Installation

MCP Express runs in Docker, on your local machine or on a VPS. The images are available at mcpexpress/mcp-express.

1. Start MCP Express with Docker.
   Docker

   docker run -d \
     --name mcp-express \
     --restart unless-stopped \
     -p 127.0.0.1:3000:3000 \
     -v data:/app/data \
     mcpexpress/mcp-express:latest

   Docker Compose

   services:
     mcp-express:
       image: mcpexpress/mcp-express:latest
       container_name: mcp-express
       ports:
         - "127.0.0.1:3000:3000"
       volumes:
         - data:/app/data
       restart: unless-stopped
   
   volumes:
   data:

   Note

   To use a custom domain with HTTPS, see Running behind a Reverse Proxy.
2. Open localhost:3000, or your custom domain if you set one up. You should see the setup page:
3. Set your owner email address and credentials.

Recap

MCP Express is now running on port 3000 of the host, with a data volume that persists its configuration. Try creating your first MCP Server.