How AI tool plugins run and what they ask for
What the marketplaces we read publish about each plugin: where it runs, whether it runs hooks, how many secrets it asks for and how many tools it declares. We count declarations; we do not install or run plugins. A share or a median is stated only for a group of at least 20 plugins, and each one names the plugins it is counted over.
How many AI tool plugins run on a remote server, and how many on your machine?
As of our pass of , 61% of the 44 507 AI tool plugins we track declare a remote server they run on, 38% declare a package or a command that runs on your machine, and 5% declare both. These are the declarations of their marketplaces; we do not run the plugins.
By type
| Type | Plugins | Remote only | On your machine only | Both | Neither declared |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCP servers | 41 798 | 59% | 35% | 5% | 1% |
| Plugin bundles | 2 709 | 14% | 4% | under 1% | 81% |
By marketplace
| Marketplace | Plugins | Remote only | On your machine only | Both | Neither declared |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | 2 402 | 12% | 7% | 1% | 80% |
| Codex | 65 | 40% | 2% | 0% | 58% |
| Cursor | 100 | 77% | 2% | 0% | 21% |
| GitHub Copilot CLI | 190 | 5% | 2% | 0% | 93% |
| Official MCP Registry | 41 581 | 59% | 35% | 5% | 1% |
| Docker MCP Catalog | 270 | 11% | 81% | 6% | 1% |
MCP servers, by marketplace
| Marketplace | Plugins | Remote only | On your machine only | Both | Neither declared |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | 90 | 13% | 71% | 14% | 1% |
| Official MCP Registry | 41 573 | 59% | 35% | 5% | 1% |
| Docker MCP Catalog | 269 | 11% | 82% | 6% | 1% |
Remote means the listing declares an endpoint on the internet the AI tool connects to; on your machine means it declares a package or a command the AI tool starts locally. A plugin bundle that only adds commands or skills declares neither. Shares are of the plugins in each row.
How many plugin bundles run hooks?
As of our pass of , 23% of the 2 709 plugin bundles we track run shell hooks on events of the AI tool, as their bundle files declare. MCP servers and connectors have no hooks, so they are not counted here.
| Marketplace | Plugin bundles | With hooks | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | 2 312 | 599 | 26% |
| Codex | 65 | 2 | 3% |
| Cursor | 99 | 3 | 3% |
| GitHub Copilot CLI | 187 | 7 | 4% |
A hook is a shell command a plugin bundle asks the AI tool to run on its events, such as before a tool call or at the start of a session. We count bundles whose files declare at least one hook; what a hook does is not read.
How many secrets does an AI tool plugin ask for?
As of our pass of , half of the 44 507 AI tool plugins we track ask for 0.0 secret settings (API keys, tokens) or fewer, as their marketplaces declare them. Half of the 257 plugins that list their tools declare 9.0 tools or fewer.
| Category | Plugins | Median secrets asked for | Plugins that list their tools | Median tools declared |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development tools | 4 320 | 0.0 | 12 | not stated |
| DevOps and cloud | 859 | 0.0 | 91 | 8.0 |
| Databases | 1 022 | 0.0 | 26 | 16.0 |
| Data and analytics | 2 894 | 0.0 | 8 | not stated |
| AI and agents | 6 595 | 0.0 | 25 | 9.0 |
| Monitoring and observability | 749 | 0.0 | 8 | not stated |
| Security | 1 467 | 0.0 | 9 | not stated |
| Testing and quality | 936 | 0.0 | 3 | not stated |
| Productivity | 1 371 | 0.0 | 26 | 12.0 |
| Communication | 1 781 | 0.0 | 7 | not stated |
| Design and media | 2 058 | 0.0 | 5 | not stated |
| Finance and payments | 2 743 | 0.0 | 9 | not stated |
| Business and sales | 1 200 | 0.0 | 2 | not stated |
| Search and web data | 4 931 | 0.0 | 19 | not stated |
| Documentation and knowledge | 1 314 | 0.0 | 7 | not stated |
Secrets are settings a listing marks as secret, such as API keys and tokens. A plugin that asks for none counts as zero in the median of secrets. The median of tools counts only plugins that list their tools, because a listing without a tool list does not say it has none.
Marked verified
None of the marketplaces we read publishes a verified mark yet, so no share is stated. Marketplaces without such a mark say nothing either way, so their plugins are never counted as unverified.
How to cite
Ext Ops Panel, how AI tool plugins run and what they ask for, pass of 2026-10-12. https://extops.dev/ai-plugin-statistics/capabilities
Every figure here is what a listing declares on its marketplace, not a test of the plugin: we do not install or run plugins and do not grade them. Groups of fewer than 20 plugins are left out.
AI tool plugin statistics · All AI tool plugins · How these figures are counted
Where the data comes from: how the catalog is built