Cynicalsally

Brutally honest code reviews: scores, real issues, and usable fixes. CLI + MCP server.

Quick Install

Automated & IDE Setup

Copy the AI prompt to install this server into Claude Code, Cursor, or another agent — or use 1-click editor setup below.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code

Manual Client & Custom JSON ConfigExpand JSON ▾

Client Config & Setup

Choose your client or environment

Target File:~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cynicalsally": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "cynicalsally"
      ]
    }
  }
}

💡 Paste the JSON block into your client's configuration file under mcpServers, then restart the application.

Documentation Overview

Cynical Sally

Brutally honest code reviews. In your terminal and your AI editor.
Because "You're absolutely right" is probably absolutely wrong.
npm i -g @cynicalsally/cli · MCP server for Claude Code, Cursor & Windsurf

Your AI pair programmer is lying to you. Sally isn't.

sally roast — a real review, live in the terminal

She's the senior engineer your code hoped it'd never meet. Scores from 0 to 10, real issues backed by evidence, and fixes you can actually use.

Works as a CLI tool and as an MCP server in Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.

Sally code review with score and issues Sally actionable fixes and verdict

Install

Terminal

npm install -g @cynicalsally/cli

Or run without installing:

Terminal

npx @cynicalsally/cli roast ./src/

Requirements: Node.js 18+

See exactly what leaves your machine

Sending code to a server you don't control deserves more than "trust me." So Sally lets you verify it instead:

bash

sally roast --dry-run ./src/

--dry-run collects everything as if it were about to roast — then sends nothing. Instead it prints the exact payload: every file path, byte size, and token estimate; which files were held back and why (.env, keys, certs, binaries, .gitignore matches, size limits); and writes a local SHA-256 receipt to .sally/ so you can verify byte-for-byte what would have been uploaded.

text

WOULD SEND 3 files · 91 B · ~24 tokens (est.)
  src/app.ts        36 B   ~9 tok   68a3be428746…

HELD BACK 2 items — kept on your machine
  ✖ secret (2) — looks like a secret — never leaves your machine
      .env
      server.key

Secret files (.env, SSH keys, certs, credential files) are skipped on your machine before anything is sent — verify it yourself with --dry-run. Only review code you're allowed to upload. Local reports land in .sally/ — add it to your .gitignore:

gitignore

.sally/

See Privacy & Security below for the full data-flow.

Quick Start

bash

# Sally auto-detects what to review
sally roast
# → staged changes? reviews those
# → unstaged changes? reviews those
# → recent commit? reviews that
# → nothing? scans the directory

# Roast a file or directory
sally roast src/utils/auth.ts
sally roast ./src/

# Roast staged changes before you commit
sally roast --staged

# Compare your branch against main
sally roast --diff main

# Deep analysis with issues + actionable fixes
sally roast ./src/ -m full_truth

# Run deep analysis in the background (OS notification when done)
sally roast ./src/ -m full_truth --bg

# See exactly what would be sent — and send nothing
sally roast --dry-run ./src/

# Get a shareable roast card (saved to .sally/)
sally roast ./src/ --card

# Publish a share link — only the score + sneer go public, never your code
sally roast ./src/ --share

Roast Options

Code

sally roast [paths...] [options]

  --staged              Review only staged git changes
  --diff <branch>       Compare against another branch (e.g., main)
  -m, --mode <mode>     "quick" (default) or "full_truth" (deep dive)
  --tone <tone>         "cynical" (default), "neutral", or "professional"
  --lang <lang>         Response language code (default: "en")
  --json                Output raw JSON (for piping or scripting)
  --fail-under <score>  Exit code 1 if quality score is below threshold
  --ci                  CI mode: compact output, exit codes
  --bg                  Run Full Truth in background, get OS notification when done
  --dry-run             Print the exact payload (files, sizes, tokens, SHA-256) and send NOTHING
  --card                Print + save a shareable roast card after the review
  --share               Create a public share link (cynicalsally.com/card/…) — score + sneer only, never code

Get your repo's verdict — and a badge to prove it

Let Sally judge your whole repo and hand you a README badge with the score baked in:

bash

sally verdict

She scores the repo, then prints ready-to-paste badge markdown:

markdown

[![Cynical Sally Verdict](https://cynicalsally.com/api/v1/badge/repo/you/repo)](https://cynicalsally.com)

Score an 8 or higher and the badge is a flex worth wearing. Score lower and, well — it's an honest signal that you're shipping anyway. Either way the badge links back, so every README that wears it does the bragging for you.

Too lazy to copy-paste? Sally will hang it up herself:

bash

sally badge --add   # inserts the badge into README.md, right under the title
sally badge         # just prints the markdown (and your current score)

The badge image updates automatically on every new sally verdict — add it once, judged forever.

Sally's Full Suite

Six tools, three jobs. The most honest code reviewer you'll ever work with — in your terminal and your AI editor.

