What is the key difference between MCP Server Playwright and Firefox Devtools MCP?

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

How do I install MCP Server Playwright or Firefox Devtools MCP 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 MCP Server Playwright and Firefox Devtools MCP free or paid?

MCP Server Playwright operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Firefox Devtools MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

MCP Server Playwright lists 10 tools with 3 views and 299 GitHub stars. Firefox Devtools MCP lists 4 tools with 2 views and 417 GitHub stars.

Can I use both MCP Server Playwright and Firefox Devtools MCP 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

MCP Server Playwright vs Firefox Devtools MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the MCP Server Playwright and Firefox Devtools MCP 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

MCP Server Playwright

Browser Automation · Local stdio

Quality: 56/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Firefox Devtools MCP

Browser Automation · Local stdio

Quality: 63/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose MCP Server Playwright if you need specialized Browser Automation tools running via a local process. Choose Firefox Devtools MCP 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 MCP Server Playwright 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: browser_navigate, browser_screenshot, browser_click.

Explore MCP Server Playwright Details

Choose Firefox Devtools MCP 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).
You have access to required keys: START_URL, FIREFOX_HEADLESS, ACCEPT_INSECURE_CERTS, CONNECT_EXISTING, MARIONETTE_PORT, TOOL_PRESET, ENABLE_SCRIPT, ENABLE_PRIVILEGED_CONTEXT.
Primary tools included: .

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	MCP Server Playwright automatalabs Browser Automation	Firefox Devtools MCP freema Browser Automation
Summary	An MCP server for browser automation using Playwright	Firefox browser automation via WebDriver BiDi for testing, scraping, and browser control. Supports snapshot/UID-based interactions, network monitoring, console capture, and screenshots.
Category & Scope	Browser Automation

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

MCP Server Playwright Tools (10)

browser_navigate

Navigate to any URL in the browser

browser_screenshot

Capture screenshots of the entire page or specific elements

browser_click

Click elements on the page using CSS selector

browser_click_text

Click elements on the page by their text content

browser_hover

Hover over elements on the page using CSS selector

browser_hover_text

Hover over elements on the page by their text content

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).

MCP Server Playwright Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "automatalabs-mcp-server-playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@smithery/cli"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Firefox Devtools MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "freema-firefox-devtools-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@mozilla/firefox-devtools-mcp@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "START_URL": "YOUR_START_URL_HERE",
        "FIREFOX_HEADLESS": "YOUR_FIREFOX_HEADLESS_HERE",
        "ACCEPT_INSECURE_CERTS": "YOUR_ACCEPT_INSECURE_CERTS_HERE",
        "CONNECT_EXISTING": "YOUR_CONNECT_EXISTING_HERE",
        "MARIONETTE_PORT": "YOUR_MARIONETTE_PORT_HERE",
        "TOOL_PRESET": "YOUR_TOOL_PRESET_HERE",
        "ENABLE_SCRIPT": "YOUR_ENABLE_SCRIPT_HERE",
        "ENABLE_PRIVILEGED_CONTEXT": "YOUR_ENABLE_PRIVILEGED_CONTEXT_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

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

More alternatives to MCP Server Playwright More alternatives to Firefox Devtools MCP Browser Automation category hub