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OpenTabs

Community
Let AI call real web APIs through your browser session.
How to install ↓ Compare GitHub source repository ↗
Category
Browser #21 of 32
Stars
★ 988 Very popular
Runtime
Node.js 22+
Credentials
No credential needed
License
MIT
Last commit
49FMRS · D

The supplied material identifies OpenTabs as an MIT-licensed open-source local browser bridge supporting MCP clients, CLI mode, a Chrome extension, and plugins. No cached server manifest, concrete tool identifiers, client configuration example, or explicit transport protocol was provided, so those fields remain unfilled rather than inferred.

Strongest · Setup experience 12/20 Weakest · Reliability 6/20

Reliability
6/20
Security and permissions
10/20
Maintenance
9/20
Documentation
12/20
Setup experience
12/20
Why each score
Reliability 6/20
The README describes a plausible local CLI, Chrome extension, and MCP workflow, but provides no server manifest, source code, MCP initialization or tool-list handshake evidence, error-handling details, or committed tests and CI evidence. Core behavior therefore remains unverified, warranting a substantial deduction.
Security and permissions 10/20
The README claims tools are disabled by default, permissions can be set Off/Ask/Auto per plugin or tool, permissions reset after updates, and the system runs locally with audit logs and telemetry opt-out. These are positive controls, but there is no reviewable implementation, data-flow, network-boundary, or dangerous-operation confirmation evidence. Access through an authenticated browser session may also expose broad API scope, so this cannot score near full marks.
Maintenance 9/20
The MIT license and public repository identity are clear, and the README provides contribution and Discord links. However, the supplied material contains no verifiable commit history, release cadence, dependency-update evidence, issue-response practice, maintainer accountability, or security-response process. The non-archived status and issue count are insufficient substitutes for maintenance evidence.
Documentation 12/20
The README covers Node.js 22+, Chrome, CLI installation, extension loading, plugin installation, authentication assumptions, and a high-level security model, with links to deeper documentation. The supplied material lacks tool parameters, capability limits, platform compatibility, troubleshooting, cost information, and mainstream MCP client configuration examples; the manifest is also unavailable.
Setup experience 12/20
The path from installing Node.js and Chrome through installing the CLI, starting the server, manually loading the extension, and installing a plugin is reasonably clear. However, developer-mode extension loading is manual, and there is no mainstream MCP client connection configuration, platform-specific guidance, or failure-recovery evidence, so setup is feasible but still manual and incompletely documented.

Static review · not runListed 2026-07-29

Read the FMRS scoring method →

Fit and risk

What it can accessUses the networkControls a browser

Best for

  • Users who want AI to call web APIs through an already authenticated browser session.
  • Users who want local operation with multiple service plugins through an MCP client.
  • Developers building browser-level workflows or custom plugins.

Not for

  • Users who do not use Chrome or do not want to grant AI access to browser sessions.
  • Use cases requiring a cloud-hosted service or a documented OAuth/API-key setup.
  • Integration evaluations that require an evidenced tool inventory and transport protocol.

Required permissions

  • Requires installing and running the Node.js CLI.
  • Requires a Chrome extension to access browser tabs and bridge to the local server.
  • AI uses the permissions of accounts currently authenticated in the browser.
  • Plugin tools are off by default and can be set to Off, Ask, or Auto.
  • The project includes anonymous telemetry with an opt-out option.

Risks and side effects

  • An authenticated browser session may allow AI to perform actions permitted to the corresponding service account.
  • Plugin source should be reviewed before enabling it; permissions reset when a plugin is updated.
  • Auto execution reduces opportunities for manual confirmation.
  • Browser actions, network capture, and third-party service calls may create unintended external effects.

Setup

Before you start

Runtime：Node.js 22+

Node.js 22 or newer and Chrome are required. Install @opentabs-dev/cli globally and run opentabs start, then enable Developer mode in chrome://extensions/ and load ~/.opentabs/extension. Plugins can then be installed with opentabs plugin install <plugin-name>.

Check that it works

Install @opentabs-dev/cli globally, run opentabs start, and load the extension from ~/.opentabs/extension in chrome://extensions; the plugin tools plus built-in browser tools (e.g. screenshot) should then appear in your MCP client's tool list and work without a restart.

Troubleshooting

  1. Verify that Node.js 22 or newer is installed and Chrome is available.
  2. Verify that opentabs start is running.
  3. Verify that Developer mode is enabled in chrome://extensions/ and ~/.opentabs/extension was loaded.
  4. Verify that the target website is signed in within the browser.
  5. Verify that the required plugin is installed and its tools are explicitly enabled.

Things to try

Once connected, you can ask your AI assistant things like:

  • Send a message to my Discord channel through my browser session
  • Take a screenshot of the current browser tab
  • Install the Reddit plugin and create a post
  • Enable the GitHub plugin and list my repositories

Use cases

Use existing browser sessions to operate services such as Slack, Discord, GitHub, Jira, Notion, Figma, AWS, and Stripe.
Use built-in browser capabilities for screenshots, clicking, typing, and network capture.
Install or develop plugins for specific websites.

Overview

OpenTabs is a locally run MCP server and Chrome extension bridge. It lets AI call web APIs through an authenticated browser session instead of relying on screenshots or DOM scraping. The project provides plugins, built-in browser tools, and a CLI mode under the MIT license.

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Source revision de9200b1231c Data synced 2026-10-19 Read the FMRS scoring method