How to try free agent skills before buying paid packs
The answer
Use free/open Agent Skills from Anthropic, OpenAI, Vercel, Supabase, and TerminalSkills ($0 software cost per the free-agent-skills-vs-paid-stacks guide) and only then buy the right Claude/ChatGPT/Cursor seat — not duplicate paid prompt packs.
3 steps
Step 1: Install free skills with public CLIs
# Examples verified on this box 2026-11-01
npx terminal-skills list
npx terminal-skills install git-commit-pro --agent cursor
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills -l
npx skills add supabase/agent-skills -l
# Claude Code:
# /plugin marketplace add anthropics/skillsStep 2: Try these catalog skills first (all present in ThriftyFig)
- webapp-testing — Toolkit for interacting with and testing local web applications using Playwright. Supports verifying frontend functionality, debugging UI behavior, capturing...
- pdf-analyzer — Extract text, tables, metadata, and structured data from PDF files. Use when a user asks to read a PDF, parse a PDF, extract data from a PDF, summarize a PDF...
- code-reviewer — Perform thorough code reviews with actionable, prioritized feedback. Use when a user asks to review code, check code quality, find bugs, review a pull reques...
- git-commit-pro — Write well-structured git commit messages following the Conventional Commits standard. Use when a user asks to commit changes, write a commit message, stage...
- test-generator — Generate unit, integration, and end-to-end tests for existing code. Use when a user asks to write tests, add test coverage, create unit tests, generate integ...
- markdown-writer — Generates well-structured technical documentation in Markdown. Use when a user asks to write docs, create a README, document an API, write a how-to guide, ge...
- frontend-design — Guidance for distinctive, intentional visual design when building new UI or reshaping an existing one. Helps with aesthetic direction, typography, and making...
- react-best-practices — React and Next.js performance optimization guidelines from Vercel Engineering. This skill should be used when writing, reviewing, or refactoring React/Next.j...
Step 3: Spend on the seat, not another prompt PDF
Prices below are from sibling guides on this site (checked 2026-11-01):
- Claude Pro: $20/mo or $17/mo effective on annual ($200/yr) — claude-plans-money-saving
- ChatGPT: Free → Go $8/mo → Plus $20/mo before Pro tiers — chatgpt-plans-money-saving
- Cursor X Subscription: Plus $8/mo ($80/yr); Premium $30/mo ($300/yr) — cursor-x-subscription-money-saving
- Google AI: Plus $4.99/mo, Pro $19.99/mo — google-ai-plans-money-saving
Full editorial playbook: Stack smarter: free Agent Skills instead of paid prompt packs.
Alternatives
git-commit-pro →Write well-structured git commit messages following the Conventional Commits standard. Use when a user asks to commit changes, write a commit message, stage...
webapp-testing →Toolkit for interacting with and testing local web applications using Playwright. Supports verifying frontend functionality, debugging UI behavior, capturing...
pdf-analyzer →Extract text, tables, metadata, and structured data from PDF files. Use when a user asks to read a PDF, parse a PDF, extract data from a PDF, summarize a PDF...
FAQ
Is the skill software itself free?
The cited open skills are installed via public CLIs/marketplaces at $0 software cost in the guide; you still pay for model/agent usage.
Which seat prices are cited?
Claude Pro $20/mo or $17/mo annual effective; ChatGPT Go $8 / Plus $20; Cursor Plus $8 / Premium $30; Google AI Plus $4.99 / Pro $19.99 — all from ThriftyFig guides checked 2026-11-01.
Should I buy paid prompt packs first?
The free-agent-skills-vs-paid-stacks guide recommends trying Apache/MIT Agent Skills before closed packs that forbid redistribution.