Hammerspoon vs Hammerspoon MCP
A side-by-side look at the Hammerspoon and Hammerspoon MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Hammerspoon for os automation work as a local process; choose Hammerspoon MCP for os automation as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Hammerspoon when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the OS Automation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
hs_list_windows, hs_focus_window, hs_move_window.
Choose Hammerspoon MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the OS Automation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
HS_MCP_TOOLS. - You want tools like
hs_health, hs_api_search, hs_console_tail.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | OS Automation | OS Automation |
| Quality signal | 53/100 · Good | 52/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | HS_MCP_TOOLS |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 2 | 1 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 75 | 24 |
| Full listing | View Hammerspoon | View Hammerspoon MCP |
Tools & capabilities
Hammerspoon tools 75
hs_list_windowsAll visible windows with app, title, frame, idhs_focus_windowBring window to front by id or title matchhs_move_windowMove/resize window by idhs_window_layout16 presets (halves, thirds, quarters, grid, cascade, center…) + custom fractional layoutshs_save_layoutSnapshot all window positions as a named layouths_restore_layoutRestore a saved layout (matches by app + title)hs_list_layoutsList saved layout nameshs_spaces_listAll spaces per screen with active markershs_spaces_activeCurrently focused space + screenhs_spaces_gotoSwitch by ID or indexhs_spaces_move_windowMove window to another space (optionally follow)hs_spaces_addCreate a new space- +63 more on the listing page
Hammerspoon MCP tools 24
hs_healthReport bridge status: resolved `hs` path, whether Hammerspoon answers, its version.hs_api_searchSearch Hammerspoon's bundled API reference and return exact signatures.hs_console_tailReturn the last N lines of the Hammerspoon console.hs_reload_configReload `~/.hammerspoon/init.lua`.hs_notifyShow a transient on-screen alert, without stealing focus.hs_list_windowsList windows, with id, title, owning app, screen, and frame.hs_focus_windowFocus a window by id, or by a substring of its title.hs_move_windowMove or resize a window by id, in absolute screen pixels.hs_window_layoutSnap a window to a named preset such as `left-half` or `quarter-top-left`.hs_list_appsList running applications, with bundle id, PID, and window count.hs_launch_appLaunch an application by name, or focus it if it is already running.hs_focus_appBring an already-running application to the front.- +12 more on the listing page
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Hammerspoon
{
"mcpServers": {
"hammerspoon": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"hammerspoon-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Hammerspoon MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"hammerspoon-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@vukvukovich/hammerspoon-mcp"
],
"env": {
"HS_MCP_TOOLS": "YOUR_HS_MCP_TOOLS_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Hammerspoon is categorized under OS Automation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Hammerspoon MCP belongs to OS Automation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Hammerspoon for os automation work and Hammerspoon MCP for os automation.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Hammerspoon has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Hammerspoon MCP has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add hammerspoon and hammerspoon-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Hammerspoon has a quality signal of 53/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 2 GitHub stars. Hammerspoon MCP has 52/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars.