Sequential Thinking (Reference) vs lean
Sequential Thinking (Reference) is an MCP server published by modelcontextprotocol. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). lean is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by civillizard. 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:cd3174b2ecf3 Forks (GitHub): 11 780 Pulls (Docker Hub): 420 186 Stars (Docker Hub): 30 Stars (GitHub): 91 180 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Claude Code: claude-plugins-community | Not listed | Listed Version: 92807a3 Forks (GitHub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 2 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 | Sequential Thinking (Reference) | lean |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 91 180 (better) | 2 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 420 186 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 11 780 (better) | 0 (worse) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (mcp/sequentialthinking) | Installs as a plugin bundle |
| Transport (differs) | stdio | Not stated |
| Tools it declares (differs) | 1 | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for | Not published | Not published |
| Parts of the bundle (differs) | Not a bundle | 1 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers | github.com/civillizard/claude-lean-skill |
| 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
Sequential Thinking (Reference)
Dynamic and reflective problem-solving through thought sequences.
lean
Plan tasks with optimal model routing to minimize token usage. Breaks work into steps, assigns each the right model (Haiku/Sonnet/Opus), adds quality gates between stages, persists the plan to file, and reports savings after execution. Includes a companion hook for always-on model suggestions. Use /lean before complex tasks.
How to run each
Sequential Thinking (Reference) As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --transport stdio sequentialthinking -- docker run -i --rm mcp/sequentialthinkinglean
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 lean 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: Sequential Thinking (Reference) · What it can do: lean · 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.