---
## What's New in v3.21.0
**New — Multimodal Knowledge Graph (MCP server).** Seven new MCP tools ingest your documents — PDF, DOCX, XLSX, HTML, images (OCR), audio/video (local Whisper via `@xenova/transformers` + ffmpeg), YouTube, and URLs — alongside your code into a queryable knowledge graph, then answer natural-language questions with citations: `grasp_ingest`, `grasp_kg_ask`, `grasp_kg_trace`, `grasp_kg_explain`, `grasp_kg_stats`, `grasp_kg_export`, `grasp_llm_status`. A **local-first** multi-LLM layer auto-detects Ollama before any cloud key and falls back to a zero-credential deterministic engine. Server-side only (Node MCP server, not the browser app) — see **Multimodal Knowledge Graph** under [Code Intelligence](#code-intelligence).
**+3 native AST languages** — Bash, Elixir, and Julia take tree-sitter-backed function extraction, call counting, and complexity scoring to **19 languages**.
**Optional MCP-over-HTTP bridge** — set `GRASP_HTTP_MCP=1` to expose the MCP server over Streamable HTTP (bearer-token auth) so a whole team can share one Grasp instance instead of each running their own stdio server.
**Previously in v3.20.0:** Full security scanning suite — `grasp_vulnerabilities` covers **5 threat vectors** (OSV.dev dependency CVEs, NIST NVD container/runtime CVEs, local supply-chain integrity checks, Socket.dev behavioral analysis, and scheduled `grasp_vuln_watch` monitoring) with `skip_container` / `skip_socket` / `skip_integrity` fast-scan flags.
**Previously in v3.19.0:** Full visual + UX parity between `team-dashboard.html` and `index.html` — teal brand sweep, SVG icons, 7-provider auth, mobile More menu, keyboard shortcut popover.
**Previously in v3.18.0:** 9 new MCP tools (graph analytics + LLM-context), 11 graph export formats, TypeScript path-alias + Python import resolvers, Claude Code slash commands, token-reduction eval harness (3,241× on `got@v14`).
Total as of v3.21.0: **150 MCP tools · 8 Resources · 2 Prompts · 35 languages · 11 graph export formats · 10 graph views · multimodal knowledge graph · 19 themes**.
---
## What is Grasp?
**Grasp** turns any GitHub or GitLab repository — cloud or self-hosted — or local codebase into an interactive architecture map in seconds. **150 MCP tools** (plus 8 Resources and 2 guided Prompts) expose the full analysis engine to Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.
```
Paste URL / Open Folder → AST Analysis Engine → Architecture Map + 150 MCP Tools
```
| | |
|---|---|
| **No installation** | Runs 100% in your browser — two HTML files, no build step |
| **No data collection** | Your code never leaves your machine |
| **No accounts** | Paste a URL and go |
| **Works offline** | Analyse local folders without internet |
| **35 languages** | JS/TS, Python, Go, Java, Rust, C/C++, C#, Ruby, Swift, Kotlin, Scala, Dart, Elixir, Erlang, Haskell, OCaml, F#, Clojure, Julia, Lua, R, Perl, Shell, PowerShell, Groovy, Zig, V, Nim, Crystal, VBA, Ada/SPARK, Vue, Svelte, PHP |
| **150 MCP tools** | Dependency graphs, security, **OSV.dev SCA vulnerability scanning**, DORA, brain store, Kuzu graph schema v3, communities, ORM tracker, git change impact, architecture drift detection, test coverage gap map, org dashboard, PR impact action, MCP Resources/Prompts, `grasp setup` editor auto-config |
| **11 AI providers** *(+ unlimited via routers)* | Direct: Anthropic Claude (3 models), OpenAI (GPT-4o + o-series), Google Gemini (3), Mistral (2), Groq (3), DeepSeek (chat + reasoner), Ollama (local), LM Studio (local), Custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Routers: OpenRouter (200+ models via slug) and Together AI (50+ open-source models). **Switchable mid-conversation**, **fully off by default** (chat panel closed = zero network calls), **API keys stored in `localStorage` only** — Grasp has no proxy or telemetry. |
| **10 graph views** | Force graph, 3D, arch, treemap, matrix, tree (dendrogram), flow (sankey), bundle, cluster (disjoint), heatmap |
| **Grasp Brain** | SQLite + Kuzu persistent store — index once, query instantly. FTS5 + 384D vector embeddings + Cypher graph queries |
| **Supply chain signed** | SLSA Level 2 npm provenance + Cosign keyless Docker signing on every release |
