Crawlio Browser vs Qualien MCP

A side-by-side look at the Crawlio Browser and Qualien MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.

Crawlio Browser logoCrawlio BrowserDatabases · Local subprocess (stdio)Bridge a live Chrome browser to your agent: 147 CDP tools for capture, extraction, and recording.56GoodAuth: not declaredQualien MCP logoQualien MCPAggregators · Local subprocess (stdio)MCP gateway for QA/SDET work: Playwright, files, GitHub, Jira, Postgres & more in one connection.63GoodAuth: no auth required

Verdict: choose Crawlio Browser for databases work as a local process; choose Qualien MCP for aggregators as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.

Which MCP server should you choose?

Crawlio Browser logoChoose Crawlio Browser when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Databases domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • You want tools like connect_tab, disconnect_tab, list_tabs.
Explore Crawlio Browser

Qualien MCP logoChoose Qualien MCP when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Aggregators domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
  • You want tools like playwright__browser_close, playwright__browser_resize, playwright__browser_console_messages.
Explore Qualien MCP

Feature & specification comparison

Rows where the two servers differ are marked.

SpecCrawlio Browser logoCrawlio BrowserQualien MCP logoQualien MCP
CategoryDatabasesAggregators
Quality signal56/100 · Good63/100 · Good
Install commandConfirmedConfirmed
TransportLocal subprocess (stdio)Local subprocess (stdio)
AuthNot declaredNo auth required
PricingNot declaredFree
Required env varsNone listedNone listed
Verified ownerCommunity listingCommunity listing
GitHub stars81
Directory activity 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
Tools8039

Tools & capabilities

Crawlio Browser tools 80

  • connect_tabConnect to a browser tab by URL, tab ID, or active tab
  • disconnect_tabDisconnect from the current tab
  • list_tabsList all open tabs with IDs and URLs
  • get_connection_statusCheck CDP connection state
  • reconnect_tabForce reconnect to fix stale connections
  • get_capabilitiesReport live browser-bridge availability by tab, CDP domain, and permission state
  • capture_pageFull capture: framework + network + console + DOM
  • detect_frameworkDetect JS framework and version
  • start_network_captureStart recording network requests
  • stop_network_captureStop recording and return captured requests
  • get_console_logsGet console logs (errors, warnings, info)
  • get_cookiesGet cookies (sensitive values redacted)
  • +68 more on the listing page

Qualien MCP tools 39

  • playwright__browser_closeClose the page
  • playwright__browser_resizeResize the browser window
  • playwright__browser_console_messagesReturns all console messages
  • playwright__browser_handle_dialogHandle a dialog
  • playwright__browser_emulate_mediaEmulate CSS media features for the page, for example switch between the light and dark color scheme. Omitted parameters are left unchanged; null clears an override.
  • playwright__browser_evaluateEvaluate JavaScript expression on page or element
  • playwright__browser_file_uploadUpload one or multiple files
  • playwright__browser_dropDrop files or MIME-typed data onto an element, as if dragged from outside the page. At least one of "paths" or "data" must be provided.
  • playwright__browser_findSearch the accessibility snapshot of the current page for text or a regular expression. Returns matching snapshot nodes with a few lines of surrounding context (like search snippets), each shown under its path from the root of the tree, which is cheaper than capturing the whole snapshot when you only need to locate an element and its ref.
  • playwright__browser_fill_formFill multiple form fields
  • playwright__browser_press_keyPress a key on the keyboard
  • playwright__browser_typeType text into editable element
  • +27 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.

Crawlio Browser

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "crawlio-browser": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "crawlio-browser"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Qualien MCP

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qualien-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "qualien-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently asked questions

Crawlio Browser is categorized under Databases and uses a local stdio subprocess. Qualien MCP belongs to Aggregators and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Crawlio Browser for databases work and Qualien MCP for aggregators.

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.

Crawlio Browser has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Qualien MCP is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. 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 crawlio-browser and qualien-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.

On AllMCPs, Crawlio Browser has a quality signal of 56/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 8 GitHub stars. Qualien MCP has 63/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars.