browser-use-mcp-server vs Peekaboo

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

	browser-use-mcp-server Let AI agents control a real web browser to browse, navigate, and extract data via browser-use + Playwright. Unverified SSE (remote) API key Python	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	Python	Swift
Transport	SSE (remote)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	API key
GitHub stars	822	4.8k
Last commit	2 months ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`uv tool install browser-use-mcp-server`	`npx -y @steipete/peekaboo`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick browser-use-mcp-server if you want a hosted/remote server with nothing to install.

Pick Peekaboo if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a local (stdio) server that keeps data on your machine.

Add browser-use-mcp-server

Install / run

uv tool install browser-use-mcp-server

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browser-use-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://localhost:8000/sse"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop connects to remote servers through the `mcp-remote` proxy (installed on first run via npx). Restart Claude Desktop after saving.

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-use-mcp-server or Peekaboo — which is better?

Pick browser-use-mcp-server if you want a hosted/remote server with nothing to install. Pick Peekaboo if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a local (stdio) server that keeps data on your machine.

Can I use both browser-use-mcp-server 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-use-mcp-server and Peekaboo work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View browser-use-mcp-server →View Peekaboo →More comparisons →