Sally's Full Suite

Ship faster — review-pr + refactor · Be less embarrassing — explain + brainstorm · Polish for humans — frontend + marketing

Explain

Sally reads the spaghetti someone left in your codebase and translates it into plain English. Just the cold, clear truth of what it actually does.

bash

sally explain src/utils/auth.ts

# Pipe code directly
cat legacy-module.js | sally explain

# Explain the current directory
sally explain

Refactor

Before and after, side by side. Sally explains why one of them is going to haunt your 3am on-call rotation.

bash

sally refactor src/components/Dashboard.tsx

# Refactor current directory
sally refactor

PR Review

Sally reviews your PR like a senior engineer who has time, opinions, and absolutely no reason to be polite.

bash

# Review PR #42 (requires GitHub CLI)
sally review-pr 42

# Review current branch vs main
sally review-pr

# Pipe a diff
git diff main | sally review-pr

Brainstorm

Pitch your architecture idea and Sally tells you the three ways it falls apart at scale. Cheaper than a post-mortem.

bash

sally brainstorm "Microservices for a 2-person team?"

# Brainstorm about the current project
sally brainstorm

Frontend Review

Sally tells you why your component re-renders on every keystroke and why your z-index is load-bearing.

bash

sally frontend src/components/Header.tsx

# Review all frontend code in a directory
sally frontend ./src/

Marketing Review

Run your copy by Sally before your customers do. They won't be this constructive about it.

bash

sally marketing "Ship faster with AI-powered code reviews"

# Review your README and landing page copy
sally marketing README.md

Read the full README →View source on GitHub →

Related MCP Servers

View all in Developer Tools View all alternatives

Reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to share how this listing worked for you.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cynicalsally

Add the following block to your claude_desktop_config.json under mcpServers: "mcpServers": { "cynicalsally": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "cynicalsally"] } }

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Technical Specs & Signals

CategoryDeveloper Tools

27Quality signal: Emerging · 27/100How this signal is calculated ▾

Server availabilityNot measured

Not scored for repo-hosted servers — we can't reach the running server, only its GitHub page. Hosted MCP endpoints are health-checked live.

Verified ownership8/20

Documentation & tools11/30

Adoption & activity1/15

Community engagement0/10

A guidance signal from public completeness & health data — not a user rating. New listings start lower and rise as they add docs, get verified, and grow adoption. Signals we can't observe for a listing are skipped, not counted against it.

★ Featured

AllMCPs Server

The official MCP server for AllMCPs.com - submit and manage tools directly from your AI. The open directory for MCP servers. Connect Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and AI agents to databases, tools, files, and APIs. Explore 10,000+ servers. AllMCPs is the premier, open directory for discovering, evaluating, and installing Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers to equip AI agents and LLMs with real-world superpowers.

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This directory is pre-filled from public sources. Claim via GitHub README, site badge, or DNS TXT to unlock edit access and the Official badge and attach your website — proof is checked automatically, then reviewed by our team.

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More in 💻 Developer Tools →Best MCP servers for Developers →Alternatives to Cynicalsally →Install in Claude Desktop Install in Cursor Install in VS Code

Cynicalsally

Brutally honest code reviews: scores, real issues, and usable fixes. CLI + MCP server.

Quick Install

Automated & IDE Setup

Copy the AI prompt to install this server into Claude Code, Cursor, or another agent — or use 1-click editor setup below.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code

Manual Client & Custom JSON ConfigExpand JSON ▾

Client Config & Setup

Choose your client or environment

Target File:~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cynicalsally": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "cynicalsally"
      ]
    }
  }
}

💡 Paste the JSON block into your client's configuration file under mcpServers, then restart the application.

Documentation Overview

Cynical Sally

Your AI pair programmer is lying to you. Sally isn't.

sally roast — a real review, live in the terminal

She's the senior engineer your code hoped it'd never meet. Scores from 0 to 10, real issues backed by evidence, and fixes you can actually use.

Works as a CLI tool and as an MCP server in Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.

Sally code review with score and issues Sally actionable fixes and verdict

Install

Terminal

npm install -g @cynicalsally/cli

Or run without installing:

Terminal

npx @cynicalsally/cli roast ./src/

Requirements: Node.js 18+

See exactly what leaves your machine

Sending code to a server you don't control deserves more than "trust me." So Sally lets you verify it instead:

bash

sally roast --dry-run ./src/

text

WOULD SEND 3 files · 91 B · ~24 tokens (est.)
  src/app.ts        36 B   ~9 tok   68a3be428746…

HELD BACK 2 items — kept on your machine
  ✖ secret (2) — looks like a secret — never leaves your machine
      .env
      server.key

gitignore

.sally/

See Privacy & Security below for the full data-flow.

