head to head · open source
chrome-devtools-mcp vs Browser Operator
chrome-devtools-mcp has 52,197 GitHub stars, 3,990 forks, 109 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Browser Operator has 508 stars, 83 forks, 15 open issues and last shipped 6 months ago. chrome-devtools-mcp leads on adoption by 10,175% (52,197 vs 508 stars). chrome-devtools-mcp is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; Browser Operator is written in TypeScript under BSD-3-Clause. chrome-devtools-mcp has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, Browser Operator 16%. chrome-devtools-mcp was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| chrome-devtools-mcp | Browser Operator | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 508 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-03-19 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.0K | ⑂ 83 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick chrome-devtools-mcp if
- You weight community size — 52K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Browser Operator if
- You want the Browser Operator feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the BSD-3-Clause license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Browser Operator fits your workflow better
About chrome-devtools-mcp
chrome devtools mcp is an Apache 2.0 TypeScript Model Context Protocol server, distributed on npm, that gives coding agents such as Claude, Cursor, Copilot and Antigravity control over and visibility into a live Chrome browser through the full Chrome DevTools toolset.
read the full chrome-devtools-mcp overview →
About Browser Operator
Browser Operator is an open source, privacy focused AI browser with a built in multi agent platform, aimed at anyone who wants to run research, analysis and web automation locally on macOS or Windows rather than inside a hosted AI browser.
read the full Browser Operator overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is chrome-devtools-mcp or Browser Operator more popular?
chrome-devtools-mcp has 52,197 GitHub stars and Browser Operator has 508. chrome-devtools-mcp has the larger community by that measure.
Are chrome-devtools-mcp and Browser Operator free?
Both are open source. chrome-devtools-mcp is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Browser Operator under BSD-3-Clause. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between chrome-devtools-mcp and Browser Operator?
chrome-devtools-mcp is written in TypeScript and Browser Operator in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, chrome-devtools-mcp or Browser Operator?
Choose chrome-devtools-mcp if you want the larger community (52,197 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Browser Operator if its feature set, stack or BSD-3-Clause licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.