Docs/Getting Started/Installation

Installation

Install XcodeBuildMCP via Homebrew or npm. Both give you the CLI and the MCP server. Once installed, head to Setup to wire it into your editor.

Requires macOS 14.5+Xcode 16.x+Node.js 18+ (npm only)

Requirements#

macOS 14.5 Sonoma or later
Xcode 16.x or later (Xcode 26+ unlocks the Xcode IDE Bridge)
Node.js 18+ if using the npm install path
Homebrew if using the Homebrew install path

Option A: Homebrew (recommended, no Node.js)#

shell

brew tap getsentry/xcodebuildmcp
brew install xcodebuildmcp

Upgrade later:

shell

brew update && brew upgrade xcodebuildmcp

Option B: npm / npx#

For CLI use, install globally:

shell

npm install -g xcodebuildmcp@latest
xcodebuildmcp --help

For MCP-server-only use, no global install needed, just reference npx in your MCP client config (covered in Setup).

Pin a specific version by replacing @latest with a tag, for example @2.3.2.

Verify#

Run the doctor to check your environment:

shell

npx --package xcodebuildmcp@latest xcodebuildmcp-doctor

Or, if you installed globally:

shell

xcodebuildmcp-doctor

The doctor reports on Node/Xcode versions, required dependencies, environment variables, and feature availability. Always include its output when filing an issue.

Uninstall#

shell

# Homebrew
brew uninstall xcodebuildmcp

# npm
npm uninstall -g xcodebuildmcp

Next step#

With XcodeBuildMCP installed, head to Setup to wire it into your editor, run the project config wizard, and do your first build.