head to head · open source
chrome-devtools-mcp vs Flow
chrome-devtools-mcp has 52,197 GitHub stars, 3,990 forks, 109 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Flow has 1,075 stars, 61 forks, 59 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. chrome-devtools-mcp leads on adoption by 4,756% (52,197 vs 1,075 stars). chrome-devtools-mcp is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; Flow is written in TypeScript under GPL-3.0. chrome-devtools-mcp has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, Flow 6%. chrome-devtools-mcp was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (browser), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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 | Flow | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-05-30 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.0K | ⑂ 61 |
| 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 Flow if
- You want the Flow feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Flow 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 Flow
Flow Browser is a free, GPL 3.0 licensed desktop web browser built on Electron and Chromium, written in TypeScript, that runs Chrome extensions from the Chrome Web Store and is aimed at people who want a minimal, privacy focused alternative to mainstream browsers.
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Frequently asked questions
Is chrome-devtools-mcp or Flow more popular?
chrome-devtools-mcp has 52,197 GitHub stars and Flow has 1,075. chrome-devtools-mcp has the larger community by that measure.
Are chrome-devtools-mcp and Flow free?
Both are open source. chrome-devtools-mcp is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Flow under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between chrome-devtools-mcp and Flow?
chrome-devtools-mcp is written in TypeScript and Flow 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 Flow?
Choose chrome-devtools-mcp if you want the larger community (52,197 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Flow if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.