Quick Start

bash

# Sally auto-detects what to review
sally roast
# → staged changes? reviews those
# → unstaged changes? reviews those
# → recent commit? reviews that
# → nothing? scans the directory

# Roast a file or directory
sally roast src/utils/auth.ts
sally roast ./src/

# Roast staged changes before you commit
sally roast --staged

# Compare your branch against main
sally roast --diff main

# Deep analysis with issues + actionable fixes
sally roast ./src/ -m full_truth

# Run deep analysis in the background (OS notification when done)
sally roast ./src/ -m full_truth --bg

# See exactly what would be sent — and send nothing
sally roast --dry-run ./src/

# Get a shareable roast card (saved to .sally/)
sally roast ./src/ --card

# Publish a share link — only the score + sneer go public, never your code
sally roast ./src/ --share

Roast Options

Code

sally roast [paths...] [options]

  --staged              Review only staged git changes
  --diff <branch>       Compare against another branch (e.g., main)
  -m, --mode <mode>     "quick" (default) or "full_truth" (deep dive)
  --tone <tone>         "cynical" (default), "neutral", or "professional"
  --lang <lang>         Response language code (default: "en")
  --json                Output raw JSON (for piping or scripting)
  --fail-under <score>  Exit code 1 if quality score is below threshold
  --ci                  CI mode: compact output, exit codes
  --bg                  Run Full Truth in background, get OS notification when done
  --dry-run             Print the exact payload (files, sizes, tokens, SHA-256) and send NOTHING
  --card                Print + save a shareable roast card after the review
  --share               Create a public share link (cynicalsally.com/card/…) — score + sneer only, never code

Get your repo's verdict — and a badge to prove it

Let Sally judge your whole repo and hand you a README badge with the score baked in:

bash

sally verdict

She scores the repo, then prints ready-to-paste badge markdown:

markdown

[![Cynical Sally Verdict](https://cynicalsally.com/api/v1/badge/repo/you/repo)](https://cynicalsally.com)

Too lazy to copy-paste? Sally will hang it up herself:

bash

sally badge --add   # inserts the badge into README.md, right under the title
sally badge         # just prints the markdown (and your current score)

The badge image updates automatically on every new sally verdict — add it once, judged forever.

Sally's Full Suite

Six tools, three jobs. The most honest code reviewer you'll ever work with — in your terminal and your AI editor.

Sally's Full Suite

Ship faster — review-pr + refactor · Be less embarrassing — explain + brainstorm · Polish for humans — frontend + marketing

Explain

Sally reads the spaghetti someone left in your codebase and translates it into plain English. Just the cold, clear truth of what it actually does.

bash

sally explain src/utils/auth.ts

# Pipe code directly
cat legacy-module.js | sally explain

# Explain the current directory
sally explain

Refactor

Before and after, side by side. Sally explains why one of them is going to haunt your 3am on-call rotation.

bash

sally refactor src/components/Dashboard.tsx

# Refactor current directory
sally refactor

PR Review

Sally reviews your PR like a senior engineer who has time, opinions, and absolutely no reason to be polite.

bash

# Review PR #42 (requires GitHub CLI)
sally review-pr 42

# Review current branch vs main
sally review-pr

# Pipe a diff
git diff main | sally review-pr

Brainstorm

Pitch your architecture idea and Sally tells you the three ways it falls apart at scale. Cheaper than a post-mortem.

bash

sally brainstorm "Microservices for a 2-person team?"

# Brainstorm about the current project
sally brainstorm

Frontend Review

Sally tells you why your component re-renders on every keystroke and why your z-index is load-bearing.

bash

sally frontend src/components/Header.tsx

# Review all frontend code in a directory
sally frontend ./src/

Marketing Review

Run your copy by Sally before your customers do. They won't be this constructive about it.

bash

sally marketing "Ship faster with AI-powered code reviews"

# Review your README and landing page copy
sally marketing README.md

Read the full README →View source on GitHub →

Related MCP Servers

View all in Developer Tools View all alternatives

Reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to share how this listing worked for you.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cynicalsally

Add the following block to your claude_desktop_config.json under mcpServers: "mcpServers": { "cynicalsally": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "cynicalsally"] } }

AllMCPs Directory Badge

Full Badge Customizer

Showcase your server listing on GitHub or your project documentation. Embed this dynamic SVG badge to highlight official listing status and live engagement.

Badge Style:

Live Dynamic SVG Preview

Markdown (GitHub README)

[![AllMCPs](https://allmcps.com/api/badge/cynicalsally?style=directory)](https://allmcps.com/mcp/cynicalsally)

HTML Embed

<a href="https://allmcps.com/mcp/cynicalsally"><img src="https://allmcps.com/api/badge/cynicalsally?style=directory" alt="Cynicalsally on AllMCPs" /></a>

Technical Specs & Signals

CategoryDeveloper Tools

27Quality signal: Emerging · 27/100How this signal is calculated ▾

Server availabilityNot measured

Not scored for repo-hosted servers — we can't reach the running server, only its GitHub page. Hosted MCP endpoints are health-checked live.

Verified ownership8/20

Documentation & tools11/30

Adoption & activity1/15

Community engagement0/10

★ Featured

AllMCPs Server

Explore Server →

Own this project?

Free dofollow backlink: add your website and place the AllMCPs badge on it — no claim needed. We detect it automatically and keep it verified as long as the badge stays live.

Claim & get free dofollow

Share & Embed

Add our SVG badge (dark/light directory styles) or embeddable widget to your site.

Explore more

More in 💻 Developer Tools →Best MCP servers for Developers →Alternatives to Cynicalsally →Install in Claude Desktop Install in Cursor Install in VS Code