--- title: "automa vs chrome-devtools-mcp" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/automaapp-automa-vs-chromedevtools-chrome-devtools-mcp" tools: ["automaapp-automa", "chromedevtools-chrome-devtools-mcp"] --- # automa vs chrome-devtools-mcp *GraphCanon updated Aug 25, 2026* ## Verdict Pick automa if automa is known for its ease of implementation and browser agnostic design enabling users to streamline tasks on multiple platforms; pick chrome-devtools-mcp if chrome-devtools-mcp offers specialized tools for browser-based development and debugging aimed specifically at coding agents using TypeScript. [automa](https://www.goautoma.com/extension) reports 22k GitHub stars, 2.3k forks, and 372 open issues, last pushed Mar 2, 2026. [chrome-devtools-mcp](https://npmjs.org/package/chrome-devtools-mcp) has 50k stars, 3.5k forks, and 90 open issues, last pushed Aug 25, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [automa's repository](https://github.com/AutomaApp/automa) and [chrome-devtools-mcp's repository](https://github.com/ChromeDevTools/chrome-devtools-mcp). | | [automa](/tools/automaapp-automa.md) | [chrome-devtools-mcp](/tools/chromedevtools-chrome-devtools-mcp.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A browser extension for automating your browser by connecting blocks | Developer tools to enhance coding efficiency and debugging capabilities | | Stars | 21,546 | 49,700 | | Forks | 2,331 | 3,480 | | Open issues | 372 | 90 | | Language | Vue | TypeScript | | Adopt for | Automa is known for its ease of implementation and browser agnostic design enabling users to streamline tasks on multiple platforms. | chrome-devtools-mcp offers specialized tools for browser-based development and debugging aimed specifically at coding agents using TypeScript. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Developer Tools | Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [automa](/tools/automaapp-automa.md) | [chrome-devtools-mcp](/tools/chromedevtools-chrome-devtools-mcp.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Slowing (36%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 160d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 372 | 90 | | Stars delta | Unknown | +2.1k (30d) | | Open issues delta | Unknown | -21 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/automaapp-automa/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/chromedevtools-chrome-devtools-mcp/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: automa - **Adopt for:** Automa is known for its ease of implementation and browser agnostic design enabling users to streamline tasks on multiple platforms. ## Decision facts: chrome-devtools-mcp - **Adopt for:** chrome-devtools-mcp offers specialized tools for browser-based development and debugging aimed specifically at coding agents using TypeScript. ## Choose when ### Choose automa if… - automa is primarily Vue; chrome-devtools-mcp is TypeScript. - License: automa is Other, chrome-devtools-mcp is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to automa: automation, browser-automation, chrome-extension, firefox-extension. - If you are working with Chrome or Firefox browsers and require the capability to interconnect blocks to automate repetitive, browser-based actions. ### Choose chrome-devtools-mcp if… - chrome-devtools-mcp is primarily TypeScript; automa is Vue. - License: chrome-devtools-mcp is Apache-2.0, automa is Other. - Tags unique to chrome-devtools-mcp: browser, chrome, chrome-devtools, debugging. - chrome-devtools-mcp ships an MCP server manifest. - - When your project is heavily dependent on browser interactions and requires advanced debugging capabilities specific to Chrome ## When NOT to use automa - When specific automation tasks demand customization via coding rather than block connectivity since Automa is more suited for visual scripting. - If your project involves non-browser-based workflows, as Automa's functionality is limited to browser extensions like Chrome and Firefox. ## When NOT to use chrome-devtools-mcp - - If your development environment does not revolve around Chrome or if browser compatibility across different browsers is a primary concern - - When you are working on non-TypeScript projects, as this tool may not provide the same level of utility and customization options ## Common questions ### What is the difference between automa and chrome-devtools-mcp? automa: A browser extension for automating your browser by connecting blocks. chrome-devtools-mcp: Developer tools to enhance coding efficiency and debugging capabilities. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose automa over chrome-devtools-mcp? Choose automa over chrome-devtools-mcp when automa is primarily Vue; chrome-devtools-mcp is TypeScript; License: automa is Other, chrome-devtools-mcp is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to automa: automation, browser-automation, chrome-extension, firefox-extension; If you are working with Chrome or Firefox browsers and require the capability to interconnect blocks to automate repetitive, browser-based actions. ### When should I choose chrome-devtools-mcp over automa? Choose chrome-devtools-mcp over automa when chrome-devtools-mcp is primarily TypeScript; automa is Vue; License: chrome-devtools-mcp is Apache-2.0, automa is Other; Tags unique to chrome-devtools-mcp: browser, chrome, chrome-devtools, debugging; chrome-devtools-mcp ships an MCP server manifest; - When your project is heavily dependent on browser interactions and requires advanced debugging capabilities specific to Chrome. ### When should I avoid automa? When specific automation tasks demand customization via coding rather than block connectivity since Automa is more suited for visual scripting. If your project involves non-browser-based workflows, as Automa's functionality is limited to browser extensions like Chrome and Firefox. ### When should I avoid chrome-devtools-mcp? - If your development environment does not revolve around Chrome or if browser compatibility across different browsers is a primary concern - When you are working on non-TypeScript projects, as this tool may not provide the same level of utility and customization options ### Is automa or chrome-devtools-mcp more popular on GitHub? chrome-devtools-mcp has more GitHub stars (49,700 vs 21,546). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are automa and chrome-devtools-mcp open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (automa: Other, chrome-devtools-mcp: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to automa or chrome-devtools-mcp? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [automa alternatives](/tools/automaapp-automa/alternatives) and [chrome-devtools-mcp alternatives](/tools/chromedevtools-chrome-devtools-mcp/alternatives) ([automa markdown twin](/tools/automaapp-automa/alternatives.md), [chrome-devtools-mcp markdown twin](/tools/chromedevtools-chrome-devtools-mcp/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/automaapp-automa-vs-chromedevtools-chrome-devtools-mcp.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, automa or chrome-devtools-mcp? automa: Slowing. chrome-devtools-mcp: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for automa and chrome-devtools-mcp? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [automa trust report](/tools/automaapp-automa/trust); [chrome-devtools-mcp trust report](/tools/chromedevtools-chrome-devtools-mcp/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=automaapp-automa`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=automaapp-automa) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_