Superpowers vs MCP reference servers
Updated : the last week a score, rank or safety result on this page changed.
- Maintenance 30%2221
- Adoption 30%9860
- Docs 20%6969
- Community 20%, not measured yet––
Superpowers scores 14 points higher. Superpowers leads on maintenance and adoption.
What this does not tell you
Scores are percentiles of public GitHub signals. Nobody here tested these tools hands-on, so the higher score is not a verdict on which suits your project. Yellow marks the higher value.
Which one fits you
From measured data and licences, not from testing.
Pick Superpowers if
- Recent activity and releases matter most to you (maintenance 22).
- You want the more widely adopted option (adoption 98).
Pick MCP reference servers if
- You want the tool whose automated scan found no issues.
- You want to run it on your own machine (local install found in the README).
Safety side by side
Automated scan, 2 Nov 2026. Not a manual audit.
- No dependencies scannedSuperpowersCode checks clean, no lockfile to check
- No issues foundMCP reference serversNo issues found in this week’s scan
Why different labels?
A label partly reflects how much of each tool is visible and scannable, not only how risky it is. A tool without a lockfile cannot get a dependency check.
- Superpowers: code and instruction-file checks found nothing, but there is no runtime lockfile or manifest, so dependencies were not checked
- MCP reference servers: no issues found
Repo facts
Yellow = the higher value, where higher is better.
| Fact | Superpowers | MCP reference servers |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 62 | 48 |
| Stars | 310,769 | 91,744 |
| Last push | 29 Oct | 29 Oct |
| Releases, 90 days | 5 | 6 |
| Licence | MIT | Apache-2.0 / MIT |
| Open source | Open source | Open source |
| Language | Shell | TypeScript |
| Type | Agent skill | MCP server |
| Runs locally | unknown | yes |
| Hosted option | unknown | unknown |
“Runs locally” and “Hosted option” are read from each README automatically (or from the official docs where noted); “unknown” means no evidence was found, not that it is absent.
Questions about Superpowers vs MCP reference servers
Answers use this week's StackGrade data.
Superpowers or MCP reference servers: which scores higher on StackGrade?
Superpowers scores 14 points higher in Week 45: Superpowers 62, MCP reference servers 48 out of 100. The score combines maintenance, adoption and docs (percentiles of public GitHub signals): Superpowers 22, 98 and 69; MCP reference servers 21, 60 and 69. Community (20% weight) is not measured yet. It is not a hands-on test, so a higher score does not say which tool suits your project.
Is Superpowers or MCP reference servers safer to use?
Safety labels from the automated scan of 2 Nov 2026: Superpowers: No dependencies scanned, code checks clean, no lockfile to check; MCP reference servers: No issues found, no issues found in this week’s scan. “No dependencies scanned” means the code checks were clean but there is no lockfile, so dependencies could not be checked; it is not a clean bill. It is an automated scan, not a manual audit.
Which is more widely used, Superpowers or MCP reference servers?
By GitHub stars: Superpowers 310,769, MCP reference servers 91,744. Adoption score (percentile among all 52 tracked tools): Superpowers 98, MCP reference servers 60. Stars are one public signal and do not measure real-world use.
Which licences do Superpowers and MCP reference servers use?
Superpowers: MIT; MCP reference servers: Apache-2.0 / MIT. Read each licence text before commercial use.
Should I pick Superpowers or MCP reference servers?
Pick Superpowers if recent activity and releases matter most to you (maintenance 22); you want the more widely adopted option (adoption 98). Pick MCP reference servers if you want the tool whose automated scan found no issues; you want to run it on your own machine (local install found in the README). This comes from measured public data and licences only, not from hands-on testing.
Full comparison table, every criterion
| Superpowersobra/superpowers | MCP reference serversmodelcontextprotocol/servers | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 62 | 48 |
| Rank | #13 overall · #1 in use case | #29 overall · #4 in use case |
| Maintenance (30%) | 22 | 21 |
| Adoption (30%) | 98 | 60 |
| Docs (20%) | 69 | 69 |
| Community (20%) | not measured | not measured |
| Safety | No dependencies scanned | No issues found |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 / MIT |
| Open source | Open source | Open source |
| Language | Shell | TypeScript |
| Stars | 310,769 | 91,744 |
| Last push | ||
| Type | Agent skill | MCP server |
| Runs locally | unknown | yes (README: "npx -y @") |
| Hosted option | unknown | unknown |
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