Should you pick Chrome DevTools MCP or Playwright MCP?
Chrome DevTools MCP and Playwright MCP are alternatives for the same job. Most setups run one, not both.
Claude Code plugin vs MCP server
Chrome DevTools MCP vs Playwright MCP
Chrome DevTools MCP and Playwright MCP are alternatives for the same job. Most setups run one, not both.
· today
C
Chrome DevTools MCP
Claude Code plugin · Development
Free
Drive and inspect a live Chrome browser from Claude Code
No adoption data
Pw
Playwright MCP
MCP server · MCP servers
Free
Drive a real browser from the agent, no screenshots needed
36,830 stars+983 (30d)24,401,068 downloads/mo1 listings
as of 2026-09-05
Quick answer
Chrome DevTools MCP and Playwright MCP are alternatives for the same job. Most setups run one, not both. Chrome DevTools MCP: Drive and inspect a live Chrome browser from Claude Code. Playwright MCP: Drive a real browser from the agent, no screenshots needed. Chrome DevTools MCP has no adoption data tracked yet. Playwright MCP has 36,830 GitHub stars.
Install
Chrome DevTools MCP
Claude Code
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-official /plugin install chrome-devtools-mcp@claude-plugins-official
The official marketplace registers itself automatically on Claude Code's first interactive launch, so the marketplace-add step is often a no-op; running it is still safe and works on any machine.
Playwright MCP
Claude Code
claude mcp add playwright -- npx @playwright/mcp@latest
Cursor (mcp.json)
"playwright": { "command": "npx", "args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest"] }First run downloads a Chromium build via Playwright. No API key.
Chrome DevTools MCP vs Playwright MCP FAQ
What is Chrome DevTools MCP?
Drive and inspect a live Chrome browser from Claude Code. It is a Claude Code plugin, categorized as development.
What is Playwright MCP?
Drive a real browser from the agent, no screenshots needed. It is a MCP server, categorized as mcp servers.
Are Chrome DevTools MCP and Playwright MCP free?
Yes. Both are free.
Which has more adoption, Chrome DevTools MCP or Playwright MCP?
Playwright MCP has tracked adoption data (36,830 GitHub stars as of 2026-09-05); Chrome DevTools MCP has no adoption data tracked yet.
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