
Ctrl+C(ordocker compose down). Rebuild after code/dependency changes:
docker compose build --no-cache worker_plan frontend_multi_user
For compose tips, alternate ports, or troubleshooting, see docs/docker.md or docker-compose.md.
Configuration
Config A: Run a model in the cloud using a paid provider. Follow the instructions in OpenRouter.
Config B: Run models locally on a high-end computer. Follow the instructions for either Ollama or LM Studio. When using host-side tools with Docker, point the model URL at the host (for example http://host.docker.internal:11434 for Ollama).
Recommendation: I recommend Config A as it offers the most straightforward path to getting PlanExe working reliably.
</details><details> <summary><strong> Help (Click to expand)</strong></summary> <br>
For help or feedback.
Join the PlanExe Discord.
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