Do I need to run a server to use Agent Skills?

No. Agent Skills are plain text files installed with one command (npx skills add). There is no server to run, no background process, no permissions to grant. They work offline and load automatically into every session.

Can I use Agent Skills and MCP Servers together?

Yes — they complement each other. MCP Servers handle access (web search, database queries, external APIs). Skills handle process (what to do with that data, how to structure the output, what to check). Neither replaces the other.

Explainer

Agent Skills vs MCP Servers

Q: What is the difference between Agent Skills and MCP Servers?

Agent Skills are plain text instruction files (SKILL.md) that change how your AI agent thinks and works — no server, no setup, no permissions. MCP Servers are actual programs that run alongside your agent and give it access to external tools like web search, databases, or Slack. Skills improve process; MCP Servers add new capabilities.

Q: Should I use a skill or an MCP Server?

Use a skill when the work itself needs to be done differently — better process, consistent structure, repeatable workflows. Use an MCP Server when your agent genuinely cannot do something because it lacks access to external data or systems. When in doubt, try a skill first — setup is instant and risk is zero.

People mix these up constantly. They're both described as "extending your agent," they both show up in the same listicles, and they both sound vaguely technical. But they solve completely different problems.

The one-line version

Agent Skills

Change how your agent thinks

A plain text file. No server. No permissions. Gives the agent a structured process for a specific type of work.

MCP Servers

Give your agent new capabilities

An actual program that runs alongside your agent. Exposes tools Claude can't use on its own — web search, databases, Slack, browser control.

Fast comparison

	Agent Skills	MCP Servers
What it is	Instructions for how to work	External tools the agent calls
Format	Plain text SKILL.md file	Running server process
Setup	One install command	Install, configure, keep running
Requires internet	No — works offline	Depends on the server
Grants permissions	No	Yes — to external systems
Runs code	No	Yes
Portable across agents	Yes — Claude Code, Codex CLI, OpenClaw, Gemini CLI	Varies by implementation
Risk surface	Zero — read-only text	Process-level, permission-level
Best for	Better process and structure	New external capabilities

What Agent Skills actually do

When you install the Systematic Debugging skill, you're not giving Claude a new tool — you're giving it a process. Reproduce first. Isolate second. Hypothesize third. It changes how Claude approaches the problem, not what it has access to.

No server. No config. No background process to babysit. One install command, and it works in every session from that point on.

Skills are also portable. Claude Code, OpenAI Codex CLI, OpenClaw, Gemini CLI — they all read SKILL.md. One file, multiple agents.

Use a skill when:

The work itself needs to be done differently — better debugging, more consistent code reviews, structured proposals instead of freeform drafts. The problem is process, not access.

What MCP Servers actually do

MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers are actual programs that run alongside your agent. They expose things Claude literally cannot do on its own — web search, database queries, browser control, Slack messages, file access outside your project.

The tradeoff is real. You need to install the server, keep it running, and trust it with whatever permissions you've granted it. More powerful, more setup, more surface area for things to go wrong.

Use an MCP Server when:

Your agent genuinely cannot do the thing because it lacks access — real-time data, external systems, actions that require talking to something outside your machine.

They work better together than apart

This isn't an either/or choice. Skills and MCP Servers solve different layers of the same problem.

Say you install an MCP server that gives Claude web search. Then you install an SEO research skill. The server provides live search data. The skill tells Claude what to do with it — how to structure the research, what to prioritize, what the output should look like. Neither is fully useful without the other.

The pattern

MCP Server

handles access +

Skill

handles process

When in doubt, start with a skill

Setup is instant, risk is zero, and more often than not the problem is process — not capability. A lot of people who think they need an MCP server actually just need a skill that structures the task properly.

If you hit a wall where Claude genuinely can't do something because it doesn't have access to the right data or system — then reach for MCP.

Frequently asked questions

Are Agent Skills free?

Yes. Every skill on findskills.co is open source (MIT or Apache 2.0), hosted on public GitHub repositories, and free to install. Currently 405 skills listed.

Can I use Agent Skills without Claude Code?

Yes. The SKILL.md format is an open standard. Skills work with Claude Code, Claude.ai (via Projects), OpenAI Codex CLI, OpenClaw, and Gemini CLI.

Where can I find MCP Servers?

Smithery.ai is the main marketplace for MCP servers. Glama.ai and mcp.so are alternatives. For Agent Skills — the focus of findskills.co — you're in the right place.

Do skills require internet access?

No. Skills are plain text files stored locally. They work completely offline. MCP Servers may or may not require internet depending on what they connect to.

Browse 405 Agent Skills

Source-verified, editorially described, organized by profession. Install in one command.

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