Real Browser MCP vs Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)

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	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	TypeScript	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	None
GitHub stars	33	4.5k
Last commit	5 days ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y real-browser-mcp`	`npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Real Browser MCP if you need the broadest set of tools.

Pick Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a verified, documented setup.

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 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

Real Browser MCP or Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) — which is better?

Pick Real Browser MCP if you need the broadest set of tools. Pick Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a verified, documented setup.

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