head to head · open source
chrome-devtools-mcp vs web-ext
chrome-devtools-mcp has 52,197 GitHub stars, 3,990 forks, 109 open issues and last shipped yesterday. web-ext has 3,138 stars, 385 forks, 223 open issues and last shipped yesterday. chrome-devtools-mcp leads on adoption by 1,563% (52,197 vs 3,138 stars). chrome-devtools-mcp is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; web-ext is written in JavaScript under MPL-2.0. chrome-devtools-mcp has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, web-ext 12%. 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 | web-ext | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 3.1K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.0K | ⑂ 385 |
| 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 web-ext if
- You want the web-ext feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and web-ext 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 web-ext
web ext is a command line tool for building, running, and testing WebExtensions. It lives in the JavaScript and npm ecosystem, and it targets browser add ons that use the WebExtensions API. The project is licensed under MPL 2.0 and is distributed through npm, with an unofficial Homebrew formula maintained by the community. It provides one command line interface for common extension development tasks.
read the full web-ext overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is chrome-devtools-mcp or web-ext more popular?
chrome-devtools-mcp has 52,197 GitHub stars and web-ext has 3,138. chrome-devtools-mcp has the larger community by that measure.
Are chrome-devtools-mcp and web-ext free?
Both are open source. chrome-devtools-mcp is licensed under Apache-2.0 and web-ext under MPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between chrome-devtools-mcp and web-ext?
chrome-devtools-mcp is written in TypeScript and web-ext in JavaScript. 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 web-ext?
Choose chrome-devtools-mcp if you want the larger community (52,197 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose web-ext if its feature set, stack or MPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.