browser-use-mcp-server 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-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	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	Python	TypeScript
Transport	SSE (remote)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	None
GitHub stars	822	4.5k
Last commit	1 month ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`uv tool install browser-use-mcp-server`	`npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

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

Pick Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) 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 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-use-mcp-server or Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) — which is better?

Pick browser-use-mcp-server if you want a hosted/remote server with nothing to install. Pick Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) 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 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-use-mcp-server 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-use-mcp-server →View Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) →More comparisons →