Obra Superpowers for Claude Code: Complete Setup & Workflow Guide (2026)
Superpowers (by Jesse Vincent / @obra) is the most-starred Claude Code plugin ecosystem on GitHub — 170,000+ stars as of 2026. Unlike single-purpose plugins that add one skill or MCP server, Superpowers installs a full software development methodology: brainstorm before code, plan in bite-sized tasks, enforce test-driven development (TDD), and review before merge.
Anthropic added Superpowers to the official Claude plugin marketplace in early 2026. If you already read our best Claude Code plugins ranking, Superpowers is the workflow layer those point tools plug into — this guide covers install, commands, and when to use it.
What Obra Superpowers actually is
Superpowers is not a model upgrade. It is a plugin package of composable skills plus hooks that steer Claude Code through phases:
| Phase | Skill behavior |
|---|---|
| Design | Socratic brainstorming — questions before files change |
| Plan | writing-plans breaks work into 2–5 minute tasks with file paths |
| Isolate | using-git-worktrees creates branch worktrees for clean baselines |
| Build | Subagent or batched execution with mandatory TDD (red → green → refactor) |
| Review | requesting-code-review between tasks; critical issues block progress |
| Ship | finishing-a-development-branch — merge, PR, or discard with verification |
Source: obra/superpowers on GitHub and Superpowers docs for Claude Code.
Install Superpowers on Claude Code (two paths)
Path A — Official Anthropic marketplace (recommended)
/plugin install superpowers@claude-plugins-official
This is the lowest-friction install if claude-plugins-official is already enabled (default in recent Claude Code builds). See Claude Code discover plugins.
Path B — Obra Superpowers marketplace (latest releases)
/plugin marketplace add obra/superpowers-marketplace
/plugin install superpowers@superpowers-marketplace
Use Path B when you want releases from Obra's marketplace before they appear in Anthropic's catalog. Update anytime:
/plugin update superpowers
/reload-plugins
Verify installation
In a new Claude Code session, confirm slash commands exist:
/superpowers:brainstorm— interactive design refinement/superpowers:write-plan— implementation plan from approved design/superpowers:execute-plan— batch execution with checkpoints
If commands are missing, re-run marketplace add and check /plugin list.
The Superpowers workflow step by step
1. Brainstorm (do not skip)
Start with /superpowers:brainstorm or describe a feature in natural language. Superpowers blocks premature coding — Claude asks clarifying questions and produces a design doc for approval.
Why it matters: Most agent failures are spec failures, not model failures.
2. Write plan
After design approval, writing-plans emits tasks with:
- Exact file paths
- Verification steps per task
- Estimated scope (2–5 minutes each)
3. Git worktree isolation
using-git-worktrees spins an isolated branch/workspace, runs project setup, and confirms a clean test baseline before edits.
4. Execute with enforced TDD
During implementation, the test-driven-development skill enforces:
- Write a failing test
- Watch it fail
- Write minimal code
- Watch it pass
- Refactor, then commit
Skills include "Iron Law" rules — capitalized non-negotiables with red-flag tables for common agent shortcuts.
5. Code review gates
requesting-code-review runs between tasks. Critical findings block the next task until resolved.
6. Finish branch
finishing-a-development-branch verifies tests, then offers merge / PR / keep / discard options.
Superpowers vs vanilla Claude Code
| Dimension | Vanilla Claude Code | With Superpowers |
|---|---|---|
| First action on "build X" | Often starts editing files | Starts brainstorming |
| Tests | Optional unless prompted | Mandatory TDD cycle |
| Planning | Ad-hoc | Structured plan with checkpoints |
| Parallelism | Manual | Subagent-driven batches |
| Discipline | Depends on prompt | Enforced by skills + hooks |
| Best for | Quick scripts, one-off fixes | Features, refactors, team workflows |
When to skip Superpowers: Throwaway prototypes, markdown edits, or tasks under ~15 minutes where ceremony costs more than bugs saved.
Superpowers on a cloud Mac mini M4
iOS and full-stack teams often run Claude Code on a dedicated Mac mini M4 (local or ZecCloud cloud rent) so Xcode, sourcekit-lsp, and long test suites stay on Apple Silicon.
Setup pattern:
- SSH into the Mac — see Mac mini M4 SSH guide
- Install Claude Code CLI on that host
- Install Superpowers via Path A or B above
- Run
/superpowers:brainstormin the project directory on the remote Mac
Plugins execute on the machine where Claude Code runs — not on your laptop. A cloud Mac with 16 GB RAM handles Superpowers + swift-lsp comfortably for mid-size iOS repos.
Superpowers vs other plugin bundles
| Bundle | Focus | Overlap with Superpowers |
|---|---|---|
| Superpowers (Obra) | End-to-end SDLC discipline | — |
Official feature-dev plugin |
Feature scaffolding | Complementary — lighter weight |
Official pr-review-toolkit |
PR-focused review | Complementary — use after Superpowers branch |
| Third-party agent marketplaces | Many single agents | Broader catalog, less enforced TDD |
You can run Superpowers + github + swift-lsp together — Superpowers handles process; GitHub and LSP plugins handle data and symbols. See our plugin ranking for install commands.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Commands not found | /plugin marketplace add obra/superpowers-marketplace then reinstall |
| Skills not activating | /reload-plugins; start a new chat session |
| Agent still codes immediately | Explicitly run /superpowers:brainstorm first |
| Slow on large repos | Use git worktrees; narrow task scope in plan |
| Conflicts with other plugins | Disable overlapping workflow plugins; keep LSP + MCP |
FAQ
obra/superpowers). "Obra Superpowers" is the common shorthand for this project.@claude-plugins-official for simplicity; use @superpowers-marketplace for Obra's release cadence.swift-lsp), and commit-commands; Superpowers adds workflow skills on top.Obra Superpowers is the discipline layer for Claude Code in 2026: 14+ skills that force brainstorm → plan → TDD → review before ship. Install in one command from the official marketplace, verify /superpowers:brainstorm, and run it on your Mac or cloud Mac mini for serious feature work.
Run Superpowers on a Cloud Mac
Install Obra Superpowers where Claude Code runs — on a dedicated Mac mini M4 over SSH. Same plugin marketplace, Apple Silicon for Xcode and long test suites.