OpenOwl

AI desktop automation MCP server — give your AI assistant eyes and hands on your screen.

Install

npm install -g openowl

Setup

1. Sign up at openowl.dev/quick-setup to get your API key

2. Save your API key:

   mkdir -p ~/.openowl
   echo "owl-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx" > ~/.openowl/api.key

3. Register with your AI assistant:

   Claude Code:

   claude mcp add owl --transport stdio -s user -- owl

   Codex CLI: Add to ~/.codex/config.toml:

   [mcp_servers.owl]
   command = "owl"

4. Verify:

   owl --version

What it does

OpenOwl lets AI assistants operate your entire desktop — any app, any button, any workflow. Describe what you need in plain English, OpenOwl handles the clicking, typing, scrolling, and navigation.

Works with Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible AI.

Supported platforms

• macOS 11+ (Apple Silicon and Intel)

Requirements

• Node.js 16+
• macOS: Grant Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions when prompted (System Settings > Privacy & Security)

Free tier

50 tool calls/day, no credit card required. Upgrade at openowl.dev/pricing.

How it works

OpenOwl is a compiled Python MCP server distributed as a native binary. The npm postinstall script downloads the prebuilt binary for your platform from GitHub Releases (public repo). The source code is at github.com/mihir-kanzariya/OpenOwl.

What the binary does:

• Captures screenshots via macOS native APIs (mss, Quartz)
• Sends keyboard/mouse input via PyAutoGUI
• Reads UI elements via the macOS Accessibility API
• Runs OCR via macOS Vision framework
• All processing happens locally on your machine

Data collected (for usage metering only):

• A hashed machine ID (SHA-256 of MAC address + hostname) to enforce per-device license limits
• Tool call counts sent to openowl.dev/api/v1/usage/check to enforce free-tier daily limits (50 calls/day)
• No screenshots, screen content, keystrokes, or personal data are ever sent to our servers

Permissions required on macOS:

• Accessibility (System Settings > Privacy & Security) — for keyboard/mouse control
• Screen Recording (System Settings > Privacy & Security) — for screenshots

Links

• Quick Setup Guide
• Pricing
• Dashboard
• Source Code
• Binary Releases