Skylos vs Next Devtools MCP
Two MCP servers from our developer tools ranking, compared on live data - updated nightly, never sponsored.
Bottom line · 2026-09-18
Next Devtools MCP records significantly more monthly package installs (342,482 vs 66,814); both are actively maintained, with commits inside the last month.
How they differ in kind
Skylos focuses on: Open-source, local-first checks for dead code, security issues, secrets, quality regressions, and AI-code mistakes before merge. Next Devtools MCP focuses on: next-devtools-mcp is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects coding agents like Claude and Cursor to your running Next.js dev server. Environment-variable extraction: Skylos yielded no variables extracted; Next Devtools MCP yielded 1 variable. Implementation languages differ (Python vs TypeScript).
What each one does
Skylos
Open-source, local-first checks for dead code, security issues, secrets, quality regressions, and AI-code mistakes before merge.
From the project's README.
Next Devtools MCP
next-devtools-mcp is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects coding agents like Claude and Cursor to your running Next.js dev server. Its 9 documented tools cover nextjs, metadata. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.
From the project's README.
14 signals, side by side
| Signal | Skylos | Next Devtools MCP |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly installs | 66,814 | 342,482 |
| GitHub stars | 817 | 821 |
| Last commit | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-15 |
| Releases · last 90 days | 10+ | 1 |
| In the registry since | Mar 2026 | Oct 2025 |
| Registry versions | 1 | 6 |
| Documented tools | not extracted - see README | 9 |
| Env vars extracted | none extracted - see README | 1 |
| Runs | local (stdio) | local (stdio) |
| Endpoint auth | local only | local only |
| Maintenance | actively maintained | actively maintained |
| License | Apache-2.0 | unclear |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Category rank | #4 of 168 | #3 of 168 |
What their tools cover
Extracted from each project's README - the tools each server hands your agent. A missing list means the README doesn't document one, not that no tools exist.
Skylos no tool list in README
Next Devtools MCP 9 tools documented
nextjs_index- Discover running Next.js dev servers and list each one's runtime MCP…nextjs_call- Call a runtime tool on a discovered server (errors, routes, logs…nextjs_docs- Gateway. Point the agent at version-accurate docs in…browser_eval- Gateway. Point the agent at the agent-browser CLI for browser…get_errors- current build, runtime, and type errorsget_logs- path to the dev log file (browser console + server output)get_page_metadata- routes, pages, component metadataget_project_metadata- project structure, config, dev server URL
+1 more on the full page
Environment variables found in the READMEs
These are extracted names, not a requiredness check. Project docs may mark them optional or require other setup.
Skylos
No environment variables were extracted from the README setup. Check the project documentation for other authentication or configuration steps.
Next Devtools MCP
- NEXT_TELEMETRY_DISABLED
Which one, for what
Derived from the signals above, not hands-on testing.
Pick Skylos if…
- → release velocity matters - 10+ releases in 90 days vs 1
- → clear licensing matters - Apache-2.0 vs undeclared
Pick Next Devtools MCP if…
- → you want the more widely installed option - 342,482 monthly installs vs 66,814
- → you prefer a TypeScript codebase to extend or audit
Who's behind them
Skylos - duriantaco: 1 MCP server tracked, 1 maintained, 817 combined stars.
Next Devtools MCP - vercel: 2 MCP servers tracked, 2 maintained, 834 combined stars. Full record.
Not sold on either?
The next-ranked developer tools servers we track:
Quick answers
Is Skylos better than Next Devtools MCP?
Package installs favor Next Devtools MCP: 342,482 monthly installs to 66,814. Skylos still ranks #4 of 168 maintained developer tools servers. Data as of 2026-09-18; we haven't hands-on tested either.
Can I use Skylos and Next Devtools MCP together?
Yes - MCP clients accept multiple servers in one config, so you can enable both developer tools servers side by side. If their tools overlap, keep the one whose toolset fits to keep your agent's tool list lean.
What environment variables do their READMEs document?
Skylos: no environment variables extracted from the README setup; Next Devtools MCP: 1 environment variable extracted from the README setup. Extraction does not rule out other authentication or configuration steps; check each project's current documentation.
Keep exploring: best developer tools servers · Python servers · TypeScript servers · all comparisons · every server
Methodology: package-usage signal = npm/PyPI installs (last month, platform APIs) · maintenance = commit recency + release cadence (GitHub) · tool lists and environment-variable names extracted from each project's README · endpoint auth from our own nightly probes. We haven't hand-tested these servers; everything here is data as of 2026-09-18.