invisible_playwright_mcp vs Steel
Side-by-side comparison of two AI agent tools
Short answer
- invisible_playwright_mcp is growing faster: +360 GitHub stars in the last 30 days vs +156 for Steel.
- Pick invisible_playwright_mcp for: mCP server for AI browser automation with Playwright on anti-detect Firefox and a standalone web UI. Pick Steel for: open Source Browser API for AI Agents & Apps.
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invisible_playwright_mcpopen-source
MCP server for AI browser automation with Playwright on anti-detect Firefox and a standalone web UI
Steelopen-source
π₯ Open Source Browser API for AI Agents & Apps. Steel Browser is a batteries-included browser sandbox that lets you automate the web without worrying about infrastructure.
Metrics
| invisible_playwright_mcp | Steel | |
|---|---|---|
| Stars | 31.8k | 7.7k |
| Star velocity /mo | 360 | 155.68421052631578 |
| Commits (90d) | 298 | 10 |
| Releases (6m) | 10 | 2 |
| Overall score | 0.765829231577211 | 0.5500925879249736 |
Pros
- +Multi-client support allows integration with Puppeteer, Playwright, or Selenium for maximum flexibility
- +Comprehensive session management automatically handles browser state, cookies, and storage persistence
- +Built-in anti-detection capabilities with stealth plugins and fingerprint management help avoid bot blocking
Cons
- -Public beta status indicates the platform is still evolving and may have stability issues
- -Browser automation inherently resource-intensive and can be complex to debug at scale
- -Requires understanding of browser automation concepts and may have learning curve for new users
Use Cases
- β’AI agents that need to interact with dynamic websites, fill forms, or navigate complex user interfaces
- β’Web scraping projects requiring session persistence, proxy rotation, and anti-detection measures
- β’Automated testing scenarios where browser state management and debugging capabilities are essential
FAQ
- Which is more popular, invisible_playwright_mcp or Steel?
- invisible_playwright_mcp has more GitHub stars (31,763 vs 7,729).
- Which is more actively developed, invisible_playwright_mcp or Steel?
- invisible_playwright_mcp had more commits in the last 90 days (298 vs 10).
- Should I use invisible_playwright_mcp or Steel?
- Compare their capabilities, limitations and "best for" notes above. Both are open source, so trying each on a small task is the fastest way to decide.