Forage vs Skillselion MCP
A side-by-side look at the Forage and Skillselion MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Forage for aggregators work as a local process; choose Skillselion MCP for aggregators as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Forage when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Aggregators domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
forage_search, forage_evaluate, forage_install.
Choose Skillselion MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Aggregators domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
search_skillselion, load_skill, synthesize_skills.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Aggregators | Aggregators |
| Quality signal | 59/100 · Good | 60/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | No auth required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 19 | 1 |
| Directory activity | 7 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 6 | 4 |
| Full listing | View Forage | View Skillselion MCP |
Tools & capabilities
Forage tools 6
forage_searchSearch for MCP servers and tools across registries (Official MCP Registry, Smithery, npm). Describe what capability you need and get ranked results.forage_evaluateGet detailed information about a specific package — version, downloads, README summary, install command. Use this before installing to verify quality.forage_installInstall an MCP server and start it as a proxied subprocess. The server's tools become available immediately via Forage — no restart needed. IMPORTANT: Set confirm=true to proceed with installation (user will be prompted to approve the tool call).forage_learnWrite usage instructions for an installed tool to agent rule files (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, .cursor/rules/). This persists knowledge across sessions so the agent remembers how to use the tool next time.forage_statusList all tools that Forage has installed and is currently proxying. Shows which servers are running, what tools they provide, and their install status.forage_uninstallRemove a previously installed tool. Stops the server, removes from manifest, and cleans up agent rules. Set confirm=true to proceed.
Skillselion MCP tools 4
search_skillselionSearch Skillselion, a curated directory of Claude Code agent skills, MCP servers and plugin marketplaces, ranked by real community signal (installs + GitHub stars). Use to browse trusted skills/MCPs/marketplaces for the task at hand (e.g. "postgres", "code review", "playwright"). Skill searches blend keyword + semantic ranking (same matcher as load_skill). To actually USE a skill, call load_skill (with an id from here, or directly with a query - it searches for you).load_skillLoad a community-vetted skill into your context on demand - like installing it mid-task. Reach for this when a task is in a domain a skill likely covers (tests, frontend/UI, an API/DB, infra, a named framework) and a proven recipe would beat improvising - most valuable in territory you are less sure of, or fast-moving stacks where your memory may be stale. You MUST pass `context` (your task + stack + constraints): it ranks candidates, fits them to your current repo, flags dependency mismatches, and keeps the load deliberate. Returns the best match (real SKILL.md + bundled scripts/refs materialized to a temp folder, used like an installed skill) PLUS the next-best candidates so you can switch. Always verify the loaded skill against your project before trusting it. For broad "current best practices across the field" tasks that span several skills, use synthesize_skills instead.synthesize_skillsPull the BEST rules across the top matching community skills and merge them into one cross-source playbook - use for broad "how should I approach X / current best practices" tasks that span multiple skills, or when you want the field's combined guidance rather than one skill's. For a single specific skill (and its bundled scripts/files), use load_skill instead. Pass your task as `query` and your stack + constraints as `context` (required). Returns a deduped, provenance-tagged rule digest plus each source skill materialized on disk.top_skillselionList the top entries on Skillselion (the leaderboard), optionally by type. Skills rank by installs; MCP servers and marketplaces by GitHub stars.
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Forage
{
"mcpServers": {
"isaac-levine-forage": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"forage-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Skillselion MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"skillselion-skillselion-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"skillselion-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Forage is categorized under Aggregators and uses a local stdio subprocess. Skillselion MCP belongs to Aggregators and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Forage for aggregators work and Skillselion MCP for aggregators.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Forage is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Skillselion MCP has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add isaac-levine-forage and skillselion-skillselion-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Forage has a quality signal of 59/100 (Good) with 7 views, 0 installs and 19 GitHub stars. Skillselion MCP has 60/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars.
