What is flipper-mcp?
flipper-mcp, from the GitHub user Str1ck9, connects an MCP client such as Claude Code to a Flipper Zero plugged in by USB. Each tool sends a command to the Flipper's own serial command line: listen on a Sub-GHz frequency, capture raw pulses, read NFC, 125 kHz RFID and iButton tags, send infrared codes, read and write files on the SD card, toggle GPIO pins and press the device's buttons to walk its menus.
It is MIT-licensed Python, needs Python 3.11 or newer and is installed from a git clone; there is no PyPI package. It has about 6 GitHub stars. All seven commits, up to v0.5.0, landed on 19 April 2026, and the repository has not changed since.
How to install flipper-mcp
git clone https://github.com/Str1ck9/flipper-mcp && cd flipper-mcp && uv venv && uv pip install -e .Is flipper-mcp worth it?
flipper-mcp turns a Flipper Zero into 54 MCP tools, and most of them do what they say because each is a short call to a real Flipper CLI command. The README reports validation on real hardware with official firmware 1.4.x and expects the community builds Momentum, RogueMaster and Xtreme to work too. What lifts it above a plain command wrapper is a protocol registry: 13 bundled entries, from Princeton garage remotes to Security+ 2.0 and EM4100 tags, each with typical frequencies, matching patterns and a plain security note, so scan_and_identify can capture a signal and name what sent it.
The physical side needs saying plainly. This server controls a radio transmitter. subghz_tx_from_file replays a saved .sub capture, ir_tx and ir_universal_send fire infrared codes, gpio_write drives pins on the header, and flipper_cli runs any command the firmware accepts. In our reading of server.py none of these asks for confirmation; the MCP client's own approval prompt is the only gate. Replaying a gate remote, cloning a badge or reading someone's card is acceptable only on devices you own or are authorised to test, and Sub-GHz transmission is bounded by the regional band rules the firmware enforces.
The catch: this is a one-day project. Seven commits on 19 April 2026 took it from first release to v0.5.0, and nothing has landed in the months since, with no PyPI release. The remote registry downloads protocol files from any index URL you give it, and the SHA-256 check runs only when the index supplies a hash. The stock firmware's CLI also listens with a 650 kHz filter where the on-device Read app uses 270 kHz, so weak signals the app would catch can come back empty.
Our take: as a lab notebook that lets an agent label what a Flipper hears, it is well made, and it runs entirely on your machine over stdio with no network port. Treat every transmit tool as a live trigger, keep the client set to ask before each call, and expect to maintain your own fork if a firmware update breaks the CLI plugins.
Where it earns its place
A penetration tester preparing a physical-security engagement with a signed scope
Inventory which in-scope badges and remotes use fixed codes
Read each in-scope badge with rfid_read or nfc_detect and fingerprint remotes with scan_and_identify; the registry's security notes flag fixed-code protocols such as Princeton. Free beyond the Flipper; keep every capture inside the written scope.
A home-automation hobbyist with a drawer of 433 MHz remotes
Work out which protocol each of my remotes uses before wiring it into a hub
Run scan_and_identify at 433.92 MHz while pressing each button, then flipper_file_inspect on the saved files. Rolling-code fobs the stock decoders miss need subghz_rx_raw or a community firmware.
An electronics teacher with a Flipper on the lab bench
Show students how an infrared remote encodes commands
Capture the classroom TV remote with ir_rx, then replay the decoded NEC code on that same TV with ir_tx. It takes minutes and stays on equipment the school owns.
Before you commit
- Setup
- Clone the repository, create a virtual environment with uv and install it in editable mode, then run flipper-smoke to confirm the Flipper is found. Register the flipper-mcp binary with claude mcp add or in Claude Desktop's config. Needs Python 3.11+ and a USB-C data cable.
- Integrations
- Flipper Zero official firmware 1.4.x, with Momentum, RogueMaster and Xtreme expected to work; an external CC1101 radio on the GPIO header via device=1 or FLIPPER_DEFAULT_DEVICE. A flipper-registry CLI manages protocol files.
- Data and privacy
- Runs locally over stdio and opens no network port. Captures, SD card files and device details go to your model provider through the client. Registry downloads reach whatever index URL you supply; installed protocols are cached under ~/.local/share/flipper-mcp.
- Cost at scale
- Free under MIT. The only cost is the Flipper Zero itself.
- Limits
- Only one program can hold the serial port, so qFlipper and the Flipper Lab browser tab must be closed. Stale CLI plugins after a firmware update break the ir, nfc and rfid commands. The CLI uses a 650 kHz Sub-GHz filter and cannot switch presets.
What’s good
- 54 tools over the Flipper's own CLI
- Protocol registry names 13 common signal types
- Runs locally over stdio with no network port
- Macros open the Sub-GHz, NFC and infrared apps in one call
What’s not
- Transmit, GPIO and raw CLI tools have no confirmation gate
- All commits landed on one day in April 2026
- Remote registry hash check is optional
- Git clone install only; no PyPI package
Best for
Security researchers and hardware hobbyists who own a Flipper Zero and want an agent to capture, label and catalogue signals from their own devices.
flipper-mcp alternatives
flipper-mcp: common questions
- Is flipper-mcp worth it?
- A capable, honest bridge to a Flipper Zero that hands an agent the transmit button with no second check, so it belongs only on a bench where you own every device in range. We rate it 3.5 out of 5.
- How much does flipper-mcp cost?
- Free and open source (MIT). Needs a Flipper Zero.
- What are the downsides of flipper-mcp?
- Transmit, GPIO and raw CLI tools have no confirmation gate; all commits landed on one day in April 2026; remote registry hash check is optional; git clone install only; no PyPI package.
- Who is flipper-mcp best for?
- Security researchers and hardware hobbyists who own a Flipper Zero and want an agent to capture, label and catalogue signals from their own devices.
- How much does flipper-mcp cost for a team or in production?
- Free under MIT. The only cost is the Flipper Zero itself.
- Is flipper-mcp safe for company data?
- Runs locally over stdio and opens no network port. Captures, SD card files and device details go to your model provider through the client. Registry downloads reach whatever index URL you supply; installed protocols are cached under ~/.local/share/flipper-mcp.
- What are the best flipper-mcp alternatives?
- The closest alternatives we have reviewed are AetherLink SDR MCP.
Answers checked Nov 14, 2026.