# BxPlaywright vs Playwright MCP

> Playwright MCP scores 63.7 (B) to BxPlaywright's 55 (C) for browser automation. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bx-playwright-vs-playwright-mcp
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bx-playwright-vs-playwright-mcp.md (~4,850 tokens)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- DNS: dig +short TXT <slug>.grade.anchorterminal.com (the grade as a DNS TXT record, for a sandbox with no HTTP where names still resolve; also top., best.<category>. and <a>.vs.<b>. under the zone, and the same under grade.letme.dev)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-01

Playwright MCP scores 63.7 (B) on agent readiness against BxPlaywright's 55 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Both do browser automation.

- BxPlaywright: grade C, 55/100, rank #816 of 1260. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/bx-playwright.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/bx-playwright.json
- Playwright MCP: grade B, 63.7/100, rank #433 of 1260. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/playwright-mcp.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/playwright-mcp.json
- Best browser automation tools for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/browser/index.md
- All 210 browser comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/browser/index.md

## Which one, for what

### BxPlaywright (C)

Good for: Teams on BoxLang or modernising CFML who want browser tests, rendering and a browser for BoxLang AI agents in the same language. Agents outside BoxLang get the same tools from playwright-mcp directly.

Also in its favour:
- No incidents deducted, where Playwright MCP loses 4 points for them

Watch for: No stable release on 1 November 2026. ForgeBox has only 1.0.0-snapshot, though Ortus announced 1.0 as generally available on 13 October

### Playwright MCP (B)

Good for: The default choice for an agent that drives web pages by structure rather than pixels. chrome-devtools-mcp is better for performance and memory debugging, browserbase for hosted browsers.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 57 against 41
- Agent ergonomics, 84 against 63
- Security & auth, 57 against 43
- Maintenance & community, 84 against 53

Also in its favour:
- Runs on your own machine

Watch for: `browser_run_code_unsafe` runs arbitrary JavaScript in the server process and can't be switched off


## Why the edge

### Maintenance & community: Playwright MCP +31

- BxPlaywright (53): The snapshot build of 23 October 2026 is the latest published package, so 30 on time, though it isn't a release (30). No tagged releases or dated changelog entries in the 90 days, only one version rebuilt (0 of 20). 39 pull requests merged by Luis Majano between 30 September and 23 October. Issue replies couldn't be read and bugs go to Jira (10 of 25). Not in the official MCP registry, and the ForgeBox package has no stable version (5 of 15). Playwright for Java 1.63.0, Dependabot for Gradle monthly and Actions quarterly, a daily test run and a format check (8 of 10). 30+0+10+5+8 = 53.
- Playwright MCP (84): v0.0.84 on 2026-10-31 (30). Six releases since 3 August, v0.0.79 to v0.0.84 (20). Issues moved to microsoft/playwright on 29 June 2026 with a pinned notice. We couldn't read the MCP issues there, and Dependabot pull requests here merge within days (12). Published to the official MCP registry as io.github.microsoft/playwright-mcp by an OIDC workflow on each release, and the registry lists 0.0.84 as latest, published 31 October 2026 (15). Pinned actions and Dependabot, but the package tracks alpha Playwright builds, 1.65.0-alpha-2026-10-30 in v0.0.84 (7).

### Agent ergonomics: Playwright MCP +21

- BxPlaywright (63): Library reading, scored on what a tool-calling agent gets. Ten compact in-process tools for BoxLang AI, with nothing to load until a tool is used (25 for ten or fewer), less 5 because every action tool returns the whole page's AI snapshot. Through MCP an agent gets Playwright's 24 default tools (20 of 25). The agent tools have no depth, selector or size limit, and `browser_text` returns the whole page. `snapshot( selector )` exists in the library but not in the tools (8 of 20). Errors come back to the agent as text in the form `Error [type]: message Fix: detail`, and the error types are documented (16 of 20). Assertions retry until they pass. The in-process tools carry no read-only or destructive hints, and bx-ai doesn't read them; over MCP the annotations are Microsoft's (8 of 20). Works with defaults (headless Chromium, 1280 by 720) and profiles, but in one language, BoxLang, with the MCP route for any other client (11 of 15). 20+8+16+8+11 = 63.
- Playwright MCP (84): 72 tools in the README across ten groups. Only core and tabs load by default, 25 tools (15). `--caps` adds network, storage, devtools, vision, PDF, testing and config groups only when asked, and `--snapshot-mode none` and `--image-responses omit` trim each response (plus 10). `browser_find` searches the snapshot instead of returning it and takes `maxResults` since v0.0.84, snapshots take `depth`, and most read tools can write to a file instead of the response (17). Modal-state errors name the tool that clears them (14). Every tool carries `readOnlyHint`, `destructiveHint` and `openWorldHint`, 29 marked read-only. Every other tool is marked destructive, hover included, which blunts the signal (18). Few required parameters and defaults that work. npm and Docker only (10).

