pdf-simplifier vs PDF Reader MCP
pdf-simplifier is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by callumthomas. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Community GitHub marketplaces). PDF Reader MCP is an MCP server published by SylphxAI. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Official MCP Registry). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-18. 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 |  pdf-simplifier |  PDF Reader MCP |
|---|---|---|
| Community marketplace callumthomas/claude-tools | Listed Version: 1.1.0 Forks (GitHub): 1 Stars (GitHub): 4 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Official MCP Registry | Not listed | Listed, marked deprecated Version: 4.1.2 Downloads/month (npm): 26 230 Downloads/week (npm): 5 145 Forks (GitHub): 91 Stars (GitHub): 1 042 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 | pdf-simplifier | PDF Reader MCP |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 4 (worse) | 1 042 (better) |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 1 (worse) | 91 (better) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | Installs as a plugin bundle | On your machine (@sylphx/pdf-reader-mcp) |
| Transport (differs) | Not stated | stdio |
| Tools it declares | Not published | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for | Not published | Not published |
| Parts of the bundle (differs) | 1 | Not a bundle |
| Licence | Not stated | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/callumthomas/claude-tools | github.com/sylphxai/pdf-reader-mcp |
| Changes in the last 7 days (differs) | 2 | 0 |
| First seen (differs) | 2026-10-15 | 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
pdf-simplifier
Convert any PDF into an interactive web reader with three reading modes (ELI5/Medium/Full), chapter navigation, math rendering, and image extraction.
PDF Reader MCP
Evidence-first PDF MCP. Agent Document Twin with citeable page+bbox evidence.
How to run each
pdf-simplifier As a Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add callumthomas/claude-tools
/plugin install pdf-simplifier@claude-toolsPDF Reader MCP As a local MCP server: npm package
claude mcp add --transport stdio pdf-reader-mcp -- npx -y @sylphx/pdf-reader-mcpCommands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
Neither one's marketplaces publish a list of tools, so there is nothing to compare.
Settings each asks for
Neither one's marketplaces publish the settings it asks for.
What it can do: pdf-simplifier · What it can do: PDF Reader MCP · 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. Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.