#119119th of 149 in Skills, plugins and rules

lean-ctx

Local MCP server and shell hook that trim context fed to coding agents

Documentation ↗ Website ↗ Repository on GitHub ↗

Stars: 3.9k
License: Apache-2.0
Last commit: Oct 2026
Last release: Oct 2026
Language: Rust

Missed the latest GitHub check; these facts may be older.

Overview

LeanCTX sits between AI coding tools and the files and command output they read. It exposes ctx_* MCP tools with 16 file read modes, compresses shell output with 85+ patterns, and keeps local session memory, with an optional proxy for model requests. It is written in Rust and set up per agent with `lean-ctx wrap cursor|claude|codex`.

Who it is for: Developers using Claude Code, Cursor or Codex who want fewer tokens per task

Strengths

16 read modes incl. map, signatures, diff, line ranges; cached re-reads return compact references
Tree-sitter parsing for 27 languages and 85+ shell-output compression patterns
Local savings ledger and dashboard; shadow mode estimates savings against an uncompressed baseline
Install via curl, brew, npm or cargo; wrap and unwrap are reversible

Weaknesses

Mixed license; enterprise controls and SDK fall under separate terms
Shadow Mode savings are simulated, not measured against a second run
Claude Pro/Max OAuth cannot use the proxy; wire-level compression needs an API key
Addons, snapshots, packages and multi-agent handoff are labeled experimental

What it needs

no GPU
Models: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Anthropic API (proxy)

Also in Skills, plugins and rules

See all 149

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1	cavemanCuts token use in coding agents with terse replies and compressed inputs Live demo ↗ (opens in a new tab)112.2k starsApache-2.0	95 out of 100
2	skillsAgent skills for planning, TDD, debugging and code review292.4k starsMIT	94 out of 100
3	eccAgents, skills, hooks and rules bundle for Claude Code, Codex and other harnesses280k starsMIT	94 out of 100
#4	impeccableDesign skill with 24 commands and a detector for AI-generated frontends Live demo ↗ (opens in a new tab)81.5k starsApache-2.0	94 out of 100
#5	ponytailSkill prompt that makes coding agents write less code and add tests164.1k starsMIT	92 out of 100

How to choose

Check which agent it targets and whether it works with the version you run.
Read what it adds to every prompt; big rule sets cost tokens on each call.
Prefer add-ons you can turn off per project.

Health

Releases: Not checked
Top contributor: Not checked
Security advisories: Not checked
Package advisories: Not checked
OpenSSF Scorecard: Not checked

Not read for this project yet: each refresh reads the facts of a few projects. Bots and coding-agent accounts are left out of the commit counts. Not part of the score: how we check.

License in plain words

Apache-2.0 Permissive

Use it at work: Yes
Change it and rebrand it: Yes
Sell it or host it for others: Yes

Your part: Keep the notices and mark the files you change. It also grants you the contributors’ patent rights.

A plain summary, not legal advice. Read the license on GitHub ↗ (opens in a new tab)

#119 of 149 in Skills, plugins and rules on Archestack, as of 15 Oct 2026.

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