apify-mcp-server
★ 12.6k
vs
chrome-devtools-mcp
★ 54.0k
apify-mcp-server vs chrome-devtools-mcp
apify-mcp-server: The Apify Model Context Protocol (MCP) server enables AI agents to extract data from various websites using thousands of ready-made scrapers and automation tools from the Apify Store. It also supports OAuth for easy connection from clients like Claude.ai or Visual Studio Code using just a URL.; chrome-devtools-mcp: chrome-devtools-mcp enables AI coding assistants like Gemini, Claude, and Copilot to interact with a live Chrome browser via the Model-Context-Protocol (MCP). It grants AI full access to Chrome DevTools for reliable automation, deep debugging, and detailed performance insights.
01
TL;DR
apify-mcp-serverBrowser Automation · ★ 12.6k
When to choose:
- You want AI agents to invoke thousands of battle-tested cloud scrapers from the Apify Store (social media, Google Maps, Amazon, real estate).
- You want serverless data extraction with managed proxy pools and anti-bot bypass without maintaining local browser clusters.
When to skip:
- You are scraping simple static sites without anti-bot blocks where free local libraries (Scrapling, Crawl4AI) are more cost-effective.
- Strict data compliance prevents sending scraping target URLs and credentials through external third-party cloud infrastructure.
chrome-devtools-mcpBrowser Automation · ★ 54.0k
When to choose:
- You want an agent to record a Chrome performance trace and get insights from it; the README lists performance_start_trace, performance_stop_trace and performance_analyze_insight.
- You need to inspect network requests, console messages and screenshots of a page while debugging it.
- You want the agent to attach to a Chrome you already have running, using --browser-url, --ws-endpoint or --autoConnect (Chrome 144+).
When to skip:
- You need Firefox or Safari: the project is built on Chrome DevTools and targets Chrome.
- You want a general-purpose automation or test runner across browsers; Playwright MCP is the closer fit.
- You cannot run Node.js 20.19 or newer, which the README lists as a requirement.
02
Side-by-Side Comparison
Field
apify-mcp-serverchrome-devtools-mcpCategory
Browser Automation
Browser Automation
Stars
★ 12.6k
★ 54.0k
License
MIT
Apache-2.0
Install Command
npx @apify/actors-mcp-server
npx -y chrome-devtools-mcp@latest
Updated
1d ago
1d ago
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Tags
AI Agents, Data Extraction, Web Scraping
Chrome DevTools, AI Assistant, Browser Automation
03
Features
apify-mcp-server01Integrate any Apify Actor as an AI agent tool.
02Support for OAuth and API token authentication.
03Enable agentic payments via Skyfire integration.
04Dynamic discovery of Apify Actors and helper tools.
05Offers both a hosted HTTPS endpoint and local standard I/O server options.
chrome-devtools-mcp01Get performance insights using Chrome DevTools
02Advanced browser debugging (network, screenshots, console)
03Reliable automation using Puppeteer
04Input automation (click, drag, fill, etc.)
05Navigation automation (new page, navigate, wait for, etc.)
04
Use Cases
apify-mcp-server↳Extracting data from social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
↳Scraping contact details from Google Maps listings.
↳Collecting results from Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
↳Performing web searches and extracting content from top URLs for RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation).
↳Automating data collection from e-commerce sites and other websites.
chrome-devtools-mcp↳Automating browser interactions for testing or data extraction
↳Debugging web applications by analyzing network requests and console messages
↳Analyzing website performance by recording traces and extracting insights
05
Best For
apify-mcp-serverMost Popular
chrome-devtools-mcpMost PopularEssentialTrending
FAQ
FAQ
What is the difference between apify-mcp-server and chrome-devtools-mcp?
Both apify-mcp-server and chrome-devtools-mcp are in the Browser Automation category. apify-mcp-server has 12.6k stars, while chrome-devtools-mcp has 54.0k stars.
Which is better, apify-mcp-server or chrome-devtools-mcp?
The best choice depends on your use case. Choose apify-mcp-server if Extracting data from social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram., and chrome-devtools-mcp if Automating browser interactions for testing or data extraction.
Is apify-mcp-server free or open source?
Yes, apify-mcp-server is open source on GitHub (MIT).
Is chrome-devtools-mcp free or open source?
Yes, chrome-devtools-mcp is open source on GitHub (Apache-2.0).
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