← Back to directory
COMPARE UP TO 4 SERVERS

Compare MCP servers

Compare scores, permissions, risks, and fit in one decision-focused table.

DimensionSearch MCP ServerMCP server for web searchPlaywright MCPMicrosoft's official Playwright-based browser automation MCP server
FMRS39 / 100 · D78 / 100 · B
Reliability7 / 2013 / 20
Security and permissions8 / 2012 / 20
Maintenance11 / 2018 / 20
Documentation4 / 2018 / 20
Setup experience9 / 2017 / 20
Best for
  • MCP clients and agents that need web search
  • Developers who need to configure a search engine or provider endpoint
  • Scenarios where an AI assistant needs to actually drive a browser to complete a task
  • Web automation testing and end-to-end verification
Not for
  • Users needing browser clicks, form filling, or computer control
  • Users looking for file, database, collaboration, or cloud-storage tools
  • Simple static-text scraping (a lightweight scraper is a better fit)
  • Environments sensitive to browser resource usage that can't run a full browser engine
Required permissions
  • Access to the configured search provider
  • A search provider API key when required
  • A configured local port for SSE or Streamable HTTP modes
  • Requires installing and running a browser engine (Chromium/Firefox/WebKit) locally or on a server
  • browser_navigate can visit any URL; browser_evaluate can run arbitrary JavaScript in the page context
Risks and side effects
  • Search results depend on the selected engine and provider
  • API keys are sensitive configuration and should be protected
  • An incorrect base URL, engine, or port can prevent the server from connecting
  • browser_evaluate executing arbitrary scripts carries risk if a malicious page is visited — restrict to trusted sites or an isolated environment
  • Long-running browser instances consume significant memory and CPU
Supported clientsClaude Desktop, Claude Code, VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, JetBrains IDEs, Zed, Cline, Amp, Kiro, LM Studio, Antigravity, Goose
Tools010