--- title: "browser-use vs mcp-agent" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/browser-use-browser-use-vs-lastmile-ai-mcp-agent" tools: ["browser-use-browser-use", "lastmile-ai-mcp-agent"] --- # browser-use vs mcp-agent *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick browser-use when license: browser-use is MIT, mcp-agent is Apache-2.0; pick mcp-agent when license: mcp-agent is Apache-2.0, browser-use is MIT. [browser-use](https://browser-use.com) reports 104k GitHub stars, 11k forks, and 296 open issues, last pushed Jul 11, 2026. [mcp-agent](https://github.com/lastmile-ai/mcp-agent) has 8.4k stars, 858 forks, and 140 open issues, last pushed Jan 25, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [browser-use's repository](https://github.com/browser-use/browser-use) and [mcp-agent's repository](https://github.com/lastmile-ai/mcp-agent). | | [browser-use](/tools/browser-use-browser-use.md) | [mcp-agent](/tools/lastmile-ai-mcp-agent.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Make websites accessible for AI agents. Automate tasks online with ease. | Build effective agents using Model Context Protocol and simple workflow patterns | | Stars | 104,191 | 8,417 | | Forks | 11,486 | 858 | | Open issues | 296 | 140 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | browser-use is a Python-based toolset that facilitates web task automation and enhances website interaction accessibility for AI agents using browser automation techniques. | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | The MIT License provides great flexibility and permissiveness for both open-source and proprietary software projects. | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | AI Agents, Developer Tools | AI Agents, Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [browser-use](/tools/browser-use-browser-use.md) | [mcp-agent](/tools/lastmile-ai-mcp-agent.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Slowing (36%) | | Days since push | 0d | 166d | | Open issues (now) | 296 | 140 | | Security scan | No lockfile | No MCP manifest | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/browser-use-browser-use/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/lastmile-ai-mcp-agent/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: browser-use - **Pricing:** freemium - This tool is provided under the MIT license which means you can use it freely but there are no guarantees or formal support unless included in separate agreements. - **Requirements:** Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Playwright installation and configuration needed for full functionality. - **Adopt for:** browser-use is a Python-based toolset that facilitates web task automation and enhances website interaction accessibility for AI agents using browser automation techniques. - **License detail:** The MIT License provides great flexibility and permissiveness for both open-source and proprietary software projects. ## Choose when ### Choose browser-use if… - License: browser-use is MIT, mcp-agent is Apache-2.0. - Pricing: This tool is provided under the MIT license which means you can use it freely but there are no guarantees or formal support unless included in separate agreements.. - Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Playwright installation and configuration needed for full functionality.. - Tags unique to browser-use: ai-tools, browser-automation, playwright. - When you need to automate interactions with websites in a straightforward manner, especially if your use case already leverages Playwright under the hood. ### Choose mcp-agent if… - License: mcp-agent is Apache-2.0, browser-use is MIT. - Tags unique to mcp-agent: agents, ai, llms, mcp. - Also covers LLM Frameworks. ## When NOT to use browser-use - Avoid using browser-use if your automation workflow requires features that are exclusive to a different framework or library, such as specific functionalities only available in Selenium, as browseruse ## When NOT to use mcp-agent - Last GitHub push was 167 days ago (slowing maintenance, Jan 25, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on mcp-agent. - AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism. - Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model. - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between browser-use and mcp-agent? browser-use: Make websites accessible for AI agents. Automate tasks online with ease.. mcp-agent: Build effective agents using Model Context Protocol and simple workflow patterns. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose browser-use over mcp-agent? Choose browser-use over mcp-agent when License: browser-use is MIT, mcp-agent is Apache-2.0; Pricing: This tool is provided under the MIT license which means you can use it freely but there are no guarantees or formal support unless included in separate agreements.; Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Playwright installation and configuration needed for full functionality.; Tags unique to browser-use: ai-tools, browser-automation, playwright; When you need to automate interactions with websites in a straightforward manner, especially if your use case already leverages Playwright under the hood. ### When should I choose mcp-agent over browser-use? Choose mcp-agent over browser-use when License: mcp-agent is Apache-2.0, browser-use is MIT; Tags unique to mcp-agent: agents, ai, llms, mcp; Also covers LLM Frameworks. ### When should I avoid browser-use? Avoid using browser-use if your automation workflow requires features that are exclusive to a different framework or library, such as specific functionalities only available in Selenium, as browseruse ### When should I avoid mcp-agent? Last GitHub push was 167 days ago (slowing maintenance, Jan 25, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on mcp-agent. AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism. Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ### Is browser-use or mcp-agent more popular on GitHub? browser-use has more GitHub stars (104,191 vs 8,417). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are browser-use and mcp-agent open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (browser-use: MIT, mcp-agent: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to browser-use or mcp-agent? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [browser-use alternatives](/tools/browser-use-browser-use/alternatives) and [mcp-agent alternatives](/tools/lastmile-ai-mcp-agent/alternatives) ([browser-use markdown twin](/tools/browser-use-browser-use/alternatives.md), [mcp-agent markdown twin](/tools/lastmile-ai-mcp-agent/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/browser-use-browser-use-vs-lastmile-ai-mcp-agent.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, browser-use or mcp-agent? browser-use: Very active. mcp-agent: Slowing. 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 browser-use and mcp-agent? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [browser-use trust report](/tools/browser-use-browser-use/trust); [mcp-agent trust report](/tools/lastmile-ai-mcp-agent/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=browser-use-browser-use`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=browser-use-browser-use) - 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/_