VebVeb vs Playwright MCP
Reference archive: this page documents the original Yab browser. Features, platforms and release dates here do not describe the current Veb prototype. Veb release plans →
Veb, Very Expensive Browser, is a free Mac browser that keeps everything from Arc (tabs down the side, spaces, folders, Split View) and gives your Claude or ChatGPT plan an agent that works in your signed-in tabs.
Playwright MCP is Microsoft’s free, open-source MCP server that lets an agent drive Chrome, Edge, Firefox or WebKit through Playwright, in a profile of its own by default.
The short answer
- if you miss Arc and want spaces, pins and folders kept, on a Mac
- if you already pay for Claude or ChatGPT and want it to work in your signed-in tabs
- if you want Claude Code, Codex or Cursor to drive a real browser over MCP
- if you run agents in CI and tests that need a clean, repeatable browser
- if you want it in any MCP client: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or VS Code
- if you check pages in Chromium, Firefox and WebKit
At a glance
Veb and Playwright MCP, side by side.
| What | Veb | Playwright MCP |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Serafim Korablev | Microsoft |
| Status | Updated | Updated |
| Runs on | Mac | Mac, Windows and Linux |
| Price | Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan | Free and open source; you pay only for your agent’s model |
| Drives | Veb itself, a browser on your Mac | Chrome, Edge, Firefox or WebKit |
| Your sign-ins | Veb is the browser you sign in to, so agents work with your sign-ins. | Playwright MCP uses a profile of its own by default, and your Chrome or Edge through its extension. |
| Works with | yab mcp and the yab command, for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and any MCP client | any MCP client, like Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or VS Code |
| Open source | No | Yes |
Checked October 9, 2026 on each maker’s own pages, linked under Sources. Prices are per month, in US dollars.
Where they differ
What separates them, area by area. Where one plainly has more, it says who; where it comes down to taste, it says so.
What it drivesa matter of taste
Veb’s agent works in tabs of its own beside yours, signed in as you, on your