I Tried 28 Claude Code Skills. Here Are the 5 I Kept
The best Claude Code skills, after trying 28: the five I kept (ponytail, caveman, graphify, grill-me, ui-ux-pro-max), why fewer is better, and Codex support.
Table of Contents
The best Claude Code skills, for me, are ponytail, caveman, graphify, grill-me and ui-ux-pro-max: five out of 28 I tried. Each one does a narrow job the model does not already do well. The other 23 went, mostly because the models have absorbed what they used to add, and every installed skill costs context.
That is the thesis of this post. Six months ago, the big skill frameworks were the fastest way to make a coding agent plan, test and review properly. Today a lot of that behaviour is built into the models. So I now keep the smallest set that still changes the result, and I judge every skill by one question: does it earn the tokens it loads?
The 5 best Claude Code skills at a glance
| Skill | What it is for | Stars (5 Oct 2026) | Works in Codex | Install in Claude Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ponytail | Making the agent write the least code that works | 155k | Yes, as a Codex plugin | /plugin marketplace add DietrichGebert/ponytail |
| caveman | Terser agent output; optional proxy that compresses what it reads | 110k | Yes, via npx skills add | claude plugin install caveman@caveman |
| graphify | A queryable knowledge graph of your code and docs | 124k | Yes | pip install graphifyy && graphify install |
| grill-me | A relentless interview to sharpen a plan | 276k (repo) | Yes, via npx skills add | /plugin install mattpocock-skills |
| ui-ux-pro-max | Design intelligence for building interfaces | 133k | Yes, via its CLI | /plugin marketplace add nextlevelbuilder/ui-ux-pro-max-skill |
Stars are context, not a ranking.
1. ponytail: the laziest senior dev in the room
ponytail (MIT) pushes the agent to write the least code that does the job. Since version 5 (8 October 2026), its README reports about 53% less code, 26% lower cost and 41% faster runs; those are the author's numbers, from their own benchmark, not mine.
Install: in Claude Code, /plugin marketplace add DietrichGebert/ponytail, then /plugin install ponytail@ponytail. In Codex, codex plugin marketplace add DietrichGebert/ponytail, then codex plugin add ponytail@ponytail.
Gotcha: it works through hooks that run on their own: three in Claude Code (SessionStart, SubagentStart and UserPromptSubmit), and in Codex you have to trust its two lifecycle hooks before it works.
2. caveman: why many token when few do trick
caveman (Apache-2.0) makes the agent say less in controlled, terse English while keeping code exact. An optional local proxy also compresses what the agent reads, such as logs, JSON and test output; the README reports 33.2% fewer input tokens across 54 Claude Code runs.
Install: claude plugin marketplace add JuliusBrussee/caveman && claude plugin install caveman@caveman, or npx skills add JuliusBrussee/caveman -g for Codex and other agents.
Gotcha: two facts worth knowing. The proxy sits between your agent and the model API, on your machine, with your keys. And the separate caveman CLI sends usage statistics by default: commands, token counts, a random install ID, OS and IP, never prompts or code. Turn that off with caveman telemetry off or DO_NOT_TRACK=1. The skill on its own sends nothing.
3. graphify: your codebase as a graph
graphify (Apache-2.0) turns a codebase, its docs, SQL schemas and PDFs into a queryable knowledge graph, written out as graph.html, GRAPH_REPORT.md and graph.json, and queried with /graphify. Code is parsed locally with tree-sitter and does not leave the machine; docs and media go through your assistant's model or an API key you configure.
Install: pip install graphifyy && graphify install (two y's; uv tool install graphifyy works too); graphify install --project --platform codex sets it up for Codex.
Gotcha: it is a busy project, with around 1,500 open issues, and the README points to a paid graphify.com platform.
4. grill-me: a relentless interview for your plan
grill-me, part of Matt Pocock's skills collection (MIT), runs "a relentless interview to sharpen a plan or design". It hands off to a grilling skill that asks the hard questions in rounds, each with a recommended answer you can accept or override. It does not load itself: the skill sets disable-model-invocation: true, so it only runs when you call it.
