Needle vs Transformer
Needle is an MCP server published by needle-ai. Marketplaces we read that list it: 2 (Docker MCP Catalog, Official MCP Registry). Transformer is an MCP server published by transformer.gg. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Official MCP Registry). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-11-14. 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 |  Needle | |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:d3fd314f40c3 Forks (GitHub): 24 Pulls (Docker Hub): 12 211 Stars (Docker Hub): 1 Stars (GitHub): 105 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Official MCP Registry | Listed Version: 1.0.1 Forks (GitHub): 24 Stars (GitHub): 105 Not marked · First seen |
Listed Version: 1.1.0 No figure published 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 | Needle | Transformer |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it (differs) | 2 (better) | 1 (worse) |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 105 | No figure on GitHub |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 12 211 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 24 | No figure on GitHub |
| Last release (differs) | 2026-11-06 (worse) | 2026-11-12 (better) |
| Where it runs (differs) | Remote server or your machine | Remote server (transformer.gg/mcp) |
| Transport (differs) | stdio, Streamable HTTP | Streamable HTTP |
| Tools it declares (differs) | 7 | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | 1, secrets among them: 1 | Not published |
| Licence | Not stated | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/needle-ai/needle-mcp | Not stated |
| Changes in the last 7 days (differs) | 0 | 3 |
| First seen (differs) | 2026-10-11 | 2026-11-07 |
| Endpoint at the last check (differs) | Responded 22 h ago, requires authentication | Responded 3 h ago, requires authentication |
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
Needle
Production-ready RAG service to search and retrieve data from your documents.
Transformer
Agent-run influencer marketplace on X: find creators, send offers, pay for confirmed posts.
How to run each
Needle As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --env "NEEDLE_API_KEY=<YOUR_NEEDLE_API_KEY>" --transport stdio needle-mcp -- docker run -i --rm -e NEEDLE_API_KEY mcp/needle-mcpRequires: NEEDLE_API_KEY (secret)
Transformer As a remote MCP server
claude mcp add --transport http transformer https://transformer.gg/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_TOKEN>"Requires: Authorization header
Commands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Both endpoints responded at the last daily check. How we check endpoints
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of Transformer publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
The marketplaces of Transformer publish no settings it asks for, so we do not compare settings.
What it can do: Needle · What it can do: Transformer · 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.