Zen vs jitx-skills
Zen is an MCP server published by BeehiveInnovations. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). jitx-skills is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by JITX Support. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Community GitHub marketplaces). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-23. 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): 1 037 Pulls (Docker Hub): 35 083 Stars (Docker Hub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 11 802 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Community marketplace jitx-inc/jitx-skills | Not listed | Listed Version: 1.7.0 Forks (GitHub): 2 Stars (GitHub): 20 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 | jitx-skills |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 11 802 (better) | 20 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 35 083 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 1 037 (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 | 9 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | Proprietary |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/beehiveinnovations/zen-mcp-server | github.com/jitx-inc/jitx-skills |
| Changes in the last 7 days (differs) | 0 | 2 |
| First seen (differs) | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-23 |
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.
jitx-skills
JITX workflow skills for PCB design. Use jitx-component-modeler for component creation from datasheets. Use jitx-circuit-builder for wiring circuits, passives, and application circuits. Use jitx-substrate-modeler for capturing information about the fabrication substrate. Use jitx-physical-layout for authoring physical layout geometry from code — shapely custom shapes, copper and overlappable copper (antennas, filters, net-ties), pad features, code-placed vias and routes, and layout-intent tags. Use jitx-interconnect-constraints for signal integrity constraints, topology, differential pairs, and protocol-level constraint patterns. Use jitx-pin-assignment for pin assignment patterns including provide/require, pin muxing, DiffPair P/N swapping, PCIe lane ordering, DDR byte/bit swapping, and topology+constraint composition on pin-assigned ports. Use jitx-code-review for same-model self-critique of JITX Python code against the anti-string-hacking architectural rules — mandatory for complete-board tier at task acce
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)
jitx-skills As a Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add jitx-inc/jitx-skills
/plugin install jitx-skills@jitxCommands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of jitx-skills publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
The marketplaces of jitx-skills publish no settings it asks for, so we do not compare settings.
What it can do: Zen · What it can do: jitx-skills · 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.