Browser Control MCP vs Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)

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	Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) Popular community Playwright + API testing MCP server with codegen, screenshots, and device emulation. Verified stdio (local) No auth TypeScript
Category	Browser Automation	Browser Automation
Language	TypeScript	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	None
GitHub stars	294	4.5k
Last commit	2 months ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npm install && npm run build`	`npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server`
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 Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want zero-setup with no API key.

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 Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)

Install / run

npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright-mcp-executeautomation": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Browser Control MCP or Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) — 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 Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want zero-setup with no API key.

Can I use both Browser Control MCP and Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)?

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 Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) 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 Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) →More comparisons →