What it does
Serena is an add-on for AI coding assistants. It gives them tools like those in a professional code editor, so they can find where something is defined, see where it is used, and rename or move it across many files in one step.
Its makers say this makes agents faster and more reliable than editing by searching text and line numbers, especially in big codebases.
It connects through MCP, a standard way to plug tools into AI apps, so it works with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, JetBrains editors, Claude Desktop and others.
Who it's for
Software developers using AI coding assistants on larger or multi-language codebases.
Can I use it without coding?
Developers only. Set up as an MCP server inside your coding tool; meant for programmers. New to this? Start here.
Can I run it?
- Cost
- Free, with optional paid extrasThe open-source version is free; the makers also sell a hosted or pro version.
- API key
- Not needed
Try it
- Add Serena as an MCP server in your AI coding tool, such as Claude Code, Codex or Cursor.
Using Claude Code, Cursor or another AI coding assistant? Paste the prompt and it will walk you through the setup.New to this?
Before you install
- Only download from the official GitHub page. Copies with similar names exist for many popular projects.
- No standard license listed. Check the GitHub page before using it for business.
- More on staying safe