Compare · Browser Automation
Chrome DevTools vs Playwright MCP Server
Chrome DevTools exposes 32 tools and adds about 6,117 tokens to every model turn. Playwright exposes 25 tools and adds about 3,710. Chrome DevTools costs 1.6× as much context. Measured by connecting to each server and counting its tool list, not from the README.
 Chrome DevToolschromedevtools |  Playwrightmicrosoft | |
|---|---|---|
| Context tax | ~6,117 tok/turn | ~3,710 tok/turn(leaner) |
| Tools | 32 | 25 |
| Cost per 1,000 turns (Claude Sonnet 5.5, uncached) | $12.23 | $7.42 |
| Security score | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Cold start | 2,023 ms | 965 ms |
| Runs | Local (stdio) | Local (stdio) |
| Needs keys | None declared | None declared |
| Freshness | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 54k | 38k |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Official MCP registry | Yes | Yes |
Install in Claude Code
Chrome DevTools
claude mcp add chrome-devtools -- npx -y chrome-devtools-mcp
Playwright
claude mcp add playwright -- npx -y @playwright/mcp
Tools
By name, from each server's live tool list. The same name can still behave differently.
Only in Chrome DevTools · 32
- click
- close_page
- drag
- emulate
- evaluate_script
- fill
- fill_form
- get_console_message
- get_css_styles
- get_network_request
- handle_dialog
- hover
- lighthouse_audit
- list_console_messages
- list_network_requests
- list_pages
- navigate_page
- new_page
- performance_analyze_insight
- performance_start_trace
- performance_stop_trace
- press_key
- resize_page
- screencast_start
- screencast_stop
- select_page
- take_heapsnapshot
- take_screenshot
- take_snapshot
- type_text
- upload_file
- wait_for
In both · 0
- none
Only in Playwright · 25
- browser_close
- browser_resize
- browser_console_messages
- browser_handle_dialog
- browser_emulate_media
- browser_evaluate
- browser_file_upload
- browser_drop
- browser_find
- browser_fill_form
- browser_press_key
- browser_type
- browser_navigate
- browser_navigate_back
- browser_network_requests
- browser_network_request
- browser_run_code_unsafe
- browser_take_screenshot
- browser_snapshot
- browser_click
- browser_drag
- browser_hover
- browser_select_option
- browser_tabs
- browser_wait_for
Questions
- Which uses fewer tokens, Chrome DevTools or Playwright?
- Playwright: its tool definitions take about 3,710 tokens per turn against 6,117 for Chrome DevTools (1.6× more). Tool definitions are resent on every model turn.
- Do Chrome DevTools and Playwright have the same tools?
- No tool names overlap: Chrome DevTools has 32 tools and Playwright has 25.
- Are Chrome DevTools and Playwright hosted or local?
- Chrome DevTools: local (stdio). Playwright: local (stdio).
Token counts use the o200k tokenizer on each server's tool definitions as an agent receives them; clients that load tools lazily pay less. Prices are Claude Sonnet 5.5 input at $2/MTok. Want to check one yourself? Run npx mcpskillhub test <package> — how it works.