Effect vs io.github.ref-tools/ref-tools-mcp
Effect is an MCP server published by tim-smart. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). io.github.ref-tools/ref-tools-mcp is an MCP server published by ref-tools. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Official MCP Registry). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-12. This pair was picked by a reader, not by our comparison rule, so search engines are asked not to index the page.
Where each is published
| Marketplace |  io.github.ref-tools/ref-tools-mcp | |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:a0e077abc890 Forks (GitHub): 13 Pulls (Docker Hub): 12 837 Stars (Docker Hub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 239 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Official MCP Registry | Not listed | Listed Version: 3.0.1 Forks (GitHub): 71 Stars (GitHub): 1 180 Not marked · First seen |
Each figure is the marketplace's own and is never added up across marketplaces. A marketplace that publishes no figure shows none: no number is not zero.
The facts side by side
| Fact | Effect | io.github.ref-tools/ref-tools-mcp |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 239 (worse) | 1 180 (better) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 12 837 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 13 (worse) | 71 (better) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (mcp/effect-mcp) | Remote server or your machine |
| Transport (differs) | stdio | stdio, Streamable HTTP |
| Tools it declares (differs) | 2 | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | Not published | 1, secrets among them: 1 |
| Licence (differs) | MIT | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/tim-smart/effect-mcp | github.com/ref-tools/ref-tools-mcp |
| Changes in the last 7 days (differs) | 0 | 1 |
| First seen | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-11 |
| Endpoint at the last check (differs) | no remote endpoint we check | not checked yet |
Lines where the two differ have a tinted background and bold values. Where the data itself says which value is better (more marketplaces, a larger figure of the same marketplace, a fresher release, a verified mark on a marketplace that lists both), the better one is also marked green with ▲ and the worse one red with ▼. Where it runs, the transport, the tools, the settings, hooks, the bundle's parts, the licence and the week's changes are marked only as different: more or fewer is not better in itself.
What each says it does
Effect
Tools and resources for writing Effect code in Typescript.
io.github.ref-tools/ref-tools-mcp
Token efficient search for coding agents over public and private documentation.
How to run each
Effect As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --transport stdio effect-mcp -- docker run -i --rm mcp/effect-mcpio.github.ref-tools/ref-tools-mcp As a local MCP server: npm package
claude mcp add --env "REF_API_KEY=<YOUR_REF_API_KEY>" --transport stdio ref-tools-mcp -- npx -y ref-tools-mcpRequires: REF_API_KEY (secret)
Commands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of io.github.ref-tools/ref-tools-mcp publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
The marketplaces of Effect publish no settings it asks for, so we do not compare settings.
What it can do: Effect · What it can do: io.github.ref-tools/ref-tools-mcp · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the Docker MCP Catalog (desktop.docker.com/mcp/catalog) and Docker Hub. Data comes from the Official MCP Registry (registry.modelcontextprotocol.io), CC0 1.0. Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.