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

> chrome-devtools-mcp and serena are both open-source mcp servers you can self-host for free. chrome-devtools-mcp has wider GitHub adoption — 48k stars vs 27k. 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)

**serena**
- Open source · SDK / library · 27k★ · Python · MIT · active today
- Best for: Giving a coding agent symbol-level code navigation, refactoring, and debugging via MCP.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/serena) · [official](https://oraios.github.io/serena)

## Key differences

- chrome-devtools-mcp has wider GitHub adoption — 48k stars vs 27k.
- chrome-devtools-mcp is written primarily in TypeScript; serena in Python.
- Licensing differs: chrome-devtools-mcp is Apache-2.0, serena is MIT.

## Which to choose

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

**Choose serena if:** Giving a coding agent symbol-level code navigation, refactoring, and debugging via MCP.

## FAQ

**What's the main difference between chrome-devtools-mcp and serena?**
chrome-devtools-mcp has wider GitHub adoption — 48k stars vs 27k.

**Is chrome-devtools-mcp or serena 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; serena for Giving a coding agent symbol-level code navigation, refactoring, and debugging via MCP. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.

**Is chrome-devtools-mcp or serena free?**
chrome-devtools-mcp is free to run and self-host; serena 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 serena?**
By GitHub stars — a proxy for open-source adoption — chrome-devtools-mcp is ahead (48k vs 27k). 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-serena