Browser MCP vs Browserbase MCP (Stagehand)

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

	Browser MCP Automate your existing browser with AI using your real profile, logged-in sessions, and stealth fingerprint. Unverified stdio (local) No auth Stale TypeScript	Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) Official Browserbase cloud-browser MCP built on Stagehand — natural-language act/extract/observe. Verified stdio (local) API key TypeScript
Category	Browser Automation	Browser Automation
Language	TypeScript	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	API key
GitHub stars	6.7k	3.0k
Last commit	1 year ago	26 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx @browsermcp/mcp@latest`	`npx -y @browserbasehq/mcp`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Browser MCP if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want zero-setup with no API key.

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

Add Browser MCP

Install / run

npx @browsermcp/mcp@latest

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browser-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@browsermcp/mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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>"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

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

Pick Browser MCP if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want zero-setup with no API key. Pick Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you want a verified, documented setup.

Can I use both Browser MCP and Browserbase MCP (Stagehand)?

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 MCP and Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

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