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# e18e Module Replacements MCP Server
An [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) (Model Context Protocol) server that exposes [e18e](https://e18e.dev) module replacement data. It helps AI assistants suggest lighter, faster, or native alternatives to common JavaScript/Node.js packages.
## What it does
The [e18e](https://e18e.dev) project ("ecosystem performance") maintains curated lists of JavaScript module replacements — lighter alternatives, native API equivalents, and simple code snippets that can eliminate unnecessary dependencies.
This MCP server fetches three manifests from the [e18e/module-replacements](https://github.com/e18e/module-replacements) repository at startup and exposes them as tools:
| Manifest | Description | Example |
|----------|-------------|---------|
| **native.json** | Features replaceable by native browser/Node.js APIs | `is-array` → `Array.isArray()` |
| **micro-utilities.json** | Tiny packages replaceable by code snippets | `array-flatten` → `array.flat(Infinity)` |
| **preferred.json** | Modules with better, lighter alternatives | `axios` → `fetch` / `ofetch` / `ky` |
## Prerequisites
- [Node.js](https://nodejs.org) >= 18
## Installation
### Option 1: Use directly with npx (no install needed)
No installation required — just reference it in your MCP config (see below). The package is fetched and run automatically.
### Option 2: Global install
```bash
npm install -g e18e-module-replacements-mcp
```
### Option 3: Build from source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/santoshyadavdev/e18e-module-replacements-mcp.git
cd e18e-module-replacements-mcp
npm install
npm run build
```
## Configuration
Add the server to your AI assistant's MCP configuration. The examples below use `npx` so there's nothing to install. If you installed globally or built from source, replace `npx` with the path to the binary.
### Claude Desktop
Open your Claude Desktop config file:
- **macOS:** `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
- **Windows:** `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"e18e-module-replacements": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "e18e-module-replacements-mcp"]
}
}
}
```
Then restart Claude Desktop.
### VS Code (GitHub Copilot)
Create or edit `.vscode/mcp.json` in your workspace (or add to your user settings):
```json
{
"servers": {
"e18e-module-replacements": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "e18e-module-replacements-mcp"]
}
}
}
```
### Cursor
Open **Cursor Settings → MCP** and add a new server:
- **Name:** `e18e-module-replacements`
- **Type:** `command`
- **Command:** `npx -y e18e-module-replacements-mcp`
### Windsurf
Add to your `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"e18e-module-replacements": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "e18e-module-replacements-mcp"]
}
}
}
```
## Tools
### `lookup_replacement`
Search for a replacement by feature name, API name, or module name. Searches across all three manifests with case-insensitive partial matching.
**Input:**
```json
{ "name": "axios" }
```
**Example output:**
```
## axios
**Source:** preferred
**Type:** module
**Replacements:** fetch, ofetch, ky
**URL:** https://e18e.dev/guide/module-replacements/fetch
```
**More examples:**
| Query | What you get |
|-------|-------------|
| `"axios"` | Preferred replacements: `fetch`, `ofetch`, `ky` |
| `"Array.from"` | Native API — link to MDN docs |
| `"deep-merge"` | Preferred replacements: `defu`, `@fastify/deepmerge` |
| `"array-flatten"` | Micro-utility snippet: `array.flat(Infinity)` |
### `scan_dependencies`
Scan a dependency map (like the `dependencies` field from `package.json`) and find which packages have recommended replacements.
**Input:**
```json
{
"dependencies": {
"axios": "^1.6.0",
"chalk": "^5.3.0",
"express": "^4.18.0",
"lodash": "^4.17.21"
}
}
```
**Example output:**
```
Found 3 dependency replacement(s):
- **axios** → fetch, ofetch, ky
https://e18e.dev/guide/module-replacements/fetch
- **chalk** → picocolors, ansis
https://e18e.dev/guide/module-replacements/chalk
- **lodash** → es-toolkit
https://e18e.dev/guide/module-replacements/lodash
```
## Usage tips
Once the MCP server is connected to your AI assistant, you can ask things like:
- *"Is there a lighter alternative to chalk?"*
- *"Scan my package.json dependencies for replacements"*
- *"What's the native replacement for is-array?"*
- *"Can I replace moment with something smaller?"*
The AI assistant will automatically use the `lookup_replacement` and `scan_dependencies` tools to answer.
## Development
```bash
npm run dev # Watch mode — rebuilds on file changes
```
## How it works
1. On startup, the server fetches all three e18e manifests from GitHub
2. Manifests are cached in memory for the lifetime of the server process
3. The server communicates over **stdio** using the MCP protocol
4. If a manifest fails to load (e.g., no internet), the server still starts — tools will return an error message for the missing data source
## License
MIT
