Peekaboo vs Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)

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

	Peekaboo macOS screen capture, AI visual analysis, and full GUI automation for AI agents. Unverified stdio (local) API key Swift	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	Swift	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	None
GitHub stars	4.8k	4.5k
Last commit	3 days ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @steipete/peekaboo`	`npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Peekaboo if you need the broadest set of tools.

Pick Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) if you want zero-setup with no API key, and you want a verified, documented setup.

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"
      }
    }
  }
}

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

Peekaboo or Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) — which is better?

Pick Peekaboo if you need the broadest set of tools. Pick Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) if you want zero-setup with no API key, and you want a verified, documented setup.

Can I use both Peekaboo 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 Peekaboo 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 Peekaboo →View Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) →More comparisons →