Peekaboo vs Real Browser MCP

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	Real Browser MCP Give AI agents control of your real Chrome browser with existing sessions, cookies, and logins. Unverified 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	33
Last commit	1 month ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @steipete/peekaboo`	`npx -y real-browser-mcp`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

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

Pick Real Browser MCP 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 Real Browser MCP

Install / run

npx -y real-browser-mcp

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "real-browser-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "real-browser-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Peekaboo or Real Browser MCP — which is better?

Pick Peekaboo if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you need the broadest set of tools. Pick Real Browser MCP if you want zero-setup with no API key.

Can I use both Peekaboo and Real Browser MCP?

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 Real Browser MCP work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Peekaboo →View Real Browser MCP →More comparisons →