Build macOS Apps vs Apple Files
Build macOS Apps is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by OpenAI. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Codex: openai-curated (openai/plugins)). Apple Files is an MCP server published by JonathanRReed. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Official MCP Registry). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-17. 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 |  Apple Files | |
|---|---|---|
| Codex: openai-curated (openai/plugins) | Listed Version: 0.1.4 Forks (GitHub): 971 Stars (GitHub): 7 473 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Official MCP Registry | Not listed | Listed Version: 1.1.2 Downloads/month (PyPI): 699 Downloads/week (PyPI): 267 Forks (GitHub): 3 Stars (GitHub): 28 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 | Build macOS Apps | Apple Files |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 7 473 (better) | 28 (worse) |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 971 (better) | 3 (worse) |
| Last release (differs) | Not published | 2026-10-14 |
| Where it runs (differs) | Installs as a plugin bundle | On your machine (apple-files-mcp) |
| Transport (differs) | Not stated | stdio |
| Tools it declares | Not published | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | Not published | 2, secrets among them: 0 |
| Parts of the bundle (differs) | 14 | Not a bundle |
| Licence (differs) | MIT | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/openai/plugins | github.com/jonathanrreed/apple-mcps |
| Changes in the last 7 days (differs) | 0 | 2 |
| 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
Build macOS Apps
Build, run, test, debug, instrument, and implement local macOS apps using Xcode, SwiftUI, AppKit interop, unified logging, and shell-first desktop workflows.
Apple Files
Inspect and manage local files and folders inside allowed roots on macOS.
How to run each
Build macOS Apps As a Codex plugin
codex plugin marketplace add openai/pluginsApple Files As a local MCP server: PyPI package
claude mcp add --transport stdio apple-files-mcp -- uvx apple-files-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
The marketplaces of Build macOS Apps publish no settings it asks for, so we do not compare settings.
What it can do: Build macOS Apps · What it can do: Apple Files · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the public marketplace file https://github.com/openai/plugins/blob/HEAD/.agents/plugins/marketplace.json. 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.