Maven Tools MCP Server

Universal JVM dependency intelligence for any build tool using Maven Central Repository

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides AI assistants with dependency analysis. Get instant, accurate dependency information for Maven, Gradle, SBT, Mill, and any JVM build tool that's faster and more reliable than web searches.

🎯 Why This Matters

Problem: Managing dependencies across complex projects requires deep analysis beyond simple version lookups Solution: Dependency intelligence with bulk operations, trend analysis, and risk assessment for any JVM build tool

⚡ Quick Demo

Ask your AI assistant:

• "Check all dependencies in this build file for latest versions" (paste your build.gradle, pom.xml, build.sbt)
• "What's the latest Spring Boot version?"
• "Which dependencies in my project need updates?" (any build tool)
• "Show me only stable versions for production deployment"
• "How old are my dependencies and which ones need attention?" (new in v1.1.0)
• "Analyze the release patterns for my key dependencies" (new in v1.1.0)
• "Give me a health check for all my project dependencies" (new in v1.1.0)

🔧 Supported Build Tools

Working with any build tool that uses Maven Central Repository:

Build Tool	Dependency Format	Example Usage
Maven	groupId:artifactId:version	org.springframework:spring-core:6.2.8
Gradle	implementation("group:artifact:version")	Uses same Maven coordinates
SBT	libraryDependencies += "group" % "artifact" % "version"	Same groupId:artifactId format
Mill	ivy"group:artifact:version"	Same Maven Central lookup

All tools use standard Maven coordinates - just provide groupId:artifactId and we handle the rest.

⚡ Competitive Advantages

vs Simple Lookup Tools

• ✅ Bulk Operations - Analyze 20+ dependencies in one call
• ✅ Version Comparison - Understand upgrade impact (major/minor/patch)
• ✅ Stability Filtering - Choose stable-only or include pre-release versions
• ✅ Enterprise Performance - <100ms cached responses, native images
• ✅ Analytical Intelligence - Age analysis, release patterns, project health scoring (v1.1.0)

vs Manual Dependency Management

• ✅ Risk Assessment - Identify breaking changes before upgrading
• ✅ Universal Support - Works with any JVM build tool
• ✅ Complete Analysis - All version types with intelligent prioritization
• ✅ Maintenance Intelligence - Predict maintenance activity and sustainability (v1.1.0)

Setup for Claude Desktop

Step 1: Locate your Claude Desktop configuration file

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Step 2: Add this configuration (using pre-built Docker image):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "maven-tools": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run", "-i", "--rm", "-e", "SPRING_PROFILES_ACTIVE=docker",
        "arvindand/maven-tools-mcp:latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop

Prerequisites: Docker installed and running

Note: The Docker image supports both AMD64 (Intel/AMD) and ARM64 (Apple Silicon) architectures. Docker automatically selects the correct version for your platform.

Setup for VS Code with GitHub Copilot

Option 1: Workspace Configuration - Create .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "maven-tools": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "docker",
      "args": ["run", "-i", "--rm", "-e", "SPRING_PROFILES_ACTIVE=docker", "arvindand/maven-tools-mcp:latest"]
    }
  }
}

Option 2: User Settings - Add to your VS Code settings:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "maven-tools": {
        "type": "stdio", 
        "command": "docker",
        "args": ["run", "-i", "--rm", "-e", "SPRING_PROFILES_ACTIVE=docker", "arvindand/maven-tools-mcp:latest"]
      }
    }
  }
}

Usage: Open Chat view (Ctrl+Alt+I), select Agent mode, then use the Tools button to enable Maven tools.

What it does

Core Dependency Intelligence:

• Get latest or stable versions of Maven dependencies
• Check if specific versions exist
• Bulk version checking for multiple dependencies
• Compare versions and get update recommendations

Advanced Analytics (v1.1.0):

• Analyze dependency age and freshness (fresh/current/aging/stale)
• Assess maintenance activity and release patterns
• Predict next release timeframes
• Comprehensive project health scoring with risk assessment

Available Tools

Core Dependency Tools (v1.0.0)

Tool	Purpose	Key Features
get_latest_version	Get newest version by type with stability preferences	preferStable parameter, all version types
get_stable_version	Get latest stable only (production-ready)	Production-safe, excludes pre-release
check_version_exists	Verify if specific version exists with type info	Works with any JVM build tool
check_multiple_dependencies	Check multiple dependencies with filtering	stableOnly parameter, bulk operations
check_multiple_stable_versions	Stable versions for many dependencies	Perfect for production updates
compare_dependency_versions	Compare current vs latest with upgrade recommendations	onlyStableTargets parameter, risk assessment

