What is the key difference between Aethyn Browser MCP and Playwright MCP Server?

Aethyn Browser MCP belongs to the Browser Automation category with local stdio execution, while Playwright MCP Server belongs to the Browser Automation category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Aethyn Browser MCP or Playwright MCP Server in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Aethyn Browser MCP and Playwright MCP Server free or paid?

Aethyn Browser MCP operates under a Freemium model (API Key required). Playwright MCP Server operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Aethyn Browser MCP lists 10 tools with 2 views and 3 GitHub stars. Playwright MCP Server lists 6 tools with 2 views and 5,644 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Aethyn Browser MCP and Playwright MCP Server together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Aethyn Browser MCP vs Playwright MCP Server

In-depth architectural comparison of the Aethyn Browser MCP and Playwright MCP Server MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Aethyn Browser MCP

Browser Automation · Local stdio

Quality: 61/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Playwright MCP Server

Browser Automation · Local stdio

Quality: 44/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Aethyn Browser MCP if you need specialized Browser Automation tools running via a local process. Choose Playwright MCP Server if your workspace requires Browser Automation integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Aethyn Browser MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Browser Automation domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Freemium).
You have access to required keys: AETHYN_USERNAME, AETHYN_PASSWORD, AETHYN_DEFAULT_TIER, AETHYN_HEADLESS, PROXY_HOST, PROXY_PORT, PROXY_USERNAME, PROXY_PASSWORD.
Primary tools included: aethyn_launch_browser, aethyn_navigate, aethyn_get_content.

Explore Aethyn Browser MCP Details

Choose Playwright MCP Server when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Browser Automation domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: .

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Aethyn Browser MCP aethynio Browser Automation	Playwright MCP Server executeautomation Browser Automation
Summary	Drive a local Playwright browser through residential proxies with the agent choosing the exit country/city and holding one sticky identity per task. 10 tools: launch, navigate, accessibility snapshot, click, type, content extraction, exit-IP verification, and per-task identity rotation. Free trial, no card.	An MCP server using Playwright for browser automation and webscrapping
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Aethyn Browser MCP Tools (10)

aethyn_launch_browser

Launch a local Chromium routed through a residential proxy exit in a chosen country (and city/state on the Elite tier). Returns a session_id the other aethyn_* tools use. Each session is one sticky identity — a pinned exit IP for the whole task.

aethyn_navigate

Navigate the session's browser to a URL and wait for load. Returns the HTTP status, final URL, and page title — read the page with aethyn_get_content to judge the response yourself. Public data only — respect robots.txt, rate limits, and each site's terms.

aethyn_get_content

Return the current page's content cleaned for reading (markdown by default). Use after navigating to extract data.

aethyn_snapshot

Return a structured accessibility snapshot (roles, names, and [ref=..] handles) of the page. Pass those refs to aethyn_click / aethyn_type. No screenshots needed.

aethyn_click

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

Aethyn Browser MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aethynio-aethyn-browser-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "aethyn-browser-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AETHYN_USERNAME": "YOUR_AETHYN_USERNAME_HERE",
        "AETHYN_PASSWORD": "YOUR_AETHYN_PASSWORD_HERE",
        "AETHYN_DEFAULT_TIER": "YOUR_AETHYN_DEFAULT_TIER_HERE",
        "AETHYN_HEADLESS": "YOUR_AETHYN_HEADLESS_HERE",
        "PROXY_HOST": "YOUR_PROXY_HOST_HERE",
        "PROXY_PORT": "YOUR_PROXY_PORT_HERE",
        "PROXY_USERNAME": "YOUR_PROXY_USERNAME_HERE",
        "PROXY_PASSWORD": "YOUR_PROXY_PASSWORD_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Playwright MCP Server Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "executeautomation-playwright-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@michaellatman/mcp-get@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Aethyn Browser MCP is categorized under Browser Automation and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Playwright MCP Server belongs to Browser Automation using local stdio subprocess. Select Aethyn Browser MCP when you need capabilities focused on browser automation and Playwright MCP Server when you require tools for browser automation.

More alternatives to Aethyn Browser MCP More alternatives to Playwright MCP Server Browser Automation category hub