Charlotte vs Shiplight
A side-by-side look at the Charlotte and Shiplight MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
S
ShiplightBrowser AutomationAn MCP server that provides browser automation36FairAuth: not declaredVerdict: choose Charlotte for browser automation work as a local process; choose Shiplight for browser automation. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Charlotte when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Browser Automation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
charlotte_navigate, charlotte_back, charlotte_forward.
SChoose Shiplight when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Browser Automation domain.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | S Shiplight | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Browser Automation | Browser Automation |
| Quality signal | 68/100 · Great | 36/100 · Fair |
| Install command | Confirmed | Not confirmed yet |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | — |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 183 | — |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 23 | Not listed |
| Full listing | View Charlotte | View Shiplight |
Tools & capabilities
Charlotte tools 23
charlotte_navigateLoad a URL in the active page. Returns page representation after navigation. Default minimal detail includes landmarks, headings, and interactive element counts — use charlotte_find to locate specific elements, or pass detail: 'summary' to get the full element list.charlotte_backNavigate back in browser history. Returns page representation after navigation.charlotte_forwardNavigate forward in browser history. Returns page representation after navigation.charlotte_reloadReload the current page. Returns page representation after reload.charlotte_observeGet current page state without performing any action. Use detail levels to control verbosity: "minimal" for landmarks, headings, and interactive element counts by landmark (use charlotte_find to get specific elements with actionable IDs, or observe({ detail: "summary" }) to see all elements), "summary" (default) for content summaries and full element list, "full" for all text content. Use view: "tree" for a compact structural outline (cheapest orientation tool), or view: "tree-labeled" to include labels on interactive elements (still much cheaper than minimal JSON, and shows which button/link/input is which).charlotte_findSearch for elements matching criteria. Filters interactive elements by text, role, type, or spatial proximity. Use the selector parameter to find DOM elements by CSS selector — this reaches elements not in the accessibility tree (custom widgets, non-semantic divs). Selector results return Charlotte element IDs usable with click, hover, drag, etc.charlotte_screenshotCapture a visual screenshot. Fallback for when structured representation isn't sufficient (complex visualizations, canvas elements, images). Use save: true to persist as a file artifact that can be referenced later.charlotte_screenshotsList all saved screenshot artifacts. Returns metadata for each saved screenshot including ID, filename, page URL, and timestamp.charlotte_screenshot_getRetrieve a previously saved screenshot artifact by its ID. Returns the image data and metadata.charlotte_screenshot_deleteDelete a saved screenshot artifact by its ID. Removes the file from disk.charlotte_diffCompare current page state to a previous snapshot. Returns structural diff showing added, removed, moved, and changed elements.charlotte_clickClick an interactive element on the page. Returns full page representation after the click.- +11 more on the listing page
Shiplight tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Charlotte
{
"mcpServers": {
"charlotte": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"@ticktockbent/charlotte"
]
}
}
}
Shiplight
No confirmed install command for Shiplight yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
Frequently asked questions
Charlotte is categorized under Browser Automation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Shiplight belongs to Browser Automation and uses an install path we have not confirmed yet. Pick Charlotte for browser automation work and Shiplight for browser automation.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client. Shiplight has no confirmed install command yet — follow its own setup instructions.
Charlotte has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Shiplight has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add charlotte and shiplight-2 as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Charlotte has a quality signal of 68/100 (Great) with 2 views, 0 installs and 183 GitHub stars. Shiplight has 36/100 (Fair) with 2 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.
