Short answer
A skill is a single folder with a SKILL.md that teaches Claude one task. A plugin is a package that can bundle several skills plus subagents, hooks, and MCP servers, and is installed as one unit from a marketplace with /plugin. Use a standalone skill for your own workflow. Use a plugin to install a setup someone else built, or to give your setup to a team with versions and updates.
Words used in this guide
- Package: a named group of files that people can install and update together.
- Workflow: a set of steps used to finish a task.
- Repository or repo: a project folder whose changes are saved and tracked.
- Git: a tool that records file changes so people can review or undo them.
- MCP: a standard way for an AI tool to connect to other tools and information.
What this means
What a skill is
A skill is a folder containing SKILL.md, saved in ~/.claude/skills/ (all your projects), .claude/skills/ (one repository), or inside a plugin. Claude loads it when your request matches its description, or you run it with /skill-name. Custom slash commands have been merged into skills: a file in .claude/commands/ still works, but new work should use a skill folder.
What a plugin is
A plugin is a directory with a manifest at .claude-plugin/plugin.json and one or more components: skills, agents (subagents), hooks that run at points in Claude Code's lifecycle, and MCP servers. Claude Code installs and loads it as one unit. Plugin skills are namespaced, so a review skill in my-plugin runs as /my-plugin:review.
What a plugin marketplace is
A marketplace is a repository or folder with a .claude-plugin/marketplace.json file that lists plugins and where to fetch each one. It is a catalog, not a hosted store. Claude Code adds Anthropic's official marketplace (claude-plugins-official) the first time you start an interactive session; you add others with /plugin marketplace add owner/repo. Anthropic's official and community marketplace names are only accepted from github.com/anthropics repositories; every other marketplace is third-party. To share plugins with a team through repo settings, see how to share Claude skills with your team.
How to install a Claude Code plugin
Run /plugin and install from the Discover tab, or run /plugin install plugin-name@marketplace-name. For example, /plugin marketplace add anthropics/skills and then /plugin install document-skills@anthropic-agent-skills installs Anthropic's document skills. Choose a scope: user (you, every project), project (everyone in the repository, via .claude/settings.json), or local (you, this repository only). Remove a plugin with /plugin uninstall.
When to use which
Write a standalone skill when the workflow is yours, small, or specific to one repository; commit it to .claude/skills/ to share it with the team. Use a plugin when you need several skills together, need a hook or MCP server alongside the skill, or want other people to install and update your setup with one command. Subagents are different again: they run a task in a separate context window and can be shipped inside a plugin. For where CLAUDE.md, subagents, hooks and MCP fit alongside skills and plugins, see skills vs MCP vs subagents vs hooks.
What an enabled plugin costs
An enabled plugin is part of every session. The name and description of each skill, agent, and command it contains are in Claude's context on every turn, its MCP servers run alongside the session, and its hooks fire at their events. Whatever a plugin runs, it runs with your user permissions, so review a plugin before installing it and disable ones you no longer use.
Simple steps
- Decide whether you need one task (a skill) or a bundle with hooks, subagents, or MCP servers (a plugin).
- For a skill, create .claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md or copy an existing skill folder there.
- For a plugin, run /plugin and browse the Discover tab, or add a marketplace with /plugin marketplace add owner/repo.
- Install with /plugin install plugin-name@marketplace-name and pick user, project, or local scope.
- Test the skills with /plugin-name:skill-name or by asking for the task.
- Disable or uninstall plugins you do not use to keep context small.
Where to go next
If you want to try this in a real project, start with how to use AIPM and the command reference. If you want to share your own workflow, read the publishing guide.
FAQ
Is a Claude Code plugin just a folder of skills?
It can be, but a plugin can also include subagents, hooks, and MCP servers. A plugin can even contain a single SKILL.md at its root.
Are Claude Code plugins safe?
A plugin can run code with your user permissions, whichever marketplace it comes from. Install plugins from sources you trust, read what they contain, and check the context cost that Anthropic's official marketplace shows before installing.
Where are Claude Code plugins stored?
Your settings list the marketplaces you added and the plugins you enabled, and Claude Code keeps fetched plugin files under ~/.claude/plugins/. For every skills and plugin folder, see where are Claude skills stored?.
Are slash commands, skills, and plugins the same?
Custom slash commands are now skills: .claude/commands/deploy.md and .claude/skills/deploy/SKILL.md both create /deploy. A plugin is the package format that can distribute skills and other components.
Do plugins work in the Claude app?
The same plugin format also installs on claude.ai and in Cowork, where a different set of components loads. Claude Code cloud sessions do not load plugins from your local settings.