Time (Reference) vs idle-timing
Time (Reference) is an MCP server published by modelcontextprotocol. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). idle-timing is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by clankercode. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Claude Code: claude-plugins-community). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-13. 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 |  Time (Reference) |  idle-timing |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:9c46a918633f Forks (GitHub): 11 780 Pulls (Docker Hub): 1 004 327 Stars (Docker Hub): 9 Stars (GitHub): 91 180 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Claude Code: claude-plugins-community | Not listed | Listed Version: 0.4.0 Forks (GitHub): 1 Stars (GitHub): 5 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 | Time (Reference) | idle-timing |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 91 180 (better) | 5 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 1 004 327 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 11 780 (better) | 1 (worse) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (mcp/time) | Installs as a plugin bundle |
| Transport (differs) | stdio | Not stated |
| Tools it declares (differs) | 2 | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for | Not published | Not published |
| Hooks it runs (differs) | Not published | 3 |
| Parts of the bundle (differs) | Not a bundle | 6 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | Unlicense OR CC0-1.0 |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers | github.com/clankercode/claude-inject-idle-time |
| 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
Time (Reference)
Time and timezone conversion capabilities.
idle-timing
- Injects timing block to prompts (not user-visible) covering local date-time, idle time (since agent turn ended), and prior turn execution time. - Shows `[after Xm Ys]` to user via post submit hook to indicate how long it was between that prompt and agent finishing prior turn. - Provides statusline integration for idle time.
How to run each
Time (Reference) As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --transport stdio time -- docker run -i --rm mcp/timeidle-timing As a Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community
/plugin install idle-timing@claude-communityCommands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of idle-timing 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: Time (Reference) · What it can do: idle-timing · 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.