MacOS MCP vs Sidebutton
A side-by-side look at the MacOS MCP and Sidebutton MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose MacOS MCP for browser automation work as a local process; choose Sidebutton 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 MacOS 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
Click, Type, Scroll.
Choose Sidebutton when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Browser Automation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
run_workflow, get_run_log, list_workflows.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Browser Automation | Browser Automation |
| Quality signal | 60/100 · Good | 52/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | No auth required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 213 | 5 |
| Directory activity | 4 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 10 | 29 |
| Full listing | View MacOS MCP | View Sidebutton |
Tools & capabilities
MacOS MCP tools 10
ClickClick at coordinates with support for left, right, and double-clickTypeType text at cursor position, optionally clearing existing textScrollScroll vertically or horizontally in focused window or regionsMoveMove mouse pointer or drag to coordinatesShortcutPress keyboard shortcuts (Cmd+C, Cmd+Tab, etc.)AppLaunch applications, manage windows (resize/move), switch between apps. Supports app names and bundle IDsDesktopCreate a new Mission Control Space (virtual desktop) via Accessibility, verifying the space count increasedShellExecute commands or AppleScript. Use `mode='osascript'` for AppleScriptScrapeExtract and convert webpage content to Markdown formatWaitPause execution for a defined duration
Sidebutton tools 29
run_workflowExecute a workflow by IDget_run_logGet execution log for a runlist_workflowsList all available workflowsget_workflowGet workflow YAML definitionlist_run_logsList recent workflow executionspublish_artifactPublish evidence (screenshots, reports) from a sessionget_browser_statusCheck browser extension connectioncapture_pageCapture selectors from current pagenavigateNavigate browser to URLsnapshotGet page accessibility snapshotclickClick an elementtypeType text into an element- +17 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.
MacOS MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"macos-mcp": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"macos-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Sidebutton
{
"mcpServers": {
"sidebutton": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"sidebutton@latest"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
MacOS MCP is categorized under Browser Automation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Sidebutton belongs to Browser Automation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick MacOS MCP for browser automation work and Sidebutton 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.
MacOS MCP is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Sidebutton 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 macos-mcp and sidebutton as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, MacOS MCP has a quality signal of 60/100 (Good) with 4 views, 0 installs and 213 GitHub stars. Sidebutton has 52/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 5 GitHub stars.