Chrome DevTools MCP vs Peekaboo

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	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	None	API key
GitHub stars	45k	4.8k
Last commit	1 day ago	8 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y chrome-devtools-mcp@latest`	`npx -y @steipete/peekaboo`
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 Peekaboo if you prefer its approach (macos screen capture, ai visual analysis, and full gui automation for ai agents).

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 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

Chrome DevTools MCP or Peekaboo — 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 Peekaboo if you prefer its approach (macos screen capture, ai visual analysis, and full gui automation for ai agents).

Can I use both Chrome DevTools MCP 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 Chrome DevTools MCP and Peekaboo 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 Peekaboo →More comparisons →