filesystem vs real-browser-mcp

Side-by-side comparison to help you pick between these two MCP servers.

	filesystem by modelcontextprotocol	real-browser-mcp by ofershap
Stars	★ 85,748	★ 20
30d uses	—	—
Score	77	43
Official	✓	—
Categories	File SystemDeveloper ToolsProductivity	Browser AutomationDeveloper ToolsWeb Scraping
Language	TypeScript	JavaScript
Last commit	this month	this month

filesystem · Summary

A feature-rich MCP server for filesystem operations with dynamic directory access control.

real-browser-mcp · Summary

MCP server + Chrome extension enabling AI agents to control real browser sessions with existing logins and cookies.

filesystem · Use cases

Enable AI models to read and write project files during development
Allow Claude or other MCP clients to browse and analyze codebases
Provide secure sandboxed access to specific directories for content generation

real-browser-mcp · Use cases

AI agents testing and verifying their code changes in real browser environments
Web automation with existing authenticated sessions
AI-driven QA testing of web applications without re-authentication
Cross-browser testing of web applications by AI agents

filesystem · Install

Installation

Using NPX

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/path/to/allowed/directory"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Using Docker

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "--mount", "type=bind,src=/path/to/allowed/dir,dst=/projects/allowed/dir",
        "mcp/filesystem",
        "/projects"
      ]
    }
  }
}

VS Code Extension

Click the installation buttons in the README to install directly in VS Code.

real-browser-mcp · Install

Installation

1. Add the MCP server

**Cursor (one click):** [<img src="https://cursor.com/deeplink/mcp-install-dark.svg" alt="Install in Cursor" height="32" />](cursor://anysphere.cursor-deeplink/mcp/install?name=real-browser&config=eyJjb21tYW5kIjoibnB4IiwiYXJncyI6WyIteSIsInJlYWwtYnJvd3Nlci1tY3AiXX0=)

Or add manually in Cursor Settings > MCP > "Add new MCP server":

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "real-browser": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "real-browser-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

**Claude Desktop, Windsurf, or other MCP clients:** Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows). Add the same JSON block.

2. Install the Chrome extension

[<img src="https://developer.chrome.com/static/docs/webstore/branding/image/iNEddTyWiMfLSwFD6qGq.png" alt="Available in the Chrome Web Store" height="58" />](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/real-browser-mcp/fkkimpklpgedomcheiojngaaaicmaidi)

Or load from source:

git clone https://github.com/ofershap/real-browser-mcp.git
cd real-browser-mcp
open chrome://extensions
# Enable Developer mode (toggle in top right)
# Click Load unpacked and select the extension/ folder

3. Teach Your Agent

Run one command:

npx real-browser-mcp --setup cursor

This installs agent rules and browser checking commands.

Comparison generated from public README + GitHub signals. Last updated automatically.