next-task vs MCP Task Orchestrator
next-task is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by agent-sh. Marketplaces we read that list it: 2 (Claude Code: claude-plugins-community, Community GitHub marketplaces). MCP Task Orchestrator is an MCP server published by jpicklyk. Marketplaces we read that list it: 2 (Official MCP Registry, Docker MCP Catalog). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-20. 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 |  next-task |  MCP Task Orchestrator |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code: claude-plugins-community | Listed Version: 5.1.0 Forks (GitHub): 2 Stars (GitHub): 7 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Official MCP Registry | Not listed | Listed Version: 3.16.0 Forks (GitHub): 25 Stars (GitHub): 209 Not marked · First seen |
| Docker MCP Catalog | Not listed | Listed Version: sha256:eab0bb62611a Forks (GitHub): 25 Stars (GitHub): 209 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 | next-task | MCP Task Orchestrator |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 2 | 2 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 7 (worse) | 209 (better) |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 2 (worse) | 25 (better) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | Installs as a plugin bundle | On your machine (ghcr.io/jpicklyk/task-orchestrator:3.16.0) |
| Transport (differs) | Not stated | stdio |
| Tools it declares (differs) | Not published | 42 |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | Not published | 7, secrets among them: 0 |
| Hooks it runs (differs) | 1 | Not published |
| Parts of the bundle (differs) | 12 | Not a bundle |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/agent-sh/next-task | github.com/jpicklyk/task-orchestrator |
| Changes in the last 7 days (differs) | 2 | 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
next-task
Autonomous workflow orchestrator that takes a task from discovery to production through 12 coordinated phases — exploration, planning, implementation, multi-agent review, and shipping. Pick a task from GitHub/GitLab/local sources, approve a plan, and the rest runs autonomously: git worktree creation, code generation, deslop, agnix, audit-project review loop, sync-docs, gate-and-ship. Two-file state management lets you `--resume` from any phase across session boundaries. 8 specialist agents with model selection (opus for exploration/planning, sonnet for review/CI, haiku for mechanical execution) keep token costs predictable. Workflow enforcement gates prevent skipping reviews or tests.
MCP Task Orchestrator
Server-enforced workflow discipline for AI agents: work items, dependency graphs, quality gates
How to run each
next-task As a Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community
/plugin install next-task@claude-communityMCP Task Orchestrator As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --transport stdio task-orchestrator -- docker run -i --rm -v mcp-task-data:/app/data ghcr.io/jpicklyk/task-orchestrator:3.16.0Commands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of next-task publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
The marketplaces of next-task publish no settings it asks for, so we do not compare settings.
What it can do: next-task · What it can do: MCP Task Orchestrator · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the public marketplace file https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/HEAD/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json. Data comes from public marketplace files in GitHub repositories of their authors. Data comes from the Official MCP Registry (registry.modelcontextprotocol.io), CC0 1.0. Data comes from the Docker MCP Catalog (desktop.docker.com/mcp/catalog) and Docker Hub. Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.