pencil-dev-skill vs Anima MCP Server
pencil-dev-skill is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by Nisus74. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Claude Code: claude-plugins-community). Anima MCP Server is an MCP server published by AnimaApp. Marketplaces we read that list it: 2 (Official MCP Registry, Community GitHub marketplaces). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-16. 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 |  pencil-dev-skill |  Anima MCP Server |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code: claude-plugins-community | Listed Version: 0.8.0 Forks (GitHub): 2 Stars (GitHub): 25 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Official MCP Registry | Not listed | Listed Version: 1.0.0 Forks (GitHub): 2 Stars (GitHub): 6 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 | pencil-dev-skill | Anima MCP Server |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it (differs) | 1 (worse) | 2 (better) |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 25 (better) | 6 (worse) |
| Forks (GitHub) | 2 | 2 |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | Installs as a plugin bundle | Remote server (public-api.animaapp.com/v1/mcp) |
| Transport (differs) | Not stated | Streamable HTTP |
| Tools it declares | Not published | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for | Not published | Not published |
| Parts of the bundle (differs) | 1 | 4 |
| Licence (differs) | MIT | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/nisus74/pencil-skill | github.com/animaapp/mcp-server-guide |
| Changes in the last 7 days (differs) | 0 | 2 |
| First seen | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-11 |
| Endpoint at the last check (differs) | no remote endpoint we check | Responded 4 days ago, requires a key |
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
pencil-dev-skill
Teaches AI coding tools to design and edit pencil.dev UI files (.pen format) through the Pencil MCP server. Every read and write goes through the MCP for schema validation. Live screenshots show the design as it looks, and the MCP keeps your changes and the editor in sync while the canvas is open. Recognises pencil.dev signals automatically: mentions of .pen, .lib.pen, the Pencil canvas, or a design-system folder all activate the skill. Works with Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot CLI, and Cursor. Supports designing screens from scratch, editing existing canvases, instantiating components from .lib.pen libraries, customising design tokens, and bulk-replacing properties across a project.
Anima MCP Server
Connect AI coding agents to Anima Playground, Figma, and your design system.
How to run each
pencil-dev-skill As a Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community
/plugin install pencil-dev-skill@claude-communityAnima MCP Server As a remote MCP server
claude mcp add --transport http anima https://public-api.animaapp.com/v1/mcpCommands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Only Anima MCP Server has a remote endpoint we check. How we check endpoints
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: pencil-dev-skill · What it can do: Anima MCP Server · 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 the Official MCP Registry (registry.modelcontextprotocol.io), CC0 1.0. 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.