n8n vs background-timer
n8n is an MCP server published by czlonkowski. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). background-timer is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by culminationAI. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Claude Code: claude-plugins-community). 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:061cdb8fbaa7 Forks (GitHub): 3 660 Pulls (Docker Hub): 152 694 Stars (Docker Hub): 23 Stars (GitHub): 23 055 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Claude Code: claude-plugins-community | Not listed | Listed Version: 0.1.0 Forks (GitHub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 0 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 | n8n | background-timer |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 23 055 (better) | 0 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 152 694 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 3 660 (better) | 0 (worse) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (mcp/n8n) | Installs as a plugin bundle |
| Transport (differs) | stdio | Not stated |
| Tools it declares (differs) | 42 | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | 3, secrets among them: 1 | Not published |
| Parts of the bundle (differs) | Not a bundle | 1 |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp | github.com/culminationai/background-timer |
| 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
n8n
Bridges n8n's workflow automation platform with AI models, providing access to 543 n8n nodes, workflow templates, and AI-capable automation tools.
background-timer
Background timer with task notifications for Claude Code. Set delayed checks without blocking conversation.
How to run each
n8n As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --env "N8N_API_KEY=<YOUR_N8N_API_KEY>" --transport stdio n8n -- docker run -i --rm -e N8N_API_KEY mcp/n8nRequires: N8N_API_KEY (secret)
background-timer
No data for an automatic command: what its marketplaces declare does not say unambiguously how to connect it.
Commands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of background-timer publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
The marketplaces of background-timer publish no settings it asks for, so we do not compare settings.
What it can do: n8n · What it can do: background-timer · 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.