Install: /plugin install mattpocock-skills (it is in Claude Code's official marketplace), or npx skills@latest add mattpocock/skills for Codex and other agents.
5. ui-ux-pro-max: design help that knows patterns
ui-ux-pro-max (MIT) adds design intelligence for building interfaces across platforms. Version 2.0 adds a design-system generator that proposes patterns, palettes and placement of calls to action for a project.
Install: /plugin marketplace add nextlevelbuilder/ui-ux-pro-max-skill, then /plugin install ui-ux-pro-max@ui-ux-pro-max-skill. For Codex, install its CLI with npm install -g ui-ux-pro-max-cli and run uipro init --ai codex in the project.
What I removed (23 of 28)
The two biggest names I removed were Superpowers and Get Shit Done, now continued as GSD Core. Both are good. Superpowers is a complete development methodology built from composable skills; GSD is a meta-prompting and spec-driven development system. Six months ago they made my agent plan, test and review in a way it would not on its own, and I used both.
What changed is the models. A lot of what these frameworks did is now built in. Next to that, a large framework felt bloated for my use. I also try to keep context tokens for the task, which means loading the fewest skills that still change the outcome, and a full methodology loaded into every session is the opposite of that.
Most of the rest fell into the same bucket: things the model now does by default, or things I could describe in two lines of project instructions.
Do these skills work in Codex?
Mostly. Skills follow the open Agent Skills standard: a folder with a SKILL.md file and optional scripts. Codex reads skills from .agents/skills in a repository and from ~/.agents/skills for your user, and you call one with $skill-name. Plugins are tool-specific, because they can bundle hooks and commands, so use each project's Codex install where it has one. All five above have a Codex route today.
Are skills safe to install?
A skill is instructions plus optional scripts that run with your permissions. Before you install one:
- Read the SKILL.md. It is short, and it tells you exactly what the skill asks the model to do.
- Check for hooks. Hooks run automatically on events, without a prompt. ponytail's Codex plugin asks you to trust two.
- Check for telemetry and network calls. caveman's CLI is a good example of a tool that tells you plainly what it sends and how to stop it.
- Prefer a clear licence and an active maintainer. Every skill here is MIT or Apache-2.0 and was actively maintained when I checked in October 2026.
If you are deciding whether a capability belongs in a skill at all, or in an MCP server, Claude Skills vs MCP servers covers the difference. If you want to write your own, start with how to create and install a skill.
Best Claude Code skills: common questions
What are the best Claude Code skills? After trying 28, the five I kept are ponytail for writing less code, caveman for terser output, graphify for a knowledge graph of the codebase, grill-me for stress-testing a plan, and ui-ux-pro-max for interface design. The best set is a small one, because every installed skill competes for context.
Do Claude Code skills work in Codex? Mostly, yes. Skills follow the open Agent Skills standard, a folder with a SKILL.md file, and Codex reads them from .agents/skills in a repository or in your home directory. Plugins that bundle hooks or commands are tool-specific, so check each skill's README for a Codex install.
How do I install a skill in Claude Code? Most published skills install as plugins: run /plugin marketplace add with the repository, then /plugin install. You can also copy a skill folder into .claude/skills in a project, or into ~/.claude/skills for every project. Writing your own takes one SKILL.md file with a name and a description.
Are Claude Code skills safe? A skill is instructions plus optional scripts that run with your permissions, so treat it like any code you install. Read the SKILL.md, look for hooks that run automatically, check whether any bundled tool sends telemetry, and prefer skills with a clear licence and an active maintainer.
What is the difference between Claude Code skills and MCP servers? A skill teaches Claude a procedure, such as how to review code or plan a feature. An MCP server gives Claude access to another system, such as GitHub or a database. Skills change what Claude knows; MCP servers change what it can reach, and many workflows use both.
Fewer skills, better results
The models will keep absorbing what today's skills add, so this list will shrink again. The habit that lasts is the question behind it: does this skill change the result enough to earn its place in every session?
Which skill would you keep if you could only have one?