Zen vs skillcheck-free
Zen is an MCP server published by BeehiveInnovations. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). skillcheck-free is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by olgasafonova. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Claude Code: claude-plugins-community). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-14. 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 |  skillcheck-free |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:02cbe1d325db Forks (GitHub): 1 036 Pulls (Docker Hub): 34 874 Stars (Docker Hub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 11 784 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Claude Code: claude-plugins-community | Not listed | Listed Version: 3.20.1 Forks (GitHub): 2 Stars (GitHub): 41 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 | skillcheck-free |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 11 784 (better) | 41 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 34 874 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 1 036 (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 | 1 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | MIT |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/beehiveinnovations/zen-mcp-server | github.com/olgasafonova/skillcheck-free |
| Changes in the last 7 days | 0 | 0 |
| First seen (differs) | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-12 |
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.
skillcheck-free
SkillCheck Free validates Claude Code SKILL.md files against ~25 contract rules covering structure, naming, semantic consistency, and quality patterns. It catches missing frontmatter, weak or ambiguous descriptions, trigger collisions, anti-pattern formatting (prose where tables belong), naming smells, and contradictions before users encounter them. Runs locally — it's itself a SKILL.md the agent reads, with no API calls, binaries, or external services. MIT-licensed. Works in Claude Code, Claude Desktop/Web (Projects), and Cursor. The Free tier covers structural, semantic, and naming checks plus quality-pattern recognition. SkillCheck Pro (separate product at getskillcheck.com) adds anti-slop detection, security scanning, token budget analysis, WCAG accessibility, and enterprise readiness checks.
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)
skillcheck-free As a Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community
/plugin install skillcheck-free@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 skillcheck-free publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
The marketplaces of skillcheck-free publish no settings it asks for, so we do not compare settings.
What it can do: Zen · What it can do: skillcheck-free · 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.