# I Still Prefer MCP Over Skills

# I Still Prefer MCP Over Skills

**Author:** David Mohl
**Date:** April 2, 2026
**Source:** https://david.coffee/i-still-prefer-mcp-over-skills/
**Word count:** ~1,850

## Summary

David Mohl argues that despite momentum behind "Skills" (markdown-file-based capability injection) as the standard for LLM tool extension, MCP remains the architecturally correct choice for service integration. Skills are for knowledge — teaching an LLM how to use tools that already exist on the host. MCP is for access — giving an LLM a live connection to a service.

## MCP advantages for services

- Zero-install remote usage: point client at a URL, no local binary needed
- Seamless updates: remote server update propagates to all clients automatically
- OAuth authentication: no `.env` files or plaintext secrets
- True portability: remote MCPs work on Mac, mobile, web — no CLI dependency
- Natural sandboxing: the LLM interacts through a controlled interface, not raw execution
- Smart discovery: clients load only needed tool signatures, not entire markdown manuals
- Auto-updates: local MCPs can use `npx -y` or `uv` for transparent versioning

## Skill advantages for knowledge

- Teaching existing CLIs: `curl`, `git`, `gh`, `gcloud` — the tools are already installed
- Standardizing workflows: org jargon, naming conventions, deployment patterns
- Explaining specialized handling: PDF manipulation, date format quirks, parameter limits
- Documenting secret management patterns: where creds live, how to rotate them

## The hybrid pattern

Mohl runs both simultaneously. MCPs handle live service control (DEVONthink, calendar, browser, Notion). Skills document how those MCPs behave — date formats, search parameter limits, non-obvious tool names. The skill is a "cheat sheet" that prevents the LLM from re-discovering the same pitfalls every session. The skill never replaces the protocol layer; it annotates it.

## Problems with skills-only

- ChatGPT, Perplexity, standard Claude can't execute CLIs — only compute environments (Claude Code, Codex) support skill-based approaches
- Complex deployment: binaries, npm, package managers per skill
- Fragmented secret management across `.env` files
- Context bloat from loading full SKILL.md files vs MCP's typed tool signatures
- "If a Skill's instructions start with 'install this CLI first,' you've just added an unnecessary abstraction layer"

## Terminology proposal

Rename Skills → `LLM_MANUAL.md` (emphasizes knowledge role), MCPs → "Connectors" (emphasizes integration role).

## Personal examples

- mcp-server-devonthink: local MCP for DEVONthink
- microfn: remote MCP at mcp.microfn.dev
- Kikuyo: remote MCP at mcp.kikuyo.dev
- MCP Nest: cloud tunneling to expose local MCPs remotely