Browser MCP vs PageMap

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	PageMap Converts raw HTML into compressed, AI-readable page maps (97% token reduction) so agents can read and act on any web page. Unverified stdio (local) No auth Python
Category	Browser Automation	Browser Automation
Language	TypeScript	Python
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	None
GitHub stars	6.7k	32
Last commit	1 year ago	2 months ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx @browsermcp/mcp@latest`	`pip install retio-pagemap`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Browser MCP if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Pick PageMap if you prefer its approach (converts raw html into compressed, ai-readable page maps (97% token reduction) so agents can read and act on any web page).

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 PageMap

Install / run

pip install retio-pagemap

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pagemap": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "retio-pagemap"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

FAQ

Browser MCP or PageMap — which is better?

Pick Browser MCP if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option. Pick PageMap if you prefer its approach (converts raw html into compressed, ai-readable page maps (97% token reduction) so agents can read and act on any web page).

Can I use both Browser MCP and PageMap?

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 PageMap work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Browser MCP →View PageMap →More comparisons →