Zen vs problem-solver-specialist
Zen is an MCP server published by BeehiveInnovations. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). problem-solver-specialist is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by Beau Lewis. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Community GitHub marketplaces). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-21. 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 |  Zen | |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:02cbe1d325db Forks (GitHub): 1 036 Pulls (Docker Hub): 34 967 Stars (Docker Hub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 11 799 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Community marketplace ccplugins/awesome-claude-code-plugins | Not listed | Listed Version: 1.0.0 Forks (GitHub): 754 Stars (GitHub): 979 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 | Zen | problem-solver-specialist |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 11 799 (better) | 979 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 34 967 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 1 036 (better) | 754 (worse) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (mcp/zen) | Installs as a plugin bundle |
| Transport (differs) | stdio | Not stated |
| Tools it declares (differs) | 18 | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | 4, secrets among them: 4 | Not published |
| Parts of the bundle (differs) | Not a bundle | 1 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/beehiveinnovations/zen-mcp-server | github.com/ccplugins/awesome-claude-code-plugins |
| Changes in the last 7 days (differs) | 0 | 2 |
| First seen (differs) | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-15 |
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
Zen
Bridges multiple AI models and CLIs, enabling orchestrated workflows across Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex CLI, and other AI development tools.
problem-solver-specialist
Universal expert problem-solving agent specializing in complex debugging, mysterious runtime behavior, integration issues, and multi-layered technical challenges across any technology stack or project type. Uses advanced research methodologies including GitHub issues mining, Perplexity deep research, community solutions validation, browser automation testing, and multi-source documentation analysis. Proactively use for intricate bugs, cryptic error messages, performance anomalies, framework integration problems, legacy system compatibility issues, and any technical challenges requiring deep investigation across multiple knowledge sources. Project-agnostic and universally applicable.
How to run each
Zen As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --env "GEMINI_API_KEY=<YOUR_GEMINI_API_KEY>" --env "OPENAI_API_KEY=<YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY>" --env "OPENROUTER_API_KEY=<YOUR_OPENROUTER_API_KEY>" --env "XAI_API_KEY=<YOUR_XAI_API_KEY>" --transport stdio zen -- docker run -i --rm -e GEMINI_API_KEY -e OPENAI_API_KEY -e OPENROUTER_API_KEY -e XAI_API_KEY mcp/zenRequires: GEMINI_API_KEY (secret), OPENAI_API_KEY (secret), OPENROUTER_API_KEY (secret), XAI_API_KEY (secret)
problem-solver-specialist As a Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add ccplugins/awesome-claude-code-plugins
/plugin install problem-solver-specialist@awesome-claude-code-pluginsCommands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of problem-solver-specialist publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
The marketplaces of problem-solver-specialist publish no settings it asks for, so we do not compare settings.
What it can do: Zen · What it can do: problem-solver-specialist · 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.