Zen vs sema
Zen is an MCP server published by BeehiveInnovations. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). sema is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by emergent-wisdom. 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 |  sema |
|---|---|---|
| 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: 0.4.0 Forks (GitHub): 1 Stars (GitHub): 13 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 | sema |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 11 775 (better) | 13 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 34 868 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 1 035 (better) | 1 (worse) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (mcp/zen) | On your machine (semahash) |
| 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 |
| Hooks it runs (differs) | Not published | 2 |
| Parts of the bundle (differs) | Not a bundle | 7 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/beehiveinnovations/zen-mcp-server | github.com/emergent-wisdom/sema |
| 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.
sema
Sema adds a content-addressed vocabulary of 452 cognitive patterns to Claude. Each pattern has a handle like StateLock#5602 — a SHA-256 hash of its definition — so two agents using the same handle are provably talking about the same thing. Any divergence in meaning produces a different hash, making silent misalignment impossible. Key features: - sema_search — semantic + keyword search across the pattern library • sema_resolve — full definition, mechanism, invariants, and dependency graph for any handle • sema_handshake — verify two agents share the exact same definition; halt on mismatch • sema_tree — browse the taxonomy (Physics / Mind / Society / Infrastructure) • sema_root — one-hash fingerprint of the whole vocabulary, for fast drift checks • sema_mint — add project-local patterns (survives pip upgrades) • sema pull — sync a project DB with upstream, auto-redirecting renamed handles
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)
sema As a Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community
/plugin install sema@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 sema publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
The marketplaces of sema publish no settings it asks for, so we do not compare settings.
What it can do: Zen · What it can do: sema · 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.