PageMap vs Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)

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

	PageMap Converts raw HTML into compressed, AI-readable page maps (97% token reduction) so agents can read and act on any web page. Unverified stdio (local) No auth Python	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	Python	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	None
GitHub stars	32	4.5k
Last commit	1 month ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`pip install retio-pagemap`	`npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick PageMap if you prefer its approach (converts raw html into compressed, ai-readable page maps (97% token reduction) so agents can read and act on any web page).

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

Add PageMap

Install / run

pip install retio-pagemap

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pagemap": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "retio-pagemap"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

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

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

Pick PageMap if you prefer its approach (converts raw html into compressed, ai-readable page maps (97% token reduction) so agents can read and act on any web page). Pick Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a verified, documented setup.

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