mcp2cli
A Claude Code plugin that converts MCP servers into token-efficient CLI tools with SKILL.md. Three sub-skills: mcp-analyze, mcp-codegen, skill-author.
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// RATINGS
Not yet listed on ClawHub or SkillsMP
// README
mcp2cli
MCP servers are expensive. CLIs are not.
A Claude Code plugin that converts MCP servers into token-efficient CLI tools.
Why?
MCP servers load every tool schema into the agent's context window on startup. For a server with 30 tools, that's ~55,000 tokens burned before the agent does anything.
A CLI tool with a SKILL.md loads on-demand — only when relevant — and returns compact text instead of verbose JSON.
| MCP | CLI + Skill | |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | Load all tool schemas into context | Nothing loaded |
| Token cost | ~55,000 tokens for 30 tools | 0 tokens until first use |
| On use | JSON + metadata per call | Load SKILL.md once (~2K tokens) |
| Output | Verbose structured JSON | Compact plain text |
Bottom line: 94–96% token savings across all scales.
| MCP | CLI + Skill | Savings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 tools | 8,000 tok | 500 tok | 94% |
| 30 tools | 55,000 tok | 2,000 tok | 96% |
| 100 tools | 134,000 tok | 5,000 tok | 96% |
The canonical example: Playwright shipped a CLI + SKILL.md alongside their MCP server — specifically for coding agents where token efficiency matters.
Quick Start
1. Clone the plugin:
git clone https://github.com/myeolinmalchi/mcp2cli.git
2. Load it in Claude Code:
claude --plugin-dir ./mcp2cli
3. Convert your first MCP server:
/convert ./my-mcp-server
That's it. The plugin analyzes the server, generates CLI code, and creates a SKILL.md — all in one step.
How It Works
The plugin runs a 5-phase conversion pipeline:
| Phase | Name | What happens | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Analyze | Read MCP source, extract tools, params, outputs, auth | Structured analysis table |
| 2 | Design | Map tool names → CLI commands, params → flags | Command structure spec |
| 3 | Generate | Write TypeScript CLI reusing MCP's business logic | Working npm CLI tool |
| 4 | Skill | Generate SKILL.md under 500 lines with examples | SKILL.md file |
| 5 | Validate | Run each command, compare with MCP output | Test report |
Supported MCP Patterns
The plugin classifies MCP servers into 4 tiers by CLI conversion feasibility:
| Tier | Patterns | CLI Fit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Local System Tool, SaaS API Wrapper, DevOps, Document/Media Processing | Excellent |
| 2 | Database, Search, Proxy, Multi-tool, Messaging, Monitoring | Good |
| 3 | Browser Automation, Code Execution, Memory, Auth/Identity | Partial |
| 4 | Aggregator/Gateway, Reasoning/Cognitive | Not recommended |
Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/convert <path> | Full end-to-end conversion (all 5 phases) |
/analyze-mcp <path> | Analysis only — assess feasibility, no code gen |
/generate-skill <cli-name> | Generate SKILL.md for an existing CLI tool |
/convert ./my-mcp-server
/convert https://github.com/user/their-mcp-server
/analyze-mcp ./my-mcp-server
/generate-skill my-existing-cli
What's Inside
mcp2cli/
├── .claude-plugin/
│ └── plugin.json
│
├── skills/
│ ├── mcp-analyze/ # MCP server analysis & pattern classification
│ │ ├── SKILL.md
│ │ └── references/
│ │ └── pattern-classification.md
│ │
│ ├── mcp-codegen/ # TypeScript CLI code generation
│ │ ├── SKILL.md
│ │ └── references/
│ │ ├── cli-scaffold.md
│ │ ├── porting-cheatsheet.md
│ │ ├── tier-1-templates.md
│ │ ├── tier-2-templates.md
│ │ └── tier-3-strategies.md
│ │
│ └── skill-author/ # SKILL.md generation
│ ├── SKILL.md
│ └── references/
│ └── skill-template.md
│
├── commands/
│ ├── convert.md # /convert — orchestrates all skills
│ ├── analyze-mcp.md # /analyze-mcp — analysis only
│ └── generate-skill.md # /generate-skill — SKILL.md for existing CLI
│
└── agents/
└── mcp-analyzer.md # Subagent for MCP source analysis
| Component | Count | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Skills | 3 | mcp-analyze, mcp-codegen, skill-author |
| Commands | 3 | /convert (orchestrator), /analyze-mcp, /generate-skill |
| Agents | 1 | MCP server source code analysis |
When to Convert (and When Not To)
| Convert to CLI | Keep as MCP |
|---|---|
| Stateless request/response tools | Real-time streaming / subscriptions |
| Text or JSON output | Binary streams (audio, video) |
| Infrequently used tools (schema overhead > value) | Bidirectional communication |
| Simpler deployment desired | Complex state management across calls |
Rule of thumb: If the MCP tool is basically
input → API call → output, it should be a CLI.
Contributing
- Add patterns — New conversion patterns go in
skills/mcp-codegen/references/ - Keep it lean — SKILL.md stays under 500 lines. Detailed docs go in
references/ - Test conversions — Point
/convertat any MCP server and verify the output works
# Test locally
claude --plugin-dir ./mcp2cli
References
- Playwright CLI + SKILL.md — The canonical MCP-to-CLI migration
- mcp-cli — Dynamic tool discovery bridge (99% token reduction)
- MCP vs CLI Benchmarks — 33% token efficiency advantage for CLI
- Cloudflare Code Mode — 99.9% token reduction via single-tool MCP
- Claude Code Skills Docs — Official skill authoring guide
- Claude Code Plugins Docs — Official plugin development guide