Bright Data MCP vs Apify Actors MCP (RAG Web Browser)

A side-by-side comparison of two Browser Automation servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	Bright Data MCP All-in-one web access MCP — Web Unlocker, SERP, Scraper API, and a cloud Scraping Browser. Verified stdio (local) API key JavaScript	Apify Actors MCP (RAG Web Browser) Run Apify's RAG Web Browser and 5,000+ Actors as MCP tools — web search and scrape to clean markdown. Verified stdio (local) API key TypeScript
Category	Browser Automation	Browser Automation
Language	JavaScript	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	API key
GitHub stars	5.0k	600
Last commit	16 days ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @brightdata/mcp`	`npx -y @apify/actors-mcp-server`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Bright Data MCP if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Pick Apify Actors MCP (RAG Web Browser) if you prefer its approach (run apify's rag web browser and 5,000+ actors as mcp tools — web search and scrape to clean markdown).

Add Bright Data MCP

Install / run

npx -y @brightdata/mcp

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bright-data-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@brightdata/mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_TOKEN": "<your-brightdata-api-token>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add Apify Actors MCP (RAG Web Browser)

Install / run

npx -y @apify/actors-mcp-server

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify-actors-mcp-rag-web-browser": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@apify/actors-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "APIFY_TOKEN": "<your-apify-api-token>"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Bright Data MCP or Apify Actors MCP (RAG Web Browser) — which is better?

Pick Bright Data MCP if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option. Pick Apify Actors MCP (RAG Web Browser) if you prefer its approach (run apify's rag web browser and 5,000+ actors as mcp tools — web search and scrape to clean markdown).

Can I use both Bright Data MCP and Apify Actors MCP (RAG Web Browser)?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do Bright Data MCP and Apify Actors MCP (RAG Web Browser) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View Bright Data MCP →View Apify Actors MCP (RAG Web Browser) →More comparisons →