# chrome-devtools-mcp vs context7
_MCP Servers · independent comparison_

> chrome-devtools-mcp and context7 are both open-source mcp servers you can self-host for free. Licensing differs: chrome-devtools-mcp is Apache-2.0, context7 is MIT. Neither is universally better — pick by fit.

## Side by side

**chrome-devtools-mcp**
- Open source · Agent · 48k★ · TypeScript · Apache-2.0 · active 1 day ago
- Best for: Giving a coding agent live Chrome control for debugging and performance traces.
- Avoid if: You cannot expose browser contents to an agent — it can read any page data.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/chrome-devtools-mcp) · [official](https://npmjs.org/package/chrome-devtools-mcp)

**context7**
- Open source · MCP server · 60k★ · TypeScript · MIT · active 1 day ago
- Best for: Giving coding agents up-to-date library documentation via MCP.
- Avoid if: Your stack is niche enough that its docs are not covered.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/context7) · [official](https://context7.com)

## Key differences

- Licensing differs: chrome-devtools-mcp is Apache-2.0, context7 is MIT.

## Which to choose

**Choose chrome-devtools-mcp if:** Giving a coding agent live Chrome control for debugging and performance traces.

**Choose context7 if:** Giving coding agents up-to-date library documentation via MCP.

## FAQ

**What's the main difference between chrome-devtools-mcp and context7?**
Licensing differs: chrome-devtools-mcp is Apache-2.0, context7 is MIT.

**Is chrome-devtools-mcp or context7 better?**
Neither is universally better. chrome-devtools-mcp is the stronger fit for Giving a coding agent live Chrome control for debugging and performance traces; context7 for Giving coding agents up-to-date library documentation via MCP. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.

**Is chrome-devtools-mcp or context7 free?**
chrome-devtools-mcp is free to run and self-host; context7 is free to run and self-host. Both are free to self-host — you only pay for the infrastructure and any model or API usage.

**Which is more popular, chrome-devtools-mcp or context7?**
By GitHub stars — a proxy for open-source adoption — context7 is ahead (60k vs 48k). Stars measure attention, not necessarily the better fit for you.

---
Source: [Agent Search Engine](https://agentsearchengine.app) — https://agentsearchengine.app/compare/chrome-devtools-mcp-vs-context7