Markdownify vs phd-deepread
Markdownify is an MCP server published by zcaceres. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). phd-deepread is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by heleninsights-dot. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Claude Code: claude-plugins-community). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-13. 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 |   Markdownify |  phd-deepread |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:afa1ab8e1563 Forks (GitHub): 254 Pulls (Docker Hub): 72 495 Stars (Docker Hub): 2 Stars (GitHub): 2 999 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Claude Code: claude-plugins-community | Not listed | Listed Version: 0.2.2 Forks (GitHub): 4 Stars (GitHub): 62 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 | Markdownify | phd-deepread |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 2 999 (better) | 62 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 72 495 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 254 (better) | 4 (worse) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (mcp/markdownify) | Installs as a plugin bundle |
| Transport (differs) | stdio | Not stated |
| Tools it declares (differs) | 11 | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for | Not published | Not published |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/zcaceres/markdownify-mcp | github.com/heleninsights-dot/phd-deepread-workflow |
| Changes in the last 7 days | 0 | 0 |
| First seen | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-11 |
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
Markdownify
A Model Context Protocol server for converting almost anything to Markdown.
phd-deepread
Transform academic PDFs into structured literature notes and critical-thinking canvases for Obsidian. Extracts text from PDFs, then Claude generates a structured note with evidence tables, validity-mapped critique, and 25+ wikilinks. Outputs a 9-node JSON canvas for visual critical-thinking analysis in Obsidian.
How to run each
Markdownify As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --transport stdio markdownify -- docker run -i --rm mcp/markdownifyphd-deepread As a Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community
/plugin install phd-deepread@claude-communityCommands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of phd-deepread publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
Neither one's marketplaces publish the settings it asks for.
What it can do: Markdownify · What it can do: phd-deepread · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the Docker MCP Catalog (desktop.docker.com/mcp/catalog) and Docker Hub. Data comes from the public marketplace file https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/HEAD/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json. Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.