Browser Control MCP vs Peekaboo

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

	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	Peekaboo macOS screen capture, AI visual analysis, and full GUI automation for AI agents. Unverified stdio (local) API key Swift
Category	Browser Automation	Browser Automation
Language	TypeScript	Swift
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	API key
GitHub stars	294	4.8k
Last commit	4 months ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npm install && npm run build`	`npx -y @steipete/peekaboo`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

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).

Pick Peekaboo if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you need the broadest set of tools.

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"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add Peekaboo

Install / run

npx -y @steipete/peekaboo

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "peekaboo": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@steipete/peekaboo"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PEEKABOO_AI_PROVIDERS": "openai/gpt-5.5,anthropic/claude-opus-4-8"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Browser Control MCP or Peekaboo — which is better?

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). Pick Peekaboo if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you need the broadest set of tools.

Can I use both Browser Control MCP and Peekaboo?

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 Browser Control MCP and Peekaboo work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Browser Control MCP →View Peekaboo →More comparisons →