AgentIndex icon
AgentIndex
public-browser logo
public-browser
★ 19
vs
byob logo
byob
★ 143

public-browser vs byob

public-browser: Public Browser lets Claude Code, Cursor and any MCP client drive Chrome by talking to it directly over the Chrome DevTools Protocol. The README reports a blind benchmark against agent-browser and highlights fewer tokens, loud failures and support for nested cross-origin iframes and shadow DOM.; byob: byob is a local MCP server that lets AI coding tools directly control your real Chrome browser where you're already logged in. It provides a set of tools for reading pages, taking screenshots, clicking, typing, and more, all through a Chrome extension with no cloud costs. Setup takes about 5 minutes.

01

TL;DR

public-browser logo
public-browserMCP Servers · ★ 19

Let a coding agent test a web app in Chrome

Read public-browser full review →
byob logo
byobBrowser Automation · ★ 143

Reading and summarizing web content (e.g., Twitter, Google results)

Read byob full review →
02

Side-by-Side Comparison

Field
public-browser logopublic-browser
byob logobyob
Category
MCP Servers
Browser Automation
Stars
★ 19
★ 143
License
MIT
MIT
Install Command
claude mcp add --scope user public-browser -- npx -y public-browser@latest
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wxtsky/byob/main/install.sh | bash
Updated
1d ago
3w ago
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Website
↗ Visit
↗ Visit
GitHub
↗ GitHub
↗ GitHub
Tags
agentic-ai, ai-agent, browser-automation
ai-agent, browser-automation, bun
03

Features

public-browser logopublic-browser
01Direct CDP connection with accessibility-tree element refs
02Selectors that match several elements return candidates instead of failing silently
03Nested cross-origin iframes and shadow DOM
04Node library and Python client that run the same tool handlers without an LLM
byob logobyob
01Already logged into websites (no cookie copying)
02Passes bot detection (real human browser)
03No cloud costs (free)
04Quick setup (~5 minutes)
05Wide range of tools (read, click, type, screenshot, etc.)
04

Use Cases

public-browser logopublic-browser
↳Let a coding agent test a web app in Chrome
↳Replace Playwright MCP or Chrome DevTools MCP with a lower-token option
byob logobyob
↳Reading and summarizing web content (e.g., Twitter, Google results)
↳Taking screenshots for debugging or saving
↳Automating form filling and clicking
FAQ

FAQ

What is the difference between public-browser and byob?
Both public-browser and byob are in the MCP Servers category. public-browser has 19 stars, while byob has 143 stars.
Which is better, public-browser or byob?
The best choice depends on your use case. Choose public-browser if Let a coding agent test a web app in Chrome, and byob if Reading and summarizing web content (e.g., Twitter, Google results).
Is public-browser free or open source?
Yes, public-browser is open source on GitHub (MIT).
Is byob free or open source?
Yes, byob is open source on GitHub (MIT).
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Related

Alternatives to public-browser →Alternatives to byob →public-browser details →byob details →