Chrome DevTools MCP vs MCP Server Playwright

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

	Chrome DevTools MCP Lets coding agents drive a real Chrome: automate input, read console and network, record performance traces. Unverified stdio (local) No auth TypeScript	MCP Server Playwright Browser automation via Playwright — let LLMs navigate, click, fill forms, screenshot, and run JS in a real browser. Unverified stdio (local) No auth Stale JavaScript
Category	Browser Automation	Browser Automation
Language	TypeScript	JavaScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	None
GitHub stars	45k	295
Last commit	1 month ago	1 year ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y chrome-devtools-mcp@latest`	`npx @automatalabs/mcp-server-playwright install`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Chrome DevTools MCP if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Pick MCP Server Playwright if you prefer its approach (browser automation via playwright — let llms navigate, click, fill forms, screenshot, and run js in a real browser).

Add Chrome DevTools MCP

Install / run

npx -y chrome-devtools-mcp@latest

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chrome-devtools-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "chrome-devtools-mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Add MCP Server Playwright

Install / run

npx @automatalabs/mcp-server-playwright install

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-server-playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@automatalabs/mcp-server-playwright"
      ]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Chrome DevTools MCP or MCP Server Playwright — which is better?

Pick Chrome DevTools MCP if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option. Pick MCP Server Playwright if you prefer its approach (browser automation via playwright — let llms navigate, click, fill forms, screenshot, and run js in a real browser).

Can I use both Chrome DevTools MCP and MCP Server Playwright?

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 Chrome DevTools MCP and MCP Server Playwright work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Chrome DevTools MCP →View MCP Server Playwright →More comparisons →