Playwright MCP vs Puppeteer MCP

Both drive a headless browser. Playwright supports Chromium, Firefox and WebKit; Puppeteer is Chrome-only and lighter.

Side-by-side

mcp · open-source
Playwright MCP

Full browser automation for agents

Playwright MCP wins on

  • Multi-browser
  • Better waiting/auto-wait
  • Modern API design
mcp · open-source
Puppeteer MCP

Headless Chrome control for agents

Puppeteer MCP wins on

  • Smaller install
  • Tighter Chrome integration
  • Lower memory

Bottom line

Default to Playwright unless you have a strict Chrome-only need or care about a smaller binary.

FAQ — Playwright MCP vs Puppeteer MCP

  • Playwright MCP or Puppeteer MCP — which should I pick?

    Default to Playwright unless you have a strict Chrome-only need or care about a smaller binary.

  • Are both Playwright MCP and Puppeteer MCP free?

    Playwright MCP is open-source; Puppeteer MCP is open-source. Both are MCP servers — costs depend on the underlying SaaS or self-hosting.

  • Can I run both at the same time?

    Yes. MCP clients (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf) accept multiple servers in one config. Add both to mcpServers and the agent will pick whichever tool fits the request.

  • Do they speak the same MCP protocol version?

    Both target the current MCP spec. Compatibility issues come from the client (Claude Desktop, Cursor) version, not from the server itself.