Rube vs KiCad MCP Pro
Rube is an MCP server published by docker. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). KiCad MCP Pro is an MCP server published by oaslananka. Marketplaces we read that list it: 2 (Official MCP Registry, PyPI (MCP servers)). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-26. 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 |  Rube |   KiCad MCP Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: not stated No figure published Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Official MCP Registry | Not listed | Listed Version: 4.4.0 Downloads/month (PyPI): 13 397 Downloads/week (PyPI): 1 891 Forks (GitHub): 28 Stars (GitHub): 153 Not marked · First seen |
| PyPI (MCP servers) | Not listed | Listed Version: 4.4.0 Downloads/month (PyPI): 13 397 Downloads/week (PyPI): 1 891 Forks (GitHub): 28 Stars (GitHub): 153 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 | Rube | KiCad MCP Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it (differs) | 1 (worse) | 2 (better) |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | No figure on GitHub | 153 |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | No figure on GitHub | 28 |
| Last release (differs) | Not published | 2026-10-24 |
| Where it runs (differs) | Remote server (rube.app/mcp) | On your machine (kicad-mcp-pro) |
| Transport (differs) | Streamable HTTP | stdio |
| Tools it declares | Not published | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | 1, secrets among them: 1 | 2, secrets among them: 0 |
| Licence (differs) | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Repository (differs) | Not stated | github.com/oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro |
| Changes in the last 7 days (differs) | 0 | 2 |
| First seen | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-11 |
| Endpoint at the last check (differs) | Not responding since 2026-10-14 | no remote endpoint we check |
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
Rube
Access to Rube's catalog of remote MCP servers.
KiCad MCP Pro
Production-grade MCP server for KiCad EDA—PCB design, DRC, simulation, BOM, DFM, and manufacturing.
How to run each
Rube As a remote MCP server
claude mcp add --transport http rube https://rube.app/mcpRequires: RUBE_API_KEY (secret)
KiCad MCP Pro As a local MCP server: PyPI package
claude mcp add --transport stdio kicad-mcp-pro -- uvx kicad-mcp-pro kicad-mcp-pro --transport stdio --host 127.0.0.1 --port 3334Commands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Only Rube has a remote endpoint we check. How we check endpoints
Tools each declares
Neither one's marketplaces publish a list of tools, so there is nothing to compare.
Settings each asks for
Only Rube asks for
RUBE_API_KEY (secret)
Only KiCad MCP Pro asks for
KICAD_MCP_LOG_LEVELKICAD_MCP_PRO_PYPI_VERSION
Settings as each marketplace publishes them. Asking for fewer is not better in itself.
What it can do: Rube · What it can do: KiCad MCP Pro · 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. Package data comes from the Python Package Index (pypi.org). Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.