Research vs Perplexity API Platform
Research is no longer listed on any marketplace we read: these are its last known data, as of 2026‑10‑17.
Research is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by b-open-io. No marketplace we read lists it any more. Perplexity API Platform is an MCP server published by perplexity.ai. Marketplaces we read that list it: 3 (Official MCP Registry, Docker MCP Catalog, Community GitHub marketplaces). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-22. A plugin in this pair is no longer listed on any marketplace we read, so search engines are asked not to index the page.
Where each is published
| Marketplace |   Perplexity API Platform | |
|---|---|---|
| Community marketplace b-open-io/claude-plugins | Removed on 2026-10-17 Version: 0.1.5 Forks (GitHub): 4 Stars (GitHub): 16 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Official MCP Registry | Not listed | Listed Version: 1.2.1 Downloads/month (npm): 102 467 Downloads/week (npm): 16 084 Not marked · First seen |
| Docker MCP Catalog | Not listed | Listed Version: sha256:7816f45a6f26 Forks (GitHub): 385 Pulls (Docker Hub): 80 526 Stars (Docker Hub): 17 Stars (GitHub): 2 584 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 | Researchno longer listed · | Perplexity API Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it (differs) | 0 | 3 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 16 | 2 584 |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | No figure on Docker Hub | 80 526 |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 4 | 385 |
| Last release (differs) | Not published | 2026-10-17 |
| Where it runs (differs) | Installs as a plugin bundle | On your machine (@perplexity-ai/mcp-server) |
| Transport (differs) | Not stated | stdio |
| Tools it declares (differs) | Not published | 3 |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | Not published | 2, secrets among them: 1 |
| Hooks it runs (differs) | Not published | 1 |
| Parts of the bundle (differs) | 10 | 2 |
| Licence (differs) | Not stated | MIT |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/b-open-io/prompts | github.com/ppl-ai/modelcontextprotocol |
| Changes in the last 7 days (differs) | 2 | 3 |
| First seen (differs) | 2026-10-15 | 2026-10-11 |
Lines where the two differ have a tinted background and bold values. No value is marked better or worse: a plugin no marketplace lists any more is shown with its last known data, which we do not rank against current figures.
What to use instead of Research
Plugins still listed whose own names, descriptions, tools and skills are closest in meaning to it. Comparable, not endorsed.
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AI-powered deep research with multi-agent source verification, 7-phase pipeline, and structured report generation.
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AI Web Research & Research Brief Agent
x402 cited web research and synthesis for agents. $1.99 per completed brief.
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API research and documentation retrieval using Firecrawl and Context7, with multi-agent synthesis capabilities
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run-deep-research
Skills for deep research with OpenAI, Perplexity, Edison/Falcon, Cyberian, and OpenScientist
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Ask a question, get an answer with citations you can check. It runs from a two-minute lookup to a multi-week investigation with its own folder, and argues against its own findings…
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knowledge-base
Work in a source-grounded Knowledge Base: external-sources -> research -> articles.
What each says it does
Research
Multi-source research, X analysis, writing-style capture, and documentation. Optional module for core.
Perplexity API Platform
Real-time web search, reasoning, and research through Perplexity's API
How to run each
Research
No data for an automatic command: what its marketplaces declare does not say unambiguously how to connect it.
Perplexity API Platform As a local MCP server: npm package
claude mcp add --transport stdio perplexity-api-platform -- npx -y @perplexity-ai/mcp-serverCommands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of Research publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
The marketplaces of Research publish no settings it asks for, so we do not compare settings.
What it can do: Research · What it can do: Perplexity API Platform · Compare two other plugins
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.