What is the key difference between Forge and When?

Forge belongs to the Command Line category with local stdio execution, while When belongs to the Command Line category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Forge or When in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Forge and When free or paid?

Forge operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). When operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Forge lists 25 tools with 4 views and 23 GitHub stars. When lists 6 tools with 2 views and 3 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Forge and When together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Forge vs When

In-depth architectural comparison of the Forge and When MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Forge

Command Line · Local stdio

Quality: 61/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

When

Command Line · Local stdio

Quality: 56/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Forge if you need specialized Command Line tools running via a local process. Choose When if your workspace requires Command Line integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Forge when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Command Line domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: create_terminal, revive_terminal, create_from_template.

Explore Forge Details

Choose When when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Command Line domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: Single MCP server exposing eight endpoints for six tools, Auto-detect stack and regenerate context files, Port conflict scanning.

Explore When Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Forge ferodrigop Command Line	When WhenLabs-org Command Line
Summary	Terminal MCP server for AI coding agents with persistent PTY sessions, ring-buffer incremental reads, headless xterm screen capture, multi-agent orchestration, and a real-time web dashboard.	Developer toolkit: auto-detect stack for AI context files, catch port conflicts, validate .env schemas, spot docs drift, audit dependency licenses, and time coding tasks — 7 MCP tools, one install.
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Forge Tools (25)

create_terminal

Spawn a new PTY terminal session. Returns session ID for subsequent operations.

revive_terminal

Recreate a previously exited terminal session with the same command, working directory, name, tags, and dimensions. The old session is removed and a fresh one is spawned.

create_from_template

Create a terminal session from a pre-configured template (e.g., shell, next-dev, vite-dev, npm-test).

list_templates

List all available session templates.

spawn_claude

Spawn a Claude Code agent in a new terminal session. IMPORTANT: cwd must be set explicitly — there is no session inheritance. By default runs in interactive mode — the session stays alive and accepts follow-up messages via the dashboard. Use oneShot: true for autonomous --print mode. Use worktree + branch to run in an isolated git worktree.

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

Forge Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ferodrigop-forge": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "forge-terminal-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

When Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "whenlabs-org-when": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@whenlabs/when"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Forge is categorized under Command Line and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, When belongs to Command Line using local stdio subprocess. Select Forge when you need capabilities focused on command line and When when you require tools for command line.

More alternatives to Forge More alternatives to When Command Line category hub