CUSTOMIZATION / CHOOSING A TOOL
Claude Code mods vs plugins, skills, hooks, and MCP.
Choose by the job: a mod can add interface elements and change events inside Claude Code; a skill supplies a reusable procedure; a settings hook automates an event; MCP supplies tools. A plugin packages these components for installation, so one setup can use several together.
Reviewed October 6, 2026 · Based on official documentation. The scenarios below are editorial recommendations, not execution tests.
What is each extension for?
| Type | What it is | Start here when you want |
|---|---|---|
| Mod | JavaScript or TypeScript handlers loaded inside Claude Code through a plugin. | A live pane or a change to prompts, tool events, or commands. |
| Plugin | An installable bundle of components, which can include a mod, skills, agents, hooks, and MCP servers. | Sharing and updating a setup across projects or teammates. |
| Skill | A SKILL.md procedure with optional supporting files and scripts. | A review checklist, release procedure, or another instruction you repeat. |
| Settings hook | An event handler configured to run a command, HTTP request, model prompt, or another supported handler. | Running an existing formatter or logging a lifecycle event. |
| MCP server | A process or service exposing tools to Claude Code. | Giving Claude access to an external system, such as an issue tracker. |
A mod ships through a plugin, but a plugin can contain no mod code at all. Installing a plugin does not necessarily add a visible panel. See the official plugin overview for the package and its components.
Choose by the behavior you need
A context meter inside your session
Start with a mod when you want a live pane or band. The Token Weather sample is a source-linked example of context visualization. Check the surface before installing: terminal and Desktop sessions can show mod UI, while the VS Code chat panel and non-interactive sessions do not show the same drawing surfaces. See the display checklist.
A repeatable code-review checklist
Start with a skill. Put the procedure in SKILL.md so Claude can load it when relevant or you can invoke it as a command. It can reference templates and scripts. Review those files too: Markdown instructions can ask Claude to run code, and some skill configurations inject shell output. A skill is not a guarantee that no command will execute. Skill files and invocation controls.
Formatting after a file edit
Start with a settings hook if you already have a formatter command and want it triggered by an event. Choose the event and matcher deliberately, and check the handler’s output and failure behavior. Settings hooks include several handler types; they are not limited to shell scripts. A skill is useful for explaining a formatting procedure, but an event hook is the better starting point for automatic execution. Hook configuration and event reference.
Reading issues from an external tracker
Start with an MCP server when Claude needs tools to query or act on that system. It supplies the integration; a skill can explain your triage process. Review the server’s permissions and credentials separately from the procedure. A plugin can distribute both pieces together. Connecting tools through MCP.
Sharing the whole setup
Use a plugin to distribute the components as a unit. For one project’s local instructions, a standalone skill may be enough. For a versioned setup you install in many projects, a plugin gives the components a package and installation path. Read the bundle’s contents instead of treating its label as a description of everything it runs.
Common questions before installing
Are mod hooks the same as settings hooks?
They both react to events, but their execution models differ. Mod handlers are functions inside Claude Code; settings hooks use configured handlers. Read the relevant API rather than copying an event name or return value between the two. The mods overview distinguishes them.
Does a mod automatically save tokens?
No savings follow from the label alone. A visualization, script, external tool, and model-backed procedure have different costs. Check what the specific component actually does and measure your own workload before making a cost claim.
Is a plugin or skill automatically safe?
Review the instructions, scripts, services, and permissions it uses. Mods run with Claude Code’s access and are not sandboxed. A bundled skill can direct tool use; an MCP server can reach another service. Our catalog links sources and author setup where available, but does not certify code safety.
Sources and next steps
Mods overview · Plugins · Skills · Hooks · MCP
Ready to try a source-linked mod? Read the installation guide, then compare the workflow collection and context collection. For the optional built-in side agent, use the You Should Know guide.