Firefox Devtools MCP vs Shotanvil
A side-by-side look at the Firefox Devtools MCP and Shotanvil MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Firefox Devtools MCP for browser automation work as a local process; choose Shotanvil for browser automation over a hosted endpoint. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Firefox Devtools MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Browser Automation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
list_pages, new_page, navigate_page.
Choose Shotanvil when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Browser Automation domain.
- You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
SHOTANVIL_API_KEY.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Browser Automation | Browser Automation |
| Quality signal | 72/100 · Great | 37/100 · Fair |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Remote HTTP/SSE |
| Auth | No auth required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | SHOTANVIL_API_KEY |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 516 | 0 |
| Directory activity | 6 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 34 | Not listed |
| Full listing | View Firefox Devtools MCP | View Shotanvil |
Tools & capabilities
Firefox Devtools MCP tools 34
list_pagesList open tabs (index, title, URL). Selected tab is marked.new_pageOpen new tab at URL. Returns tab index.navigate_pageNavigate selected tab to URL.select_pageSelect active tab by index, URL, or title. Index takes precedence.close_pageClose tab by index.get_page_textGet the visible text of the page (document.body.innerText). Caps at maxLength (default 20000 chars); saveTo saves the full text to a file.take_snapshotCapture DOM snapshot with stable UIDs. A UID stays valid across snapshots until its element is removed or the page navigates. Output caps at maxLines (default 100); scope with selector or dump the full tree with saveTo.resolve_uid_to_selectorResolve UID to CSS selector. Fails if the element is gone.clear_snapshotClear snapshot UIDs. Usually not needed.click_by_uidClick element by UID. Set dblClick for double-click.hover_by_uidHover over element by UID.fill_by_uidFill text input/textarea by UID.- +22 more on the listing page
Shotanvil 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.
Firefox Devtools MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"freema-firefox-devtools-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@mozilla/firefox-devtools-mcp@latest"
]
}
}
}
Shotanvil
{
"mcpServers": {
"shotanvil": {
"url": "https://api.shotanvil.com"
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Firefox Devtools MCP is categorized under Browser Automation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Shotanvil belongs to Browser Automation and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Pick Firefox Devtools MCP for browser automation work and Shotanvil 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.
Firefox Devtools MCP is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Shotanvil 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 freema-firefox-devtools-mcp and shotanvil as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Firefox Devtools MCP has a quality signal of 72/100 (Great) with 6 views, 0 installs and 516 GitHub stars. Shotanvil has 37/100 (Fair) with 1 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.
