Next.js DevTools MCP vs Serena

A side-by-side comparison of two Developer Tools servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	Next.js DevTools MCP Next.js development tools for coding agents: runtime diagnostics, upgrades, docs, and Cache Components migration. Unverified stdio (local) No auth TypeScript	Serena LSP-powered coding agent toolkit: semantic symbol search, references and structural edits. Verified stdio (local) No auth Python
Category	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Language	TypeScript	Python
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	None
GitHub stars	768	12k
Last commit	3 days ago	15 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx add-mcp next-devtools-mcp@latest`	`uvx --from git+https://github.com/oraios/serena serena start-mcp-server`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Next.js DevTools MCP if you want the official, vendor-maintained server.

Pick Serena if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you need the broadest set of tools.

Add Next.js DevTools MCP

Install / run

npx add-mcp next-devtools-mcp@latest

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "next-js-devtools-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "next-devtools-mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Add Serena

Install / run

uvx --from git+https://github.com/oraios/serena serena start-mcp-server

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "serena": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "git+https://github.com/oraios/serena",
        "serena",
        "start-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

FAQ

Next.js DevTools MCP or Serena — which is better?

Pick Next.js DevTools MCP if you want the official, vendor-maintained server. Pick Serena if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you need the broadest set of tools.

Can I use both Next.js DevTools MCP and Serena?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do Next.js DevTools MCP and Serena work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View Next.js DevTools MCP →View Serena →More comparisons →