Chrome MCP vs Gecko MCP
A side-by-side look at the Chrome MCP and Gecko MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Chrome MCP for browser automation work as a local process; choose Gecko MCP for browser automation as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Chrome MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Browser Automation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
CHROME_MCP_TOKEN, CHROME_MCP_EXTENSION_DIR. - You want tools like
tabs_list, screenshot, get_text.
Choose Gecko MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Browser Automation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
list_tabs, open_tab, get_active_tab.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Browser Automation | Browser Automation |
| Quality signal | 64/100 · Good | 57/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | CHROME_MCP_TOKENCHROME_MCP_EXTENSION_DIR | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 6 | 2 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 22 | 41 |
| Full listing | View Chrome MCP | View Gecko MCP |
Tools & capabilities
Chrome MCP tools 22
tabs_listList open browser tabs.screenshotCapture a screenshot (page or element). Default is JPEG (quality 70) at CSS-pixel size, which is several times smaller than PNG and reads fine. Pass format:"png" for lossless, quality 1-100 for JPEG, scale 2 for device pixels on a Retina display or 0.5 to shrink.get_textGet visible text of the page or an element.get_htmlGet HTML of the page or an element. Output is capped (see maxBytes) and cut at a tag boundary; narrow it with `selector` rather than raising the cap when you can. Password field values are always blanked.snapshotAccessibility snapshot: interactive elements with refs to target by `ref` (more reliable than guessing CSS selectors). Pass diff:true to get only what changed since the last snapshot of this tab - far cheaper in a click/read loop. Password fields appear as secret:true with no value.page_watchSave a local page checkpoint and compare it later. Actions: create (name), compare (watchId), list, delete. Stores accessibility labels and state, never form values. Site allowlist still applies.get_cookiesCookies for the tab's URL (or url); values need --enable-cookie-values.storageRead/write localStorage (or sessionStorage). op: get|set|remove|clear.wait_forWait for a selector or text to appear/disappear.extract_linksExtract anchors from the page or a subtree. dedupe=true collapses links sharing an href (nav/footer noise); limit caps the count.read_as_markdownRead the page (or subtree) as readable markdown.frames_listList the tab's frames (the top document plus every iframe the extension can reach), with each frame's id and URL. Use it when a selector that should match does not: the element is probably in one of these frames, and you can then pass frameId (or allFrames:true) to act inside it.- +10 more on the listing page
Gecko MCP tools 41
list_tabsList all open tabs in Floorp (title, URL, browserId, and whether each is active or pinned). Use the browserId to target other tools.open_tabOpen a URL in a new Floorp tab.get_active_tabReturn the active tab's title, URL and browserId. Note: with multiple browser windows open, 'active' is ambiguous — prefer the browserId returned by open_tab, or pick from list_tabs.navigate_tabNavigate a tab to a new URL. Targets the active tab unless a browserId is given.close_tabClose a tab by its browserId (from list_tabs).read_pageRead a tab's content. Returns clean Markdown by default; can also return raw HTML or the accessibility tree. Output is capped (default 25 KB) to protect the context — to LOCATE a specific element use `find` (cheaper) instead. Targets the active tab unless a browserId is given.screenshotTake a screenshot of a tab and return it as a PNG image. Targets the active tab unless a browserId is given.findLocate elements on a tab by visible text and/or tag and get a ready-to-use CSS `selector` for each — one fast call that searches the page server-side and returns ~1 KB instead of the whole HTML. Use this INSTEAD of read_page to find a button, link, or field, then pass the returned selector straight to click/type/etc. Provide `text`, `tag`, or both. Active tab unless browserId given.clickClick an element by CSS selector OR by a `ref` (fingerprint) from `snapshot`. Auto-scrolls the element into view first (fixes off-screen 'not actionable'). Targets the active tab unless a browserId is given.snapshotCapture a structured snapshot of a tab: clean Markdown with inline fingerprint refs (`<!--fp:...-->`) and an 'Element Selector Map' (fp | tag | text). Use this instead of read_page+grep to locate elements, then pass a `ref` to `click`. Targets the active tab unless a browserId is given.type_textType text into an input or textarea by CSS selector (clears it first by default). Targets the active tab unless a browserId is given.fill_formFill multiple form fields at once. `fields` maps CSS selectors (or field names) to values. Targets the active tab unless a browserId is given.- +29 more on 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.
Chrome MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"chrome-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"mcp-browser-extension@latest"
],
"env": {
"CHROME_MCP_TOKEN": "YOUR_CHROME_MCP_TOKEN_HERE",
"CHROME_MCP_EXTENSION_DIR": "YOUR_CHROME_MCP_EXTENSION_DIR_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Gecko MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"gecko-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"gecko-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Chrome MCP is categorized under Browser Automation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Gecko MCP belongs to Browser Automation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Chrome MCP for browser automation work and Gecko MCP 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.
Chrome MCP has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Gecko MCP 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 chrome-mcp and gecko-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Chrome MCP has a quality signal of 64/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 6 GitHub stars. Gecko MCP has 57/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 2 GitHub stars.