Real Browser MCP vs Peekaboo

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

	Real Browser MCP Give AI agents control of your real Chrome browser with existing sessions, cookies, and logins. Unverified stdio (local) No auth TypeScript	Peekaboo macOS screen capture, AI visual analysis, and full GUI automation for AI agents. Unverified stdio (local) API key Swift
Category	Browser Automation	Browser Automation
Language	TypeScript	Swift
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	API key
GitHub stars	33	4.8k
Last commit	5 days ago	3 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y real-browser-mcp`	`npx -y @steipete/peekaboo`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Real Browser MCP if you want zero-setup with no API key.

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

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"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Real Browser MCP or Peekaboo — which is better?

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

Can I use both Real Browser MCP and Peekaboo?

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 Real Browser MCP and Peekaboo work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Real Browser MCP →View Peekaboo →More comparisons →