What is the key difference between When and Forge?

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

How do I install When or Forge 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 When and Forge free or paid?

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

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

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

Can I use both When and Forge 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

When vs Forge

In-depth architectural comparison of the When and Forge 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

When

Command Line · Local stdio

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

Forge

Command Line · Local stdio

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

Verdict Summary: Choose When if you need specialized Command Line tools running via a local process. Choose Forge 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 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

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

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	When WhenLabs-org Command Line	Forge ferodrigop Command Line
Summary
Category & Scope	Command Line	Command Line
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

When Tools (6)

Single MCP server exposing eight endpoints for six tools

Auto-detect stack and regenerate context files

Port conflict scanning

Schema validation for .env files

Documentation drift detection

Dependency license scanning and policy validation

Forge Tools (25)

create_terminal

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

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).

When Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

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

Forge Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

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

Frequently Asked Questions

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

More alternatives to When More alternatives to Forge Command Line category hub Canonical compare URL