Chrome DevTools MCP vs Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)

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	Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) Popular community Playwright + API testing MCP server with codegen, screenshots, and device emulation. Verified stdio (local) No auth TypeScript
Category	Browser Automation	Browser Automation
Language	TypeScript	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	None
GitHub stars	45k	4.5k
Last commit	1 day ago	2 months ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y chrome-devtools-mcp@latest`	`npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server`
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 Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) if you want a verified, documented setup.

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 Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)

Install / run

npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server

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

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

FAQ

Chrome DevTools MCP or Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) — 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 Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) if you want a verified, documented setup.

Can I use both Chrome DevTools MCP and Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)?

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 Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) 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 Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) →More comparisons →