WebDriverIO MCP Server vs Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)

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

	WebDriverIO MCP Server Drive Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari and iOS/Android apps with WebDriverIO, locally or on cloud devices. 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	31	4.5k
Last commit	3 days ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @wdio/mcp@latest`	`npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick WebDriverIO MCP Server 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 WebDriverIO MCP Server

Install / run

npx -y @wdio/mcp@latest

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "webdriverio-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@wdio/mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

WebDriverIO MCP Server or Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) — which is better?

Pick WebDriverIO MCP Server 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 WebDriverIO MCP Server 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 WebDriverIO MCP Server 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 WebDriverIO MCP Server →View Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) →More comparisons →