Zen vs Better Computer Use
Zen is an MCP server published by BeehiveInnovations. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). Better Computer Use is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by ridelink0. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Community GitHub marketplaces). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-22. 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 |  Better Computer Use |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:02cbe1d325db Forks (GitHub): 1 037 Pulls (Docker Hub): 34 981 Stars (Docker Hub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 11 802 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Community marketplace davepoon/buildwithclaude | Not listed | Listed Version: 0.11.0 Forks (GitHub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 1 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 | Better Computer Use |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 11 802 (better) | 1 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 34 981 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 1 037 (better) | 0 (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 | 10, secrets among them: 0 |
| Hooks it runs (differs) | Not published | 5 |
| Parts of the bundle (differs) | Not a bundle | 7 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | MIT |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/beehiveinnovations/zen-mcp-server | github.com/ridelink0/claude-computer-use |
| Changes in the last 7 days | 0 | 0 |
| 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.
Better Computer Use
Codex-style computer use for Claude Code. Drives Windows and macOS apps through the accessibility tree instead of screenshots, so it targets exactly, survives display scaling, and costs about 20x fewer tokens. It can also work on the same desktop while you keep working, telling your input apart from its own.
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)
Better Computer Use As a Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add davepoon/buildwithclaude
/plugin install computer-use@buildwithclaudeCommands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of Better Computer Use publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
Only Zen asks for
GEMINI_API_KEY (secret)OPENAI_API_KEY (secret)OPENROUTER_API_KEY (secret)XAI_API_KEY (secret)
Only Better Computer Use asks for
CU_ALLOWED_APPSCU_ALLOW_SLASH_COMMANDSCU_APPSHOTCU_BACKGROUND_AT_TURN_ENDCU_BLOCKED_APPSCU_CONFIRMCU_DESKTOP_SCOPECU_IDLE_MSCU_MODECU_PLUGIN_DATA
Settings as each marketplace publishes them. Asking for fewer is not better in itself.
What it can do: Zen · What it can do: Better Computer Use · 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.