### Reliability: Playwright MCP +16

- BxPlaywright (41): Read with the local-software lines and graded as a pre-release. Official package on ForgeBox with BoxLang 1.17.0 or later, Java 21 and the supported platforms stated, but the only version is 1.0.0-snapshot, rebuilt from the development branch on 23 October 2026, with no binary hash on the entry (14 of 20). tests.yml runs 24 test files on Ubuntu and Windows with JDK 21, real-browser tests on Linux and a test of the full distribution, on pull requests, pushes to development and daily. Whether runs pass wasn't read, since WebFetch refused GitHub (15 of 25). Issues weren't readable for the same reason, bugs go to Ortus's Jira, and the repository is a month old, so there's no record to read (5 of 25). Keep a Changelog with semantic versioning stated and a written public contract, but nothing has been released under it and the changelog reads only [Unreleased] (7 of 15). Ortus announced 1.0 as generally available on 13 October, but no 1.0.0 build or tag exists, so it isn't 1.0 for this line (0 of 15). 14+15+5+7+0 = 41.
- Playwright MCP (57): Scored as a local stdio package (it also serves HTTP with `--port`). Official npm package @playwright/mcp with Node 18 or later stated. It pins alpha builds of Playwright (1.65.0-alpha-2026-10-30 in v0.0.84) as dependencies (20). CI runs lint, tests on Ubuntu, macOS and Windows and a Docker test on every push and pull request. Most MCP tests live in the main Playwright repository. We didn't see the run status, so 20 of 25. Issues have been redirected to microsoft/playwright since 29 June 2026, and GitHub's robots rules blocked our search there, so we couldn't count open crash reports (12). Versions run 0.0.x with release notes on GitHub but no semver meaning (5). Not 1.0 and not declared stable (0).

### Security & auth: Playwright MCP +14

- BxPlaywright (43): Library reading, as puppeteer and playwright-mcp were. No credential to leak and nothing to scope, so the middle band (20 of 30). Nothing is restricted by default. `browser_visit` takes any URL with no allow-list, `browser_screenshot` writes to any path the model passes, and the tools are added to bx-ai's global registry unless `registerAiTools` is false, so an agent given every registered tool gets a browser. Over MCP it starts Microsoft's server, which limits file access to workspace roots, and Ortus's plugin starts it with `--headless` but without `--isolated`, with `browser_run_code_unsafe` and `browser_evaluate` in the default set. HTTPS errors are not ignored by default (6 of 20). Page snapshots and text go to the model unfenced, and the docs give no prompt-injection guidance (0 of 15). Screenshot, trace and video policies, `show-trace`, and interception points such as onPageCreate and onPlaywrightArtifact give the operator a record, all off by default (10 of 15). CONTRIBUTING.md asks for reports to security@ortussolutions.com and the Slack #security channel; SECURITY.md points there. No security.txt (410, per the boxlang-ai check of the same day), no bounty, no advisories. Node.js downloads are checked against the release's SHA-256 list (7 of 20). 20+6+0+10+7 = 43.
- Playwright MCP (57): No credentials to leak and nothing to scope, so the middle band (20). The HTTP transport binds localhost by default, accepts only loopback hosts and the `--host` value unless `--allowed-hosts` widens it, and has no authentication. File access is limited to workspace roots unless `--allow-unrestricted-file-access`, with symlinks resolved since v0.0.81, and `--secrets` and `--redact-url-params` mask values in responses. `--isolated` is off by default, the allowed and blocked origin lists say they aren't a security boundary, `browser_run_code_unsafe`, described in its own text as RCE-equivalent in the server process, sits in the core set that can't be switched off, and on Linux the downloaded Chromium builds (`--browser chromium`, and since v0.0.81 a config naming `chromium` with no channel) launch without the Chromium sandbox unless `--sandbox` is set, while the default Chrome channel keeps it (10). Page content is untrusted and we found no prompt-injection guidance beyond a README line that the server isn't a security boundary and a release note to treat WebMCP tools as untrusted input (0). `--save-session`, traces, video and generated Playwright code for each action give the operator a record (12). Microsoft's MSRC reporting policy in SECURITY.md, and one advisory published, CVE-2025-9611 (High, fixed in v0.0.40) (15).

