openrouter-imgen-mcp
Give your AI assistant the ability to generate and edit images. One install, multiple models, no vendor lock-in.
Screenshots
| Before | After |
|---|---|
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Works with Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, and any MCP client.
Why This
- One API key, every image model. Gemini, GPT-5, and more through OpenRouter. Switch models with a word, not a code change.
- Generate, edit, and batch. Text-to-image, image editing with references, and batch operations (up to 20 parallel tasks).
- Style presets. Say "in watercolor style" or "as pixel art" and get consistent results. 8 built-in styles.
- Variations. Generate up to 4 takes from one prompt. Pick the best one.
- Smart file output. Save to a path or a directory. Files get descriptive names automatically.
- Pay for what you use. OpenRouter's per-token and per-image pricing means no subscriptions.
How to Install
Get an OpenRouter API key, then add the server to your client.
Claude Code
# macOS / Linux
claude mcp add openrouter-imgen-mcp -s user -e OPENROUTER_API_KEY=YOURAPIKEY -- npx -y openrouter-imgen-mcp@latest
# Windows
claude mcp add openrouter-imgen-mcp -s user -e OPENROUTER_API_KEY=YOURAPIKEY -- cmd /c npx -y openrouter-imgen-mcp@latest
Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code / Windsurf
Add to your MCP config JSON:
{
"mcpServers": {
"openrouter-imgen-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "openrouter-imgen-mcp@latest"],
"env": {
"OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "YOURAPIKEY"
}
}
}
}
What You Can Do
Simply chat with your assistant:
Generate a product photo of a ceramic mug on a wooden table, warm lighting
Generate 3 variations of a logo concept for a coffee brand, pixel-art style
Edit /path/to/headshot.png: make the background a gradient, keep the subject
Batch generate 5 social media banners: summer sale, back to school, holiday promo,
new arrivals, free shipping. All in illustration style, 16:9, save to ./banners/
List image models. What's cheapest for quick drafts?
Quality Presets
Skip the model IDs. Just say "fast", "balanced", or "quality":
| Preset | Model | When to use |
|---|---|---|
fast | Gemini 2.5 Flash | Drafts, iteration, keeping costs low |
balanced | Gemini 3 Pro | Day-to-day use (default) |
quality | GPT-5 Image | Final deliverables, max fidelity |
Or pass any OpenRouter model ID directly:
Generate a cat using model google/gemini-2.5-flash-image
Style Presets
Keywords modifies the style:
| Style | What you get |
|---|---|
photo | Photorealistic, DSLR, natural lighting |
illustration | Clean digital art, vibrant colors |
watercolor | Soft washes, paper texture |
pixel-art | Retro 16-bit, limited palette |
3d-render | Studio-lit, physically based rendering |
anime | Cel-shaded, Japanese animation |
sketch | Pencil on paper, monochrome |
oil-painting | Brushstrokes, impasto, classical |
Tools Reference
Convenient tools:
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
generate_image | Text-to-image with quality/style presets, variations (1-4), aspect ratio, file output |
edit_image | Transform images with a prompt + up to 12 reference images (files, URLs, data URIs) |
batch_images | Run up to 20 generate/edit tasks in parallel with concurrency control |
list_image_models | Browse available models with pricing |
check_balance | Check your OpenRouter credit balance |
Supported output: 1:1, 2:3, 3:2, 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4 aspect ratios. 0.5K, 1K, 2K, 4K sizes. PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF inputs.
Headless Configuration
| Flag | Env Var | Default |
|---|---|---|
--api-key | OPENROUTER_API_KEY | (required) |
--default-model | OPENROUTER_IMG_DEFAULT_MODEL | google/gemini-3-pro-image-preview |
--batch-concurrency | OPENROUTER_IMG_BATCH_CONCURRENCY | 3 |
--cache-ttl | OPENROUTER_IMG_CACHE_TTL | 300000 (5 min) |
--log-level | OPENROUTER_IMG_LOG_LEVEL | warn |
Security
API keys never appear in logs or error messages. File paths block directory traversal. Image URLs are validated against SSRF patterns. Batch operations are memory-capped at 200MB. All inputs are schema-validated.
For Developers
To build for devs:
pnpm install && pnpm build && pnpm test # 57 tests
License
MIT
Made with <3 at Bitcoin.com