MCP Server Playwright vs Browserbase MCP (Stagehand)

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

	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	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	JavaScript	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	API key
GitHub stars	295	3.0k
Last commit	1 year ago	18 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx @automatalabs/mcp-server-playwright install`	`npx -y @browserbasehq/mcp`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick MCP Server Playwright if you want zero-setup with no API key.

Pick Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

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"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

MCP Server Playwright or Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) — which is better?

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

Can I use both MCP Server Playwright 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 MCP Server Playwright 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 MCP Server Playwright →View Browserbase MCP (Stagehand) →More comparisons →