Kie MCP vs MCP Image
A side-by-side look at the Kie MCP and MCP Image MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Kie MCP for multimedia process work as a local process; choose MCP Image for multimedia process as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Kie MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Multimedia Process domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
KIE_API_KEY. - You want tools like
generate_image, list_models, check_task.
Choose MCP Image when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Multimedia Process domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You have the keys it needs:
GEMINI_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY, ARK_API_KEY, IMAGE_PROVIDER, IMAGE_OUTPUT_DIR, IMAGE_QUALITY, SKIP_PROMPT_ENHANCEMENT.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Multimedia Process | Multimedia Process |
| Quality signal | 60/100 · Good | 53/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | API key required |
| Pricing | BYOK (pay the provider) | BYOK (pay the provider) |
| Required env vars | KIE_API_KEY | GEMINI_API_KEYOPENAI_API_KEYARK_API_KEYIMAGE_PROVIDERIMAGE_OUTPUT_DIRIMAGE_QUALITYSKIP_PROMPT_ENHANCEMENT |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 7 | 181 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 47 | Not listed |
| Full listing | View Kie MCP | View MCP Image |
Tools & capabilities
Kie MCP tools 47
generate_imageGenerate an image using kie.ai. TIP: for architecture/game-art/advertising/product-UI jobs, call profile_brief first — it returns the vertical's intake questions, routing, and prompt formulas. (60+ models). Downloads to kie/assets/raw/. MODEL GUIDE: Architecture/blueprints→gpt4o or nano-banana-2 (reasoning, 8cr). Cheap fast all-rounder→nano-banana-2-1 (4cr, ~13s, NEW Oct 2026; NB2 doubled to 8cr). Game art/3D→seedream/4.5 or 5-lite. Character sheets→ideogram/character. Text/logos→ideogram/v3 (best text). Photo editing→flux-kontext-pro. Newest OpenAI→gpt-image-2-5/flare-* (6cr @1K, fast default) or gpt-image-2-5/sunburst-* (premium polish); both 1K-4K + transparent background (NEW). Split any image into layers→seedream_layer_decompose tool (7cr/layer, NEW). Generate-then-refine by named region→grok-imagine-image-2-0/text-to-image (4cr, #2 Arena T2I+edit) then grok_segment_map (free) + grok_image_edit (4cr; also edits ANY uploaded image via image_urls mode). Anime→qwen (3cr cheapest); qwen2-1/* (4cr, NEW) adds transparent BG, mask inpainting, 10-ref compositing. Fast drafts→nano-banana-2-lite (4cr, ~4s, NEW). Upscale→recraft/crisp-upscale (0.5cr). BG removal→recraft/remove-background. Cheapest→flux-3/klein-text-to-image (1.6cr @1K, 4K up to 6.5cr, NEW) or flux-3/klein-edit-image (1.6cr, 10 free refs); z-image,qwen (3cr). Best quality→nano-banana-pro (24cr), flux-kontext-max (100cr). Use list_models filter="use-case" to explore.list_modelsList all available kie.ai models with their aspect ratios and model-specific optionscheck_taskCheck the status of a kie.ai generation task by taskIdlist_tasksList recent image generation tasks from this sessioncheck_creditsCheck remaining kie.ai account creditsspend_reportWhere did the credits go? Totals kie.ai spend from this server's task history (kie/assets/task-history.jsonl under the project root) over the last N days, grouped by model or day. Uses the ACTUAL credits kie charged when known, looks up missing ones from kie (refresh), and falls back to published prices (marked "est."). Failed tasks are listed separately (kie normally refunds them).download_resultDownload a completed task result to kie/assets/raw/list_raw_assetsList all files in kie/assets/raw/ waiting to be processedgenerate_videoGenerate a video using kie.ai (85+ models). Downloads to kie/assets/raw/. MODEL GUIDE: Best cinematic→veo-3/text-to-video (50cr/s, audio). Fast+cheap→grok-imagine-video-1-5-preview (1.6-3cr/s, audio, NEW), wan/flash-image-to-video (6-8cr/s measured; alias of wan/2-6-flash). Budget cinematic→hailuo-standard (4cr/s). First→last-frame or anything-from-anything refs→gemini-omni/flash-1-1 (NEW, est. ~63cr per 4s clip). Budget multimodal refs→bytedance/seedance-2-mini (9.5cr/s @480p). 30s single takes→bytedance/seedance-2-5 (now up to 1080p; set model_options.draft=true for a 28cr/s 480p preview, then upgrade the approved take with bytedance/seedance-2-5-draft). Cheap or 4K image-to-video with audio→vidu-q4/image-to-video (7.2cr/s @540p … 62.4 @4K, NEW); 15-image refs→vidu-q4/reference-to-video. Budget all-rounder w/ audio+templates+extend→pixverse-v6 family (4-9.6cr/s, NEW; I2V is its strength; transition=first/last-frame morph). Multilingual lip-synced dialogue→happyhorse-1-1 T2V/I2V/R2V (NEW). 2K + stereo audio→minimax-h3 (8cr/s @768P, price halved Sept 2026). Per-shot scripted multi-shot→kling-3-omni (14cr/s @720p, NEW; transformation=restyle existing video). Next-gen Wan draft→wan/3-0-video (8cr/s @480P, NEW). Fast Kling→kling/v3-turbo (18cr/s, audio, NEW). Image-to-video→veo-3/image-to-video (include a sound cue like "SFX: room tone" — Veo I2V intermittently fails its audio pass without one; images must be served with their real Content-Type, upload via upload_file), kling/image-to-video. Avatar/talking head→omnihuman-1-5 (premium, NEW), kling/ai-avatar-pro, infinitalk/from-audio. Re-dub existing footage→volcengine/video-to-video-lip-sync (8cr/s, NEW). Motion control→kling/motion-control, wan/animate-move. Extend video→use veo_extend or runway_extend tools. NOTE: Sora 2 family removed (OpenAI API sunset Sept 2026). Use list_models filter="use-case" to explore.generate_musicGenerate music using Suno via kie.ai. Supports V5.5 (custom style), V5 (best quality), V4.5+, V4.5, V4. Up to 8 minutes. Great for game music stems, ambient tracks, and jingles. Polls until done and downloads to kie/assets/raw/.generate_sfxGenerate a sound effect from text via Suno V5 (kie.ai removed the ElevenLabs sound-effect model). Great for game sounds: UI clicks, magic spells, item pickups, explosions. For loop/BPM/key control use generate_sounds instead. Downloads to kie/assets/raw/.generate_gemini_ttsNEW — Google Gemini native TTS via kie.ai: style-directed speech from natural-language direction, 30 named voices, up to 2 speakers, inline tone tags like [whispers]/[laughs] (flash model). ~4.2 credits per MINUTE of audio — cheaper than all ElevenLabs tiers. Simple mode: pass text (+ optional voice_name). Dialogue mode: pass speakers + dialogue_turns. model=flash is most expressive (keep expected audio <60s — quality degrades on long takes); model=pro is more stable for multi-minute narration. Downloads to kie/assets/raw/.- +35 more on the listing page
MCP Image tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from 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.
Kie MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"kie-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"kie-mcp"
],
"env": {
"KIE_API_KEY": "YOUR_KIE_API_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
MCP Image
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-image": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"mcp-image"
],
"env": {
"GEMINI_API_KEY": "YOUR_GEMINI_API_KEY_HERE",
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY_HERE",
"ARK_API_KEY": "YOUR_ARK_API_KEY_HERE",
"IMAGE_PROVIDER": "YOUR_IMAGE_PROVIDER_HERE",
"IMAGE_OUTPUT_DIR": "YOUR_IMAGE_OUTPUT_DIR_HERE",
"IMAGE_QUALITY": "YOUR_IMAGE_QUALITY_HERE",
"SKIP_PROMPT_ENHANCEMENT": "YOUR_SKIP_PROMPT_ENHANCEMENT_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Kie MCP is categorized under Multimedia Process and uses a local stdio subprocess. MCP Image belongs to Multimedia Process and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Kie MCP for multimedia process work and MCP Image for multimedia process.
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.
Kie MCP is bring-your-own-key: usage is billed by the API provider you supply a key for. MCP Image is bring-your-own-key: usage is billed by the API provider you supply a key for. Auth: api key required. 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 kie-mcp and mcp-image as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Kie MCP has a quality signal of 60/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 7 GitHub stars. MCP Image has 53/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 181 GitHub stars.