Zen vs c4m
Zen is an MCP server published by BeehiveInnovations. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). c4m is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by cheriftj. 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 |  Zen |  c4m |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:02cbe1d325db Forks (GitHub): 1 035 Pulls (Docker Hub): 34 868 Stars (Docker Hub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 11 775 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Claude Code: claude-plugins-community | Not listed | Listed Version: 5b24dda Forks (GitHub): 2 Stars (GitHub): 43 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 | c4m |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 11 775 (better) | 43 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 34 868 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 1 035 (better) | 2 (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 | 7 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/beehiveinnovations/zen-mcp-server | github.com/cheriftj/c4-model-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
Zen
Bridges multiple AI models and CLIs, enabling orchestrated workflows across Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex CLI, and other AI development tools.
c4m
Interactive C4 architecture diagrams (Simon Brown's model) for Claude Code. Five mode-driven workflows — Design (greenfield), Document-code (retro-doc from a repo), Document-prose (from README/ADR/spec), Review (critique an existing diagram), Update (evolve one) — accessed via /c4m:auto, /c4m:design, /c4m:code, /c4m:prose, /c4m:review, /c4m:update. Output is one Markdown document per C4 level with embedded Mermaid; format negotiable (Structurizr DSL, PlantUML) and destination negotiable (filesystem or MCP — Notion, Linear, Drive). Enforces the editorial invariants: technology mandatory on every Container/Component, intent-specific relationship labels, protocol on inter-container links, assumptions kept explicit.
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)
c4m As a Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community
/plugin install c4m@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 c4m publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
The marketplaces of c4m publish no settings it asks for, so we do not compare settings.
What it can do: Zen · What it can do: c4m · 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.