Browser Control MCP vs Bright Data MCP

A side-by-side comparison of two Browser Automation servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	Browser Control MCP MCP server paired with a Firefox extension for tab management, history search, and reading webpage content. Unverified stdio (local) API key TypeScript	Bright Data MCP All-in-one web access MCP — Web Unlocker, SERP, Scraper API, and a cloud Scraping Browser. Verified stdio (local) API key JavaScript
Category	Browser Automation	Browser Automation
Language	TypeScript	JavaScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	API key
GitHub stars	294	5.0k
Last commit	2 months ago	18 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npm install && npm run build`	`npx -y @brightdata/mcp`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Browser Control MCP if you prefer its approach (mcp server paired with a firefox extension for tab management, history search, and reading webpage content).

Pick Bright Data MCP if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Add Browser Control MCP

Install / run

npm install && npm run build

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "browser-control-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/repo/mcp-server/dist/server.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "EXTENSION_SECRET": "<secret_on_firefox_extension_options_page>",
        "EXTENSION_PORT": "8089"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add Bright Data MCP

Install / run

npx -y @brightdata/mcp

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bright-data-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@brightdata/mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_TOKEN": "<your-brightdata-api-token>"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Browser Control MCP or Bright Data MCP — which is better?

Pick Browser Control MCP if you prefer its approach (mcp server paired with a firefox extension for tab management, history search, and reading webpage content). Pick Bright Data MCP if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Can I use both Browser Control MCP and Bright Data MCP?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do Browser Control MCP and Bright Data MCP work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View Browser Control MCP →View Bright Data MCP →More comparisons →