Peekaboo vs Playwright Server (Python)

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 Server (Python) MCP server exposing Playwright browser-automation tools: navigate, click, fill, screenshot and scrape pages. Unverified stdio (local) No auth Stale Python
Category	Browser Automation	Browser Automation
Language	Swift	Python
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	None
GitHub stars	4.8k	188
Last commit	1 month ago	1 year ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @steipete/peekaboo`	—
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Peekaboo if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you need the broadest set of tools.

Pick Playwright Server (Python) if you want zero-setup with no API key.

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 Server (Python)

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright-server-python": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "playwright-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

FAQ

Peekaboo or Playwright Server (Python) — which is better?

Pick Peekaboo if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you need the broadest set of tools. Pick Playwright Server (Python) if you want zero-setup with no API key.

Can I use both Peekaboo and Playwright Server (Python)?

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 Server (Python) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Peekaboo →View Playwright Server (Python) →More comparisons →