Plugin, skill, MCP server: what is the difference in DSH?
Three words that get used interchangeably and are not. Getting this wrong is why people install things that cannot possibly do what they wanted.
DSH has a plugin system, uses skills, and speaks to MCP servers. They sit at different layers:
| What it is | Where it lives | Who installs it | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plugin | Code loaded by the runtime — adds tools, UI, providers, hooks | Installed into a profile via dsh plugin add | You, once |
| Skill | Instructions and scripts the agent loads when a task matches | A directory on disk the runtime reads | You, and the agent can write them |
| MCP server | A separate process exposing tools over a protocol | Its own process, declared in config | You, and it runs independently |
The practical difference
A plugin changes the runtime. A skill changes what the agent knows. An MCP server gives the agent a new set of hands.
- Want a different sidebar? That is a plugin — it changes the interface, which is code.
- Want the agent to follow your team's code-review checklist? That is a skill — it is instructions, and installing a plugin for it would be overkill.
- Want the agent to query your company's issue tracker? That is an MCP server — the integration already exists as a process, DSH just needs to talk to it.
Why this matters when you are shopping
Half of the "plugin" repositories in this ecosystem are really one of the other two things with a plugin wrapper around them. A repository that only ships a Markdown skill file, wrapped so DSH can load it, is not doing the same job as one that adds a model provider. Both are legitimate; the install steps and the failure modes are completely different. When a plugin "does nothing", it is often because you installed a wrapper around instructions and expected code.
What this site indexes
Repositories that present themselves as DSH plugins, extensions, tools or clients — 714 of them across 15 categories. Some are genuinely runtime plugins; some are skill packs, some are MCP bridges, some are front-ends. Each entry shows the repo description verbatim so you can tell which is which:
- Tools & Integrations — mostly MCP bridges and external-tool connectors
- Skills & Learning — instruction packs, not code
- UI & Themes — real runtime plugins, they change the renderer
Related: how to write a plugin · plugin installed but not loading