# chrome-devtools-mcp vs MCP Reference Servers
_MCP Servers · independent comparison_

> chrome-devtools-mcp and MCP Reference Servers are both open-source mcp servers you can self-host for free. MCP Reference Servers has wider GitHub adoption — 91k stars vs 53k. Neither is universally better — pick by fit.

## Side by side

**chrome-devtools-mcp**
- Open source · MCP server · 53k★ · TypeScript · Apache-2.0 · active today
- 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)

**MCP Reference Servers**
- Open source · MCP server · 91k★ · TypeScript · MIT AND Apache-2.0 · active today
- Best for: Learning how MCP servers work and adding basic filesystem, git, fetch or memory tools to a client.
- Avoid if: You need production-hardened servers; the maintainers present these as reference examples and ask you to apply your own security safeguards.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/mcp-reference-servers) · [official](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)

## Key differences

- MCP Reference Servers has wider GitHub adoption — 91k stars vs 53k.
- Licensing differs: chrome-devtools-mcp is Apache-2.0, MCP Reference Servers is MIT AND Apache-2.0.

## Which to choose

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

**Choose MCP Reference Servers if:** Learning how MCP servers work and adding basic filesystem, git, fetch or memory tools to a client.

## FAQ

**What's the main difference between chrome-devtools-mcp and MCP Reference Servers?**
MCP Reference Servers has wider GitHub adoption — 91k stars vs 53k.

**Is chrome-devtools-mcp or MCP Reference Servers 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; MCP Reference Servers for Learning how MCP servers work and adding basic filesystem, git, fetch or memory tools to a client. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.

**Is chrome-devtools-mcp or MCP Reference Servers free?**
chrome-devtools-mcp is free to run and self-host; MCP Reference Servers 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 MCP Reference Servers?**
By GitHub stars — a proxy for open-source adoption — MCP Reference Servers is ahead (91k vs 53k). Stars measure attention, not necessarily the better fit for you.

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