Both wire an AI agent to a decompiler over MCP so you can ask how a feature works and get traced evidence for the answer; REA pairs free Hopper/Ghidra-driven native analysis with JavaScript, Electron, .NET, and website support in one guided setup, while ida-pro-mcp hands the same questions to IDA Pro's decompiler and debugger.
The verdict
Pick REA if you want one agent workflow spanning native binaries, JavaScript/Electron apps, .NET assemblies, and websites without buying a decompiler license
Pick ida-pro-mcp if you already own IDA Pro and want its best-in-class decompiler and debugger driven by an agent, for native-binary work only
At a glance
| REA | ida-pro-mcp | |
|---|---|---|
| Price & Licensing | free OSS; Hopper/Ghidra optional | free tool; needs paid IDA Pro |
| Setup & Integration | one npx wizard, 12 agents | manual setup, 20+ MCP clients |
| Analysis Scope | native bins + JS/Electron/.NET/web | native binaries only, via IDA |
| Limits & Maturity | still needs Hopper or Ghidra | author now favors Hex-Rays' MCP |
Side by side
Price & Licensing
REA itself is MIT-licensed and free, and it can drive the free NSA tool Ghidra for native binaries, so the only cost most users add is Hopper's optional one-time $99 personal license (its demo blocks saving and exporting).
ida-pro-mcp itself is free and MIT-licensed, but it explicitly does not support IDA Free, so using it for real work means an IDA Pro subscription starting at €1,099/year (Essential) and rising to €8,599/year (Ultimate).
Setup & Integration
REA: A single `npx rea-agents setup` command configures REA's MCP access and workflow across 12 supported agents, including Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex, and can even install Hopper for you after you approve it.
ida-pro-mcp has no bundled installer: you must already own and install IDA Pro yourself, then manually point its Python MCP server at whichever of its 20-plus listed clients you want to use.
Analysis Scope
REA's catalog covers native binaries via Hopper or Ghidra plus JavaScript, Electron, .NET assemblies, and live websites, feeding one guided workflow that explains a feature and helps you rebuild it.
ida-pro-mcp exposes IDA Pro's decompiler, debugger, patching, type-inference, and cross-reference tools for native binaries only, with no built-in support for JavaScript, Electron, .NET, or websites.
Limits & Maturity
REA: Native-binary analysis in REA still leans on a separately installed Hopper or Ghidra, and its Windows path via Ghidra is explicitly an experimental, read-only slice covering just 25 inventory and function operations.
ida-pro-mcp requires a paid IDA Pro license since IDA Free isn't supported, and its own README now tells users to prefer the official Hex-Rays IDA MCP Server over this community project.
Links
- REA: https://github.com/morluto/rea
- ida-pro-mcp: https://github.com/mrexodia/ida-pro-mcp
- This comparison on Telegram: https://t.me/SkipCI/179
FAQ
When should I pick REA over ida-pro-mcp?
Pick REA if you want one agent workflow spanning native binaries, JavaScript/Electron apps, .NET assemblies, and websites without buying a decompiler license
When should I pick ida-pro-mcp over REA?
Pick ida-pro-mcp if you already own IDA Pro and want its best-in-class decompiler and debugger driven by an agent, for native-binary work only