Imagine MCP - install, status & alternatives [2026]

01 · Install Imagine MCP

before you install - you'll need

Set UNDERSTAND_MODELS before connecting. GEMINI_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY are optional or environment-specific per the README.

Claude Code

claude mcp add n24q02m-imagine-mcp -- uvx imagine-mcp

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n24q02m-imagine-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "imagine-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions · container (OCI image) - can be sandboxed away from your filesystem

repository archived on GitHub - read-only; no future fixes, security or otherwise

license Apache-2.0 - declared in the repository

pypi package imagine-mcp - check the name against the project README before installing (PyPI has no namespace ownership)

registry namespace io.github.n24q02m is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Imagine MCP can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

What you can build

With this server connected, an agent can describe or reason over one or more image/video URLs. media_urls: list[str], prompt: str, provider, tier, max_tokens, and generate an image or video from a text prompt. media_type: image\.

Capability map

Tools grouped from the project's README - what Imagine MCP lets an agent do.

Config

2 tools - e.g. Credential + runtime config: check credential state, set runtime knobs (log level, default provider, TTL), clear response cache.; Framework-injected helper (mcp-core); opens the browser credential form.

config · config__open_relay

Understand

1 tool - e.g. Describe or reason over one or more image/video URLs. media_urls: list[str], prompt: str, provider, tier, max_tokens.

understand

Generate

1 tool - e.g. Generate an image or video from a text prompt. media_type: image\

generate

Help

1 tool - e.g. Full Markdown documentation for understand, generate, or config topics.

help

Latest releases

v1.11.6 · 2026-09-12

v1.11.6 (2026-09-12) · _This release is published under the Apache-2.0 License._ · Update @cloudflare/workers-types to ^5.20260905.1 (#652, 19bc9e2) · Update mcp to >=2.2.0 (#651, 4c278cb) · --- · Detailed Changes…

v1.11.5 · 2026-09-12

v1.11.5 (2026-09-12) · _This release is published under the Apache-2.0 License._ · Bump google-genai and mcp; keep pydantic-settings/mcp-core blocked (#647, bd40626) · --- · Detailed Changes: v1.11.4...v1.11.5

v1.11.4 · 2026-09-12

v1.11.4 (2026-09-12) · _This release is published under the Apache-2.0 License._ · Update ruff to >=0.16.6 (#646, 1ff7147) · --- · Detailed Changes: v1.11.3...v1.11.4

04 · Who maintains Imagine MCP

imagine-mcp is maintained by n24q02m. We track 9 MCP servers from n24q02m - 3 actively maintained, 219 combined GitHub stars, oldest repo from Dec 2025. Full record: all servers from n24q02m.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/n24q02m/imagine-mcp
category: media - dead as of 2026-09-18.
release cadence: 9 releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-09-12)
registry: io.github.n24q02m/imagine-mcp (active, first published 2026-04-24 · 31 versions)
packages: pypi:imagine-mcp · oci:docker.io/n24q02m/imagine-mcp:latest

06 · Imagine MCP FAQ

Is Imagine MCP still maintained?

Its last commit was 2026-09-13 (as of 2026-09-18) - we classify it as dead.

What can Imagine MCP do?

With this server connected, an agent can describe or reason over one or more image/video URLs. media_urls: list[str], prompt: str, provider, tier, max_tokens, and generate an image or video from a text prompt. media_type: image\.

How do I install Imagine MCP?

Run `uvx imagine-mcp`. The README documents 3 environment variables (GEMINI_API_KEY, UNDERSTAND_MODELS, OPENAI_API_KEY) to set first. Set UNDERSTAND_MODELS before connecting. GEMINI_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY are optional or environment-specific per the README. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Imagine MCP run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via uvx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Imagine MCP

Alternatives to Imagine MCP

Maintained media servers if Imagine MCP isn't the fit.