Firefox DevTools MCP vs Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)

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

	Firefox DevTools MCP Automate and inspect Firefox via WebDriver BiDi (Selenium) from any MCP client. Unverified stdio (local) No auth TypeScript	Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) Popular community Playwright + API testing MCP server with codegen, screenshots, and device emulation. Verified stdio (local) No auth TypeScript
Category	Browser Automation	Browser Automation
Language	TypeScript	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	None
GitHub stars	228	4.5k
Last commit	4 days ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`claude mcp add firefox-devtools npx @mozilla/firefox-devtools-mcp@latest`	`npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Firefox DevTools MCP if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you need the broadest set of tools.

Pick Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a verified, documented setup.

Add Firefox DevTools MCP

Install / run

claude mcp add firefox-devtools npx @mozilla/firefox-devtools-mcp@latest

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "firefox-devtools-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@mozilla/firefox-devtools-mcp@latest",
        "--headless",
        "--viewport",
        "1280x720"
      ],
      "env": {
        "START_URL": "about:blank"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)

Install / run

npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright-mcp-executeautomation": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Firefox DevTools MCP or Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) — which is better?

Pick Firefox DevTools MCP if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you need the broadest set of tools. Pick Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a verified, documented setup.

Can I use both Firefox DevTools MCP and Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)?

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 Firefox DevTools MCP and Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Firefox DevTools MCP →View Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) →More comparisons →