Field-by-field comparison
Compare the evidence before choosing an MCP.
Each signal stays separate, missing facts remain visible, and the column order follows your selection.
| Evidence field | Firecrawl MCPMCP100 Selected | Playwright MCPMCP100 Selected |
|---|---|---|
| Task fit | ||
| Best for |
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| Not ideal for |
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| Avoid when |
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| Provenance | ||
| Provenance details | First-party MCP Firecrawl · Publisher source ↗ | First-party MCP Microsoft · Publisher source ↗ |
| Maintenance | ||
| Maintenance details | Repo: Aug 12, 2026 Package: Aug 12, 2026 | Repo: Aug 12, 2026 Package: Jul 9, 2026 |
| Popularity evidence | ||
| GitHub stars | 7,234 GitHub stars · checked 2026-08-14T18:46:26.000Z | 36,125 GitHub stars · checked 2026-08-14T18:46:26.000Z |
| 30-day package downloads | 412,488 30-day package downloads · checked 2026-08-14T18:46:26.000Z | 6,369,865 30-day package downloads · checked 2026-07-29T17:30:00.000Z |
| External adoption evidence |
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| Client coverage | ||
| Client coverage details | Claude Code✓ Local stdio Claude Desktop✓ Local stdio Codex✓ Local stdio VS Code✓ Local stdio Cursor✓ Local stdio OpenCode✓ Local stdio | Claude Code✓ Local stdio Claude Desktop✓ Local stdio Codex✓ Local stdio VS Code✓ Local stdio Cursor✓ Local stdio OpenCode✓ Local stdio |
| Client coverage note | Local stdio runs on your computer. Streamable HTTP connects to a remotely hosted MCP server. | |
| Access and data | ||
| Authentication | Cloud and local-package configurations use FIRECRAWL_API_KEY. Official docs also show hosted MCP URLs containing the key; environment-variable or protected input handling is safer than embedding the key in a URL. | The server itself does not require a service account for local stdio use, but websites opened in the controlled browser may use cookies or other authenticated browser state. |
| Cost | MCP calls consume the account's standard Firecrawl API credits and rate limits. Search, crawl, batch, and agent operations can consume more resources than single-page scraping; current plan pricing applies. | The first-party open-source package lists no MCP server usage fee. Normal internet, hosted-client, proxy, or third-party website costs can still apply. |
| Permissions | The MCP can initiate outbound requests to user- or model-selected URLs and invoke Firecrawl scrape, search, crawl, map, extraction, batch, and research capabilities according to enabled tools and account limits. | The exposed tools can navigate pages, interact with elements, enter text, upload files, inspect network activity, and optionally use additional browser capabilities. |
| Data handling | URLs, queries, extraction schemas, and retrieved page content are processed by the configured Firecrawl service. Cloud mode sends them to Firecrawl; self-hosted mode follows the operator's deployment and any configured model/provider dependencies. | Page text, accessibility snapshots, console output, network details, uploaded paths, and browser state may be returned to the connected MCP client. Isolated mode keeps the temporary profile in memory; persistent mode stores browser state on disk. |
| Limitations | ||
| Tradeoffs |
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| Risk context | Main risks are prompt injection from untrusted pages, collection-policy violations, sensitive URL/query disclosure, API-key leakage, and agent-driven credit spend. Use URL allow-lists, low limits, human approval, and a dedicated low-budget key. | Playwright MCP is not a security boundary. Prefer an isolated browser profile, non-sensitive test accounts, narrow destinations, minimal optional permissions, and client-side approval controls. |
| Evidence date | ||
| Editorial review | 2026-07-24 | 2026-07-24 |
| Candidate evidence | 2026-08-14T18:46:26.000Z | 2026-08-14T18:46:26.000Z |
Popularity, maintenance, fit, permissions, and client support are independent evidence fields.
Read the evidence method →