Analytical Intelligence Tools (v1.1.0)

Tool	Purpose	Key Features
analyze_dependency_age	Classify dependencies as fresh/current/aging/stale	maxAgeInDays parameter, actionable insights
analyze_release_patterns	Analyze maintenance activity and predict releases	monthsToAnalyze parameter, velocity trends
get_version_timeline	Enhanced version timeline with temporal analysis	versionCount parameter, release gap detection
analyze_project_health	Comprehensive health analysis for multiple dependencies	Health scoring, bulk analysis, recommendations

Tool Parameters

Core Parameters:

• preferStable - Prioritize stable versions in analysis
• stableOnly - Filter to production-ready versions only
• onlyStableTargets - Only suggest upgrades to stable versions

Analytical Parameters (v1.1.0):

• maxAgeInDays - Set acceptable age threshold for dependencies
• monthsToAnalyze - Specify analysis period for release patterns (default: 24)
• versionCount - Number of recent versions to analyze in timeline (default: 20)
• includeRecommendations - Include detailed recommendations in health analysis

Universal Compatibility: All tools work with standard Maven coordinates (groupId:artifactId) and support any JVM build tool.

get_latest_version

Get latest version of any dependency from Maven Central (works with Maven, Gradle, SBT, Mill) with stability preferences.

Parameters:

• dependency (string, required): Maven coordinate in format groupId:artifactId (NO version)
• preferStable (boolean, optional): When true, prioritizes stable version in response (default: false)

Examples:

{
  "dependency": "org.springframework:spring-core",
  "preferStable": false
}

{
  "dependency": "org.springframework:spring-boot",
  "preferStable": true
}

Response:

{
  "dependency": "org.springframework:spring-core",
  "latest_stable": { "version": "6.2.7", "type": "stable" },
  "latest_rc": { "version": "7.0.0-RC1", "type": "rc" },
  "latest_beta": { "version": "7.0.0-beta1", "type": "beta" },
  "latest_alpha": { "version": "7.0.0-alpha1", "type": "alpha" },
  "latest_milestone": { "version": "7.0.0-M5", "type": "milestone" },
  "total_versions": 100
}

check_version_exists

Check if specific dependency version exists and identify its stability type. Works with any JVM build tool.

Parameters:

• dependency (string, required): Maven coordinate in format groupId:artifactId (NO version)
• version (string, required): Version to check

Example:

{
  "dependency": "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-stdlib",
  "version": "1.9.0"
}

Response:

{
  "exists": true,
  "version": "6.0.0",
  "type": "stable"
}

get_stable_version

Get latest stable version only - excludes alpha, beta, RC, milestone versions. Perfect for production deployments.

Parameters:

• dependency (string, required): Maven coordinate in format groupId:artifactId (NO version)

Example:

{
  "dependency": "com.squareup.retrofit2:retrofit"
}

Response:

{
  "version": "2.19.0",
  "type": "stable",
  "total_versions": 100,
  "stable_versions": 82
}

check_multiple_dependencies

Check latest versions for multiple dependencies with filtering options. Works with any JVM build tool.

Parameters:

• dependencies (string, required): Comma- or newline-separated list of Maven coordinates (NO versions)
• stableOnly (boolean, optional): When true, filters to production-ready versions only (default: false)

Examples:

{
  "dependencies": "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-stdlib,com.squareup.retrofit2:retrofit,org.apache.spark:spark-core_2.13",
  "stableOnly": false
}

{
  "dependencies": "org.springframework:spring-boot,com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-core",
  "stableOnly": true
}

Response (array):

[
  {
    "dependency": "org.springframework:spring-core",
    "primary_version": "6.2.7",
    "primary_type": "stable",
    "total_versions": 100,
    "stable_versions": 82,
    "latest_stable": { "version": "6.2.7", "type": "stable" },
    "latest_rc": { "version": "7.0.0-RC1", "type": "rc" },
    "latest_beta": null,
    "latest_alpha": null,
    "latest_milestone": { "version": "7.0.0-M5", "type": "milestone" }
  },
  // ...more results
]

check_multiple_stable_versions

Get latest stable versions for multiple dependencies - perfect for production updates.

Parameters:

• dependencies (string, required): Comma- or newline-separated list of Maven coordinates (NO versions)

Example:

{
  "dependencies": "org.scala-lang:scala-library,org.apache.kafka:kafka_2.13,io.vertx:vertx-core"
}

Response (array):

[
  {
    "dependency": "org.springframework:spring-boot-starter",
    "primary_version": "3.5.3",
    "primary_type": "stable",
    "total_versions": 50,
    "stable_versions": 40
  },
  // ...more results
]

compare_dependency_versions

Compare current dependency versions with latest available and show upgrade recommendations with safety controls.

Parameters:

• currentDependencies (string, required): Comma- or newline-separated list of Maven coordinates with versions (groupId:artifactId:version)
• onlyStableTargets (boolean, optional): When true, only suggests upgrades to stable versions (default: false)

Examples:

{
  "currentDependencies": "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-stdlib:1.8.0,com.squareup.retrofit2:retrofit:2.9.0",
  "onlyStableTargets": false
}

{
  "currentDependencies": "org.springframework:spring-boot:2.7.0,org.hibernate:hibernate-core:5.6.0",
  "onlyStableTargets": true
}

Response:

{
  "comparison_date": "2025-06-07T22:38:47Z",
  "dependencies": [
    {
      "dependency": "org.springframework:spring-core:6.0.0",
      "current_version": "6.0.0",
      "latest_version": "7.0.0-M5",
      "latest_type": "milestone",
      "update_type": "major",
      "update_available": true,
      "status": "success",
      "error": null
    }
  ],
  "update_summary": {
    "major_updates": 1,
    "minor_updates": 0,
    "patch_updates": 0,
    "no_updates": 0
  }
}

Usage Examples

Getting Started Examples

Simple Questions:

• "Get latest Spring Boot version but prioritize stable releases"
• "Check if Kotlin 1.9.0 exists and what stability type it is"
• "Show me latest stable version of Retrofit for production deployment"

Multi-Build Tool Support:

• "Check these Gradle dependencies: org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-stdlib,com.squareup.retrofit2:retrofit"
• "I need stable versions only for my SBT project dependencies"
• "Compare my Maven versions but only suggest stable upgrades for production"

Advanced Stability Controls:

• "Check multiple dependencies but filter to stable versions only"
• "Compare my current versions with onlyStableTargets=true for safety"
• "Get complete analysis but prefer stable versions in results"

🚀 Real-World Use Cases

Gradle Project Analysis

Action: Paste your build.gradle: "Analyze my Gradle dependencies for outdated versions"
Result: Universal dependency analysis in seconds across any build tool

Security Response

Action: "Show me latest stable versions for these affected dependencies"
Result: Instant security patch identification with production-safe recommendations

Multi-Build Tool Projects

Action: "What are the latest stable versions for Spring Boot, Spring Security, and Jackson for both Maven and Gradle?"
Result: Universal dependency intelligence across all JVM build tools

Migration Planning with Risk Assessment

Action: "Compare my current versions but only suggest stable upgrades for production safety"
Result: Risk-assessed upgrade recommendations with stability filtering

🆚 Why Not Just Web Search?

Scenario	Web Search	Maven Tools MCP
Single dependency lookup	3-5 seconds	<100ms (cached)
20 dependencies across build tools	60+ seconds	<500ms
Data accuracy	Variable/outdated	100% current
Bulk operations	Manual, error-prone	Native support
Version classification	Manual parsing	Automatic (stable/RC/beta)
Stability filtering	Not available	Built-in (stableOnly, preferStable)
Build tool compatibility	Tool-specific searches	Universal JVM support

✨ New Analytical Intelligence Examples (v1.1.0)

Dependency Age Analysis

Usage: "How old is my Spring Boot dependency and should I update it?"
Tool: analyze_dependency_age

{
  "dependency": "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter",
  "age_classification": "current",
  "days_since_release": 45,
  "recommendation": "Actively maintained - consider updating if needed"
}

Release Pattern Analysis

Usage: "What's the maintenance pattern for Jackson? When might the next release be?"
Tool: analyze_release_patterns

{
  "dependency": "com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-core",
  "maintenance_level": "active",
  "release_velocity": 1.2,
  "next_release_prediction": "Expected in 3 weeks"
}

Project Health Check

Usage: "Give me a health assessment for all my key dependencies"
Tool: analyze_project_health

{
  "overall_health": "good",
  "average_health_score": 78,
  "age_distribution": {"fresh": 2, "current": 8, "aging": 3, "stale": 1}
}

Version Timeline Intelligence

Usage: "Show me the recent release timeline for JUnit with gap analysis"
Tool: get_version_timeline

{
  "insights": ["High release frequency indicates active development"],
  "recent_activity": {"activity_level": "active", "releases_last_quarter": 4}
}

Features

• Version lookup (latest, stable, or specific versions)
• Version type classification (stable, RC, beta, alpha, milestone)
• Bulk operations for multiple dependencies
• Version comparison tools
• Dependency age analysis with actionable insights (v1.1.0)
• Maintenance pattern analysis and predictions (v1.1.0)
• Project health scoring and recommendations (v1.1.0)
• Caching for better performance
• Works with MCP-compatible AI assistants

Note: Snapshot versions are not supported. This is because the Maven Central API does not index or provide access to snapshot artifacts. Only released versions (stable, rc, beta, alpha, milestone) are available.

Performance Notes

• Cache effectiveness: ~90% of repeated requests served from cache
• Recommended batch sizes: 10-20 dependencies for bulk operations
• First requests: Build cache (normal), subsequent requests much faster
• Cache duration: 24 hours

🤔 Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is this different from Dependabot/Renovate?
A: Those tools create automated PRs. This gives you instant, interactive dependency intelligence through your AI assistant for decision-making and planning.

Q: Why not just search Maven Central directly?
A: This provides structured, cached responses optimized for AI consumption with intelligent version classification and bulk operations.

Q: Can this replace my IDE's dependency management?
A: No, it complements your IDE by providing instant dependency intelligence during conversations with AI assistants.

Q: Does it work with private Maven repositories?
A: Currently only Maven Central.

Q: What about Gradle dependencies?
A: Maven Central hosts both Maven and Gradle dependencies, so it works for Gradle projects too (using Maven coordinates).

Alternative Setup Methods

Using Docker Compose

Alternative Claude Desktop configuration (if you prefer compose):

Download docker-compose.yml and configure:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "maven-tools": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "compose", "-f", "/absolute/path/to/docker-compose.yml", 
        "run", "--rm", "maven-tools-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

For development/testing only:

docker compose up -d  # Runs server in background for testing

Build from Source (for contributors)

Prerequisites:

• Java 24
• Maven 3.9+

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/arvindand/maven-tools-mcp.git
cd maven-tools-mcp

# Quick build (CI-friendly - unit tests only)
./mvnw clean package -Pci

# Full build with all tests (requires network access)
./mvnw clean package -Pfull

# Run the JAR
java -jar target/maven-tools-mcp-1.1.1.jar

Claude Desktop configuration for JAR:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "maven-tools": {
      "command": "java",
      "args": [
        "-jar",
        "/absolute/path/to/maven-tools-mcp-1.1.1.jar"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Build Scripts

For easier builds, use the provided scripts in the build/ folder:

# Linux/macOS - Complete build helper
./build/build.sh

# Windows - Complete build helper
.\build\build-windows.cmd

Enterprise & Custom Clients

This server implements MCP Protocol 2024-11-05 with stdio transport, making it compatible with any MCP-compliant client.

Configuration

The server can be configured via application.yaml:

# Cache configuration
spring:
  cache:
    type: caffeine
    caffeine:
      spec: maximumSize=2000,expireAfterWrite=3600s

# Maven Central API settings
maven:
  central:
    base-url: https://search.maven.org/solrsearch/select
    timeout: 10s
    max-results: 100

# Logging (minimal for MCP stdio transport)
logging:
  level:
    root: ERROR

Technical Details

• Framework: Spring Boot 3.5.3 with Spring AI MCP
• MCP Protocol: 2024-11-05
• Java Version: 24
• Transport: stdio
• HTTP Client: Spring Web RestClient
• Cache: Caffeine (24-hour TTL, 2000 entries max)
• API: Maven Central Search API

References & Resources

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

• Official Website: modelcontextprotocol.io
• GitHub Repository: modelcontextprotocol/specification
• Protocol Documentation: MCP Specification

Spring AI MCP

• Documentation: Spring AI MCP Reference
• GitHub: spring-projects/spring-ai

Maven Central API

• Search API: search.maven.org
• REST API Guide: Using the REST API

📝 Community & Discussion

Blog Post: How I Connected Claude to Maven Central (and Why You Should Too) - A deep dive into the architecture, design decisions, and real-world impact of building this MCP server.

Get Involved

• 💬 Discuss: Share your experiences and ask questions on dev.to
• 🐛 Issues: Report bugs or request features
• ⭐ Support: Star this repo if it improves your workflow

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Author

Arvind Menon

• GitHub: @arvindand
• Version: 1.1.1