Sequential Thinking (Reference) vs terse
Sequential Thinking (Reference) is an MCP server published by modelcontextprotocol. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). terse is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by Karl Lowenbjer. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Community GitHub marketplaces). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-28. 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 |  Sequential Thinking (Reference) | |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:cd3174b2ecf3 Forks (GitHub): 11 871 Pulls (Docker Hub): 429 937 Stars (Docker Hub): 30 Stars (GitHub): 91 595 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Community marketplace lowenbjer/claude-terse | Not listed | Listed Version: 1.2.2 Forks (GitHub): 2 Stars (GitHub): 52 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) | terse |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 91 595 (better) | 52 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 429 937 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 11 871 (better) | 2 (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 |
| Hooks it runs (differs) | Not published | 2 |
| Parts of the bundle (differs) | Not a bundle | 5 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | MIT |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers | github.com/lowenbjer/claude-terse |
| Changes in the last 7 days (differs) | 0 | 2 |
| First seen (differs) | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-26 |
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.
terse
Cuts Claude Code reply length in half and removes mannered prose. 22 writing rules as a forced output style, a per-turn reminder against drift in long sessions, the same rules for subagents, and a context meter for the status line. Measured on 20 prompts against a real codebase: about half the words at 30% to 50% lower cost. Rules, method and numbers per model: github.com/lowenbjer/claude-terse
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/sequentialthinkingterse As a Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add lowenbjer/claude-terse
/plugin install terse@terseCommands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of terse 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: terse · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the Docker MCP Catalog (desktop.docker.com/mcp/catalog) and Docker Hub. Data comes from public marketplace files in GitHub repositories of their authors. Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.