MCP vs plugins vs skills
MCP servers, plugins and skills are often listed side by side as if you had to pick one. They are three layers of the same stack. An MCP server gives an assistant a new ability, a skill tells it how to do a kind of work, and a plugin packages either or both so they install in one step.
MCP servers: new abilities
A server connects the assistant to something outside it: an app, a database, a browser, a file system. Without one, Claude cannot see your Linear issues; with one, it can read and update them. Servers are programs, so they need installing, often a token, and some care about what they can reach.
Skills: ways of working
A skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file: instructions, examples and sometimes scripts for one kind of task, such as reviewing a pull request or writing in a house style. Claude loads a skill only when the task calls for it, so a dozen skills cost little until they are used. Skills need no server and touch no outside system unless their scripts do.
Plugins: the package
In Claude Code, a plugin bundles commands, agents, skills, hooks and MCP servers into one install from a marketplace. A team can ship its whole setup as one plugin. Outside Claude Code the word means different things in different apps, so check what a given plugin contains.
Which one to use
Reach for an MCP server when the assistant needs live access to a system. Reach for a skill when it has the access but keeps doing the task differently from how you want. Reach for a plugin when you want to install, or share, several of these at once. Most good setups end up with a few of each.
Projects that ship more than one layer
From SkillScout's catalogue, counted on 27 October 2026: 147 entries matched this topic, and these are the 8 with the most GitHub stars, one per project, after a review for false matches. Descriptions are each project's own. Stars show popularity, not fit.
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blender-mcp
Community plugin to control Blender 3D with any LLM of your choice
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/ahujasid/blender-mcp -
stitch-skills
A library of Agent Skills designed to work with the Stitch MCP server. Each skill follows the Agent Skills open standard, for compatibility with coding agents such as...
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/google-labs-code/stitch-skills -
fast-agent
Code, Build and Evaluate agents - excellent Model and Skills/MCP/ACP Support
Get the code, then follow its README to add the skill:
git clone https://github.com/evalstate/fast-agent -
notfair-plugin
Open-source SEO, GEO, and marketing skills for AI agents.
Get the code, then follow its README to add the skill:
git clone https://github.com/nowork-studio/notfair-plugin -
skills
Skills, MCP servers, Custom Agents, Agents.md for SDKs to ground Coding Agents
Get the code, then follow its README to add the skill:
git clone https://github.com/microsoft/skills -
jadx-ai-mcp
Plugin for JADX to integrate MCP server
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/zinja-coder/jadx-ai-mcp -
Unity-MCP
AI Skills, MCP Tools, and CLI for Unity Engine. Full AI develop and test loop. Use cli for quick setup. Efficient token usage, advanced tools. Any C# method may be turned...
Add it to Claude Code (from the official MCP Registry):
claude mcp add unity-mcp -- docker run -i --rm docker.io/ivanmurzakdev/unity-mcp-server:0.17.1 -
ghidra-mcp
Ghidra MCP Server, 200+ MCP tools for AI-powered reverse engineering. GUI plugin + headless server, lazy tool loading, convention enforcement, batch operations, Ghidra...
Get the code, then follow its README:
git clone https://github.com/bethington/ghidra-mcp
Questions
Can a skill use an MCP server?
Yes. A skill can tell the assistant to use tools from a server in a set order, which is a common way to turn a raw connection into a repeatable workflow.
Do skills work outside Claude?
The SKILL.md format is read by Claude Code and by a growing number of other agents, including Codex and Cursor. MCP servers work in any client that supports the protocol.
Related
- Best AI tools, sorted by role and task
- Best Claude Code skillsAgent skill collections and single skills, ranked by stars.
- AI plugins for Claude Code, Obsidian and moreClaude Code plugins and AI plugins for apps you already use.
- What is an MCP server?What MCP is, what a server does and how to add one to Claude.
Your own list
This page ranks by popularity. SkillScout's scan ranks by fit: the AI you already use writes a short profile of how you work, and SkillScout scores about 22,000 AI tools against your gaps and hands back a short list with install steps. It is free, and the server never saves your profile.