Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) vs Peekaboo

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

	Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) Official Browserbase cloud-browser MCP built on Stagehand — natural-language act/extract/observe. Verified 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	3.0k	4.8k
Last commit	1 month ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @browserbasehq/mcp`	`npx -y @steipete/peekaboo`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you want a verified, documented setup.

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

Add Browserbase MCP (Stagehand)

Install / run

npx -y @browserbasehq/mcp

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browserbase-mcp-stagehand": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@browserbasehq/mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BROWSERBASE_API_KEY": "<your-browserbase-api-key>",
        "BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID": "<your-browserbase-project-id>",
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": "<your-gemini-api-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

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

Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) or Peekaboo — which is better?

Pick Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you want a verified, documented setup. Pick Peekaboo if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you need the broadest set of tools.

Can I use both Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) 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 Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) and Peekaboo work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) →View Peekaboo →More comparisons →