---
title: Playwriter vs Playwright MCP
sidebarTitle: vs Playwright MCP
description: Why connecting to your existing Chrome beats spawning a fresh one.
icon: lucide:drama
---

Playwright MCP is the official MCP server from the Playwright team. It spawns a **new
Chromium instance** every time it starts. This means a clean browser with no login state,
no extensions, and no cookies.

Playwriter connects to your **running Chrome** instead. Same browser you're already using,
with everything already set up.

## Comparison

|  | Playwright MCP | Playwriter |
|---|---|---|
| Browser | Spawns new Chrome | Uses your Chrome |
| Extensions | None | Your existing ones |
| Login state | Fresh (logged out) | Already logged in |
| Bot detection | Always detected | Can bypass |
| Collaboration | Separate window | Same browser as user |
| Memory usage | Double (two browsers) | No extra browser |
| CDP access | No | Yes |

## The fresh browser problem

When Playwright MCP spawns a new browser, you start from zero:

- **No logins.** Gmail, GitHub, Slack, your internal tools; all logged out. The agent can't
  access anything that requires authentication unless you script a full login flow.
- **No extensions.** Ad blockers, password managers, cookie consent auto-accepters; all gone.
  The agent sees the raw, unfiltered web.
- **Bot detection.** A fresh Chromium instance with no history, no extensions, and default
  fingerprints is trivially detected as a bot. CAPTCHAs appear immediately.
- **Extra memory.** Running two Chrome instances eats 500MB-1GB of additional RAM.

## How Playwriter is different

Playwriter runs in your existing Chrome session. Your cookies, extensions, and browsing
history are all there. Sites that require login just work. CAPTCHAs are rare because
your browser looks like a real user's browser; it **is** a real user's browser.

When the agent hits something it can't handle (a CAPTCHA, a consent wall, a two-factor
prompt), you see it in your own browser and can step in to help. The agent picks up
where you left off.

```bash
# Playwright MCP: agent is alone in a fresh browser
# Playwriter: agent works in your browser, you collaborate in real time

playwriter session new
playwriter -s 1 -e "page.goto('https://gmail.com')"
# Already logged in, no credentials needed
```
