Iterm MCP vs When

In-depth architectural comparison of the Iterm MCP 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.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Iterm MCP 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: write_to_terminal, read_terminal_output, send_control_character.

Explore Iterm MCP 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	Iterm MCP ferrislucas Command Line	When WhenLabs-org Command Line
Summary	A Model Context Protocol server that provides access to iTerm. You can run commands and ask questions about what you see in the iTerm terminal.	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	Command Line

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

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).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ferrislucas-iterm-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "iterm-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

Related MCP Server Comparisons