GhidraMCP vs IDA MCP vs Binary Ninja MCP
MCP servers let an AI coding agent like Claude Code drive a disassembler directly: decompile functions, rename symbols and map out a binary. They're how creators on X are pointing agents at old games and apps. Here's how the main options compare, with versions checked on Oct 13, 2026.
| Server | Drives | Cost | Requirements | Latest release | Official repo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GhidraMCP | Ghidra (free, open source) | Free | Ghidra 12.1.4 plus uv or Python 3.10+ | 2.0, Oct 10, 2026 | LaurieWired/GhidraMCP |
| Hex-Rays IDA MCP (official) | IDA by Hex-Rays | IDA licence | IDA 9.4+ with idalib, Python 3.11+, Git and uv | v20261008.0.1, Oct 8, 2026 | HexRaysSA/ida-mcp |
| IDA Pro MCP (community) | IDA Pro | IDA Pro licence (IDA Free not supported) | IDA Pro 8.3+ (9 recommended), Python 3.11+, uv | 1.4.0, Oct 6, 2025 | mrexodia/ida-pro-mcp |
| Binary Ninja MCP | Binary Ninja | Binary Ninja licence | Binary Ninja, Python 3.12+ | v1.2.1, Mar 22, 2026 | fosdickio/binary_ninja_mcp |
| REA | Hopper or your own Ghidra | Free | Node.js (npm install --global rea-agents) | See repo | morluto/rea |
Which one should you pick?
- Free and open source: GhidraMCP. Install the plugin zip from its releases in Ghidra under File, Install Extensions, then add the MCP server to your client.
- Already own IDA: use the official Hex-Rays IDA MCP. The author of the popular community server, mrexodia's IDA Pro MCP, now recommends it.
- Binary Ninja users: Binary Ninja MCP installs from the plugin manager and can auto-configure Claude Code, Cursor and others.
- Not just native binaries: REA covers JS/Electron and .NET apps too, and uses Hopper or Ghidra under the hood.
Popularity on GitHub
As of Oct 13, 2026, GhidraMCP has about 11.2k stars, mrexodia's IDA Pro MCP about 12.7k, the official Hex-Rays server about 1.1k and Binary Ninja MCP about 450. Ghidra itself has about 85.6k.
More tools, including decomp.me, objdiff and splat: AI reverse-engineering tools. What decomps are: decomp explainer.
FAQ
Which reverse-engineering MCP server is free?
GhidraMCP, because Ghidra itself is free and open source. REA is also free and can use your own Ghidra install.
Does IDA Free work with IDA Pro MCP?
No. The community IDA Pro MCP README says IDA Free isn't supported. The official Hex-Rays server needs IDA 9.4 or higher with idalib.
Which MCP clients work?
All of them speak MCP, so Claude Code, Cursor, Cline, Codex and others work. Binary Ninja MCP can auto-configure several clients.
Can I use these on any game?
Only analyse software you have the right to analyse, and follow the game's licence. We link official tool repos only.