Bright Data MCP vs Browser Control MCP

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	Browser Control MCP MCP server paired with a Firefox extension for tab management, history search, and reading webpage content. Unverified 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	294
Last commit	2 months ago	4 months ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @brightdata/mcp`	`npm install && npm run build`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Bright Data MCP if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Pick Browser Control MCP if you prefer its approach (mcp server paired with a firefox extension for tab management, history search, and reading webpage content).

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 Browser Control MCP

Install / run

npm install && npm run build

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browser-control-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/repo/mcp-server/dist/server.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "EXTENSION_SECRET": "<secret_on_firefox_extension_options_page>",
        "EXTENSION_PORT": "8089"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Bright Data MCP or Browser Control MCP — which is better?

Pick Bright Data MCP if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option. Pick Browser Control MCP if you prefer its approach (mcp server paired with a firefox extension for tab management, history search, and reading webpage content).

Can I use both Bright Data MCP and Browser Control MCP?

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 Browser Control MCP 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 Browser Control MCP →More comparisons →