---
## Who is Grasp for?
| You are… | Grasp helps you… | Start with |
|----------|------------------|------------|
| **Tech lead** joining a new team | Map the codebase in 60s, find the riskiest hotspots, identify good first issues | `Try expressjs/express` chip → ISS tab + ACT tab |
| **Engineering manager** | Track health across all team repos, see DORA metrics, identify bus-factor risks | `team-dashboard.html` |
| **Open-source maintainer** | Generate a wiki, label good first issues, post PR impact comments | `grasp_wiki` + GitHub Action `grasp-pr-impact` |
| **Security reviewer** | Spot hardcoded secrets, scan dependencies for CVEs, generate SBOM/SARIF | VULN tab + `grasp_sbom` + `grasp_sarif` |
| **AI agent (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot)** | Get sub-100-token repo orientation + token-budget-aware traversal | MCP server: `grasp_minimal_context` → `grasp_traverse` |
| **Developer onboarding** | Get an ordered reading path, plain-English explanations of any file | `grasp_onboard` + `grasp_explain` |
| **Refactoring contractor** | Plan migrations with topological ordering, preview renames, find duplicate code | `grasp_migration_plan` + `grasp_apply_refactor` |
| **CTO evaluating tech debt** | Quantify debt in dev-days, flag legacy hotspots, justify rewrite budget | Health Score + Technical Debt + Org Dashboard |
---
## What makes Grasp different
Grasp is intentionally additive to whatever static-analysis or graph tool you already use. The axes that matter:
| Capability | Grasp |
|-----------|-------|
| Run on a stranger's repo without cloning | ✅ Paste URL → instant analysis in browser |
| Zero install, zero account | ✅ Single HTML file, runs entirely in browser |
| MCP-native — works with Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, Continue, etc. | ✅ 150 tools, 8 Resources, 2 Prompts |
| Supply-chain CVE scanning | ✅ OSV.dev across npm/PyPI/Go/Cargo/Maven |
| 35 languages with native AST | ✅ Tree-sitter |
| Local — your code never leaves your machine | ✅ Browser fetches direct; MCP runs as subprocess |
| Persistent architecture intelligence | ✅ Brain store + Kuzu graph DB |
| Multi-channel — Chrome/Firefox/Safari/VS Code/JetBrains/Docker/Raycast/Zed | ✅ 13 distribution channels |
---
## Screenshots
### 🕸️ Dependency Graph — see exactly how files connect
> [English](README.md) · [हिन्दी](README.hi.md) · [日本語](README.ja.md) · [한국어](README.ko.md) · [简体中文](README.zh.md)
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### 🏛️ Architecture Diagram — your codebase by layer
### 📦 Treemap — files sized by line count
### 🏢 Team Dashboard — health across all your repos at a glance
---
## Quick Start
### Option 1 — Browser (zero setup)
```bash
git clone https://github.com/ashfordeOU/grasp.git
open index.html # Main app
open team-dashboard.html # Team Dashboard
```
No build step. No `npm install`. **Two HTML files.**
### Option 2 — CLI
```bash
npm install -g grasp-mcp-server
grasp ./my-project # Analyse a local folder
grasp facebook/react # Analyse a GitHub repo
grasp . # Analyse current directory
grasp . --watch # Live mode — browser reloads on every file save
grasp . --timeline # Time-travel — last 30 commits as a scrubber
grasp . --report # Terminal-only report + JSON output
grasp . --format=sarif # Export SARIF for GitHub Code Scanning
grasp . --pr-comment # Print GitHub PR comment markdown to stdout
grasp . --check # Enforce grasp.yml architecture rules (CI gate)
```
### Option 3 — IDE Extensions
| IDE | Install |
|-----|---------|
| **VS Code** | [Install (.vsix)](https://github.com/ashfordeOU/grasp/releases/latest) — download `grasp-vscode-3.21.0.vsix` and run **Extensions: Install from VSIX…** (`Cmd+Shift+P`) |
| **JetBrains** | [JetBrains Marketplace](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/31362-grasp--code-architecture-visualizer) — search **Grasp** in Settings → Plugins |
| **Raycast** | [Raycast Store](https://www.raycast.com/ashfordeOU/grasp) — or search **Grasp** in the Raycast extension store |
| **Zed** | [Zed Extensions](https://zed.dev/extensions?query=grasp) — or search **grasp** in Zed → Extensions |
### Option 4 — Browser Extension
| Browser | Install |
|---------|---------|
| **Chrome** | [Chrome Web Store](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/grasp-%E2%80%94-code-architecture/pipmlammandfhfbodllcjolgeolkhapj) |
| **Firefox** | [Firefox Add-ons](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/grasp-code-architecture) — ID: `grasp@ashforde.org` |
| **Safari** | [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/ashfordeOU/grasp/releases) — see [sideload instructions](#safari-sideload) |
A floating **Grasp** button appears on every GitHub and GitLab page. Supports self-hosted GitLab, GitHub Enterprise, and any custom host via on-demand permission grants.
---
### Distribution at a Glance
Every tagged release auto-publishes to all channels:
| Channel | Status | Link |
|---------|--------|------|
| **npm** (`grasp-mcp-server`) | [](https://www.npmjs.com/package/grasp-mcp-server) | `npm install -g grasp-mcp-server` |
| **MCP Registry** | Listed | [modelcontextprotocol.io](https://mcpregistry.com) |
| **Docker** (`ghcr.io/ashfordeou/grasp`) | [](https://github.com/ashfordeOU/grasp/pkgs/container/grasp) | `docker pull ghcr.io/ashfordeou/grasp:latest` |
| **VS Code** | `.vsix` on Releases | [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/ashfordeOU/grasp/releases/latest) |
| **JetBrains** | Marketplace | [Plugin ID 31362](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/31362-grasp--code-architecture-visualizer) |
| **Raycast** | Store (PR per release) | [raycast.com/ashfordeOU/grasp](https://www.raycast.com/ashfordeOU/grasp) |
| **Zed** | Extension (PR per release) | [zed.dev/extensions](https://zed.dev/extensions?query=grasp) |
| **Chrome** | Web Store | [CWS listing](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/grasp-%E2%80%94-code-architecture/pipmlammandfhfbodllcjolgeolkhapj) |
| **Firefox** | AMO (listed) | [addons.mozilla.org](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/grasp-code-architecture) |
| **Safari** | Sideload (macOS 13+) | [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/ashfordeOU/grasp/releases) |
| **GitLab bot image** | `ghcr.io/ashfordeou/grasp-gitlab-bot` | Auto-pushed per release |
| **GitLab tunnel agent** | Binary on Releases | [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/ashfordeOU/grasp/releases) |
| **GitHub Release** | Signed + checksums | [Releases page](https://github.com/ashfordeOU/grasp/releases) |
### AI-tool integrations *(Grasp called by your assistant via MCP or extension)*
| AI tool | How to install | Notes |
|---------|----------------|-------|
| **Claude Code** | `claude mcp add grasp -- npx -y grasp-mcp-server` | Native MCP — all 150 tools + 8 Resources + 2 Prompts |
| **Cursor** | Add `grasp-mcp-server` to `~/.cursor/mcp.json` | Native MCP |
| **Cline / Roo Code / Kilo Code** | MCP config in VS Code settings | Native MCP |
| **Windsurf** | MCP config | Native MCP |
| **Codex / OpenCode / Trae / Droid** | MCP config | Native MCP — `grasp setup` auto-configures all of them |
| **Gemini CLI / Grok CLI** | MCP config | Native MCP |
| **GitHub Copilot Chat** | Install `grasp-copilot-extension` | Copilot calls Grasp via the Copilot Extension API — `@grasp` mention in chat |
| **Continue** | `continue-provider` package | Grasp as a Continue context provider |
| **Amazon Q Developer** | `amazon-q-plugin` | Grasp surfaces in Q's chat |
| **GPT Actions / Custom GPTs** | `gpt-actions` package | Grasp exposed as REST for OpenAI Actions schema |
| **Aider / Sweep / any tool** | Use the `grasp-mcp-server` npm package | Tool-agnostic stdio JSON-RPC |