Arc Control (macOS) vs Kernel MCP Server

In-depth architectural comparison of the Arc Control (macOS) and Kernel 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.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

A

Choose Arc Control (macOS) when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: list_tabs, get_current_tab, switch_to_tab.

Explore Arc Control (macOS) Details

Choose Kernel MCP Server when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: manage_browsers, manage_profiles, manage_projects.

Explore Kernel MCP Server Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	A Arc Control (macOS) Developer Tools	Kernel MCP Server Developer Tools
Summary	macOS-only MCP server for the Arc browser: tabs, navigation, page reading, DOM, scripting	Access Kernel's cloud-based browsers and app actions via MCP (remote HTTP + OAuth).
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

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).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "arc-control-macos": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "arc-control-mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kernel-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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