Comet MCP vs Shotanvil
A side-by-side look at the Comet 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 Comet 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 Comet 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
comet_connect, comet_ask, comet_poll.
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 | 59/100 · Good | 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 | 181 | 0 |
| Directory activity | 4 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 6 | Not listed |
| Full listing | View Comet MCP | View Shotanvil |
Tools & capabilities
Comet MCP tools 6
comet_connectConnect to Comet (auto-starts if needed)comet_askSend a task and wait for responsecomet_pollCheck progress on long-running taskscomet_stopStop current taskcomet_screenshotCapture current pagecomet_modeSwitch modes: search, research, labs, learn
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.
Comet MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"hanzili-comet-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"comet-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Shotanvil
{
"mcpServers": {
"shotanvil": {
"url": "https://api.shotanvil.com"
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Comet 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 Comet 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.
Comet 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 hanzili-comet-mcp and shotanvil as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Comet MCP has a quality signal of 59/100 (Good) with 4 views, 0 installs and 181 GitHub stars. Shotanvil has 37/100 (Fair) with 1 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.
