PRPM vs Claude Plugins Marketplace: What's the Difference?

TL;DR

Claude's plugins extend one environment with tool integrations. PRPM distributes AI knowledge across all of them as portable, version-controlled packages. They complement each other.

One of the most common questions we get is: "Is PRPM just another plugins marketplace?" The short answer: No! While both help extend AI coding tools, they solve fundamentally different problems. Let's break it down.

What is PRPM?🔗

AI Knowledge as Code

PRPM treats prompts, rules, and AI context as first-class code assets — reusable, shareable, and version-controlled — just like your application dependencies.

PRPM manages:

📝 AI instructions, rules, and context files (.cursor/rules, SKILL.md, agents.md)
🎯 Plain text/markdown files that guide AI behavior
🔄 Version controlled alongside your code
🚀 Works immediately with existing AI tools (Cursor, Claude, Windsurf, etc.)

Example:

prpm install @patrickjs/react-typescript-rules
# Installs .cursor/rules/react-typescript.mdc
# Your AI now follows React best practices automatically

What is a Plugins Marketplace?🔗

Plugin marketplaces distribute:

💻 Extensible packages that bundle custom commands, agents, skills, MCP servers, and hooks
🔌 Tool-level extensions that install via /plugin install and toggle on/off as needed
⚙️ Curated catalogs where developers discover and share plugins
🛠️ Single-command deployment of multiple features at once

Note: Plugins can include the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect Claude to external data sources, APIs, and developer tools. Marketplaces can be public or organization-private.

Examples:

Claude Code Plugin: Bundles slash commands, agents, MCP servers, and hooks together
VSCode Extension: Adds UI panels, custom commands, syntax highlighting to VS Code
MCP Server (standalone): Runs a background process for database access, file operations, etc.

Side-by-Side Comparison🔗

Aspect	PRPM	Plugins Marketplace
What	AI instructions (text/markdown)	Extension packages (manifests + configs)
Where	Project directory (committed)	Global or project (toggle on/off)
How	AI reads files directly	Claude loads and integrates
Format	Markdown, text files	JSON manifests + configs
Scope	Per-project	Global or per-project
Git-Friendly	✅ Yes (commit with code)	✅ Yes (can commit to repo)

Think of It Like This🔗

PRPM is like npm/pip/gem

Installing libraries and dependencies for your project. They're code/text that your application uses.

Plugins are like Chrome Extensions

Installing applications that extend the tool itself with new features and capabilities.

What Makes PRPM Special?🔗

🌍 Cross-Platform Portability

Your AI setup isn't trapped inside a single tool. PRPM auto-converts packages between formats — install a Cursor rule and use it instantly in Claude Code, Windsurf, or Continue.

📦 Familiar Workflow

prpm install, prpm update, prpm search — manage AI instructions like you manage dependencies. Version-controlled and committed with your code.

🚀 Centralized Discovery

One registry with 1,500+ community packages. Search by tech stack, filter by ratings, browse curated collections — no hunting across scattered marketplaces.

Collections vs Marketplaces: Multi-Author Curation🔗

While both PRPM and plugin marketplaces offer curated discovery, there's a key architectural difference:

Plugin Marketplaces

Typically tied to a single author or organization. When you install a marketplace, you're trusting one curator's plugins.

Example: An author creates a marketplace with their own plugins bundled together.

PRPM Collections

Can curate packages from multiple authors across the ecosystem. A single collection can bundle the best practices from dozens of different contributors.

Example: @prpm/react-essentials includes packages from @patrickjs, @react, @typescript, and @testing experts.

Why This Matters

PRPM collections work like curated playlists across the entire ecosystem. Instead of being limited to one author's work, you get the best packages from the entire community, thoughtfully organized by domain experts.

prpm install collection/nextjs-production
# Installs best practices from:
# - @patrickjs (Next.js architecture)
# - @vercel (deployment patterns)
# - @typescript (type safety rules)
# - @testing (integration test patterns)
# All curated into one cohesive collection

They Complement Each Other!🔗

The key insight: these aren't competing solutions — they solve different problems in your AI coding workflow:

PRPM

Project-specific AI instructions (coding standards, architecture patterns)

Claude Plugins

Tool integrations (commands, agents, MCP servers, hooks)

IDE Extensions

UI enhancements (panels, syntax highlighting, debuggers)

Anthropic's Claude marketplace represents the future of AI environments.

PRPM represents the future of AI interoperability — the ability to take your rules, agents, and context wherever you work.

We admire what Anthropic has built. PRPM's goal is simply to make that intelligence distributable — so your AI knowledge doesn't depend on where it runs.

Getting Started🔗

PRPM is still small — but it's open, evolving fast, and shaped by developer feedback. Every new package expands what AI tools can do together. Ready to try it?

# Install PRPM
npm install -g prpm

# Search for packages
prpm search react

# Install packages for your project
prpm install @patrickjs/react-typescript-rules

# Update packages
prpm update

Browse 2,100+ packages →