What is the key difference between BrowserTap MCP and Chrome Devtools MCP?

BrowserTap MCP belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution, while Chrome Devtools MCP belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution.

How do I install BrowserTap MCP or Chrome 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 BrowserTap MCP and Chrome Devtools MCP free or paid?

BrowserTap MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Chrome Devtools MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

BrowserTap MCP lists 55 tools with 0 views and 2 GitHub stars. Chrome Devtools MCP lists 56 tools with 1 views and 49,707 GitHub stars.

Can I use both BrowserTap MCP and Chrome 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

BrowserTap MCP vs Chrome Devtools MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the BrowserTap MCP and Chrome 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

BrowserTap MCP

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 47/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Chrome Devtools MCP

Developer Tools · Local stdio

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

Verdict Summary: Choose BrowserTap MCP if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a local process. Choose Chrome Devtools MCP if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose BrowserTap MCP 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: get_setup_status, get_automation_profile, set_automation_profile.

Explore BrowserTap MCP Details

Choose Chrome Devtools MCP 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: click, drag, fill.

Explore Chrome Devtools MCP Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	B BrowserTap MCP Developer Tools	Chrome Devtools MCP Developer Tools
Summary	MCP server that drives the real Chrome you already use, through an extension and CDP.	Chrome DevTools for coding agents
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

BrowserTap MCP Tools (55)

get_setup_status

report `package_version`, `bridge_version`, `extension_version`, `protocol_version`, connection state, ports, tabs, and the required recovery action. A missing bridge listener is started automatically when spawning is enabled; `restart_bridge_required=true` means a bridge that is still running must…

get_automation_profile

inspect whether the current MCP process uses `lab` or `safe`.

set_automation_profile

switch the current MCP process between `lab|safe`; the override is not persisted and does not reload the extension.

list_tabs

list connected tabs. Each carries a `browser` field. No parameters.

list_all_tabs

*(no tab needed)* list every open tab, including `chrome-extension://` pages that `list_tabs` hides. Those never become sessions, so they have no session id; drive them with `cdp_command(tab_id=...)`.

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).

BrowserTap MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browsertap-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "browsertap-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Chrome Devtools MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chrome-devtools-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "chrome-devtools-mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

BrowserTap MCP is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Chrome Devtools MCP belongs to Developer Tools using local stdio subprocess. Select BrowserTap MCP when you need capabilities focused on developer tools and Chrome Devtools MCP when you require tools for developer tools.

More alternatives to BrowserTap MCP More alternatives to Chrome Devtools MCP Developer Tools category hub