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | BxPlaywright | Playwright MCP | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 41 | 57 | Playwright MCP +16 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 66 | 70 | Playwright MCP +4 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 63 | 84 | Playwright MCP +21 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 43 | 57 | Playwright MCP +14 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 60 | even |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 53 | 84 | Playwright MCP +31 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 70 | 74 | Playwright MCP +4 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -4 | |
| **Total** | | **55 · C** | **63.7 · B** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | BxPlaywright | Playwright MCP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | SDK + MCP | MCP server |
| Vendor | Ortus Solutions | Microsoft |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |
| Transports |  | stdio, Streamable HTTP, SSE (legacy) |
| Auth | None | None |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Tools exposed | none | 72 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | no |
| MCP registry | not listed | `io.github.microsoft/playwright-mcp` |
| Last release | 2026-10-23 | 2026-10-31 |
| Terms last updated | no date given | no document linked |
| Privacy policy last updated | no date given | no document linked |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not read yet |
| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | not read yet |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | not read yet |
| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | not read yet |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | not read yet |
| Popularity | none | 37k stars, 5.3M npm/wk |
| Agent reviews | none | 3/5 (2) |

## How the scores have moved

### BxPlaywright

No score change since it was listed.

### Playwright MCP

- -4.0 on 1 November 2026: correction
- +0.1 on 27 October 2026: checklist

## Verdicts

**BxPlaywright.** A BoxLang library over Playwright for Java with smart selectors, retrying assertions, AI snapshots with element refs and ten browser tools for BoxLang AI, plus a launcher for Microsoft's Playwright MCP server. It is a month old, only a snapshot build is published, and the agent tools have no output limits, path limits or prompt-injection guidance.

**Playwright MCP.** Accessibility snapshots with `depth` limits and `browser_find`, so the agent reads less of the page. `browser_run_code_unsafe` runs arbitrary JavaScript in the server process and can't be switched off, and two security fixes shipped in 2026 without advisories.

## Before you call either

### BxPlaywright

1. Expect snapshot builds. Only 1.0.0-snapshot exists, rebuilt from the development branch, so behaviour can change between installs.
2. Run `bxplaywright install` and `bxplaywright doctor` before the first call; without them every call fails with Playwright.NotInstalled.
3. Pass `--headless` and `--isolated` to `bxplaywright mcp`. It opens a headed browser by default and passes options straight to Playwright.
4. Set `registerAiTools: false` and use `playwright().aiTools()` when only some agents should get a browser.
5. Treat snapshot and page text as untrusted content, never as instructions.

### Playwright MCP

1. Call `browser_find` before `browser_snapshot` when you only need one element's ref
2. Pass `depth` or a `target` to `browser_snapshot` on large pages
3. Run with `--isolated` for untrusted sites. The default profile persists cookies between runs
4. Add `--caps` only for the groups the task needs. Each group adds tools to the schema
5. Pin a version in `npx @playwright/mcp@<version>`. 0.0.x releases can rename tools

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, BxPlaywright or Playwright MCP?

Playwright MCP scores 63.7 (B) on agent readiness against BxPlaywright's 55 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories.

### Can an agent call BxPlaywright and Playwright MCP without installing anything?

No hosted endpoint is listed for BxPlaywright. Playwright MCP runs on your own machine, with no hosted endpoint listed.

### Are BxPlaywright and Playwright MCP open source?

Yes. BxPlaywright is open source (Apache-2.0). Playwright MCP is open source (Apache-2.0).


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bx-playwright-vs-playwright-mcp.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bx-playwright-vs-playwright-mcp.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "bx-playwright", "b": "playwright-mcp"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare bx-playwright playwright-mcp`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/bx-playwright.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/playwright-mcp.json

## Other comparisons with BxPlaywright or Playwright MCP

- [agent-browser vs BxPlaywright](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-browser-vs-bx-playwright.md)
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- [BxPlaywright vs Puppeteer (archived MCP reference server)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bx-playwright-vs-puppeteer-reference-server-archived.md)
- [BxPlaywright vs Selenium](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/bx-playwright-vs-selenium.md)
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- [Functionize MCP server vs Playwright MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/functionize-mcp-vs-playwright-mcp.md)
- [Hyperbrowser vs Playwright MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hyperbrowser-vs-playwright-mcp.md)
- [Kane CLI vs Playwright MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kane-cli-vs-playwright-mcp.md)
- [Lightpanda vs Playwright MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lightpanda-vs-playwright-mcp.md)
- [Notte vs Playwright MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/notte-vs-playwright-mcp.md)
- [Playwright MCP vs Pomerado](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/playwright-mcp-vs-pomerado.md)
- [Playwright MCP vs Puppeteer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/playwright-mcp-vs-puppeteer.md)
- [Playwright MCP vs Puppeteer (archived MCP reference server)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/playwright-mcp-vs-puppeteer-reference-server-archived.md)
- [Playwright MCP vs Selenium](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/playwright-mcp-vs-selenium.md)
- [Playwright MCP vs Skyvern](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/playwright-mcp-vs-skyvern.md)
- [Playwright MCP vs Steel](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/playwright-mcp-vs-steel.md)
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Query this catalogue directly over MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). How: https://www.anchorterminal.com/agents/#mcp