Playwright Server (Python) vs Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation)

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

	Playwright Server (Python) MCP server exposing Playwright browser-automation tools: navigate, click, fill, screenshot and scrape pages. Unverified stdio (local) No auth Stale Python	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	Python	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	None
GitHub stars	188	4.5k
Last commit	1 year ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	—	`npx -y @executeautomation/playwright-mcp-server`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Playwright Server (Python) if you prefer its approach (mcp server exposing playwright browser-automation tools: navigate, click, fill, screenshot and scrape pages).

Pick Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you need the broadest set of tools.

Add Playwright Server (Python)

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright-server-python": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "playwright-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

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

Playwright Server (Python) or Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) — which is better?

Pick Playwright Server (Python) if you prefer its approach (mcp server exposing playwright browser-automation tools: navigate, click, fill, screenshot and scrape pages). Pick Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you need the broadest set of tools.

Can I use both Playwright Server (Python) 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 Playwright Server (Python) 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 Playwright Server (Python) →View Playwright MCP (ExecuteAutomation) →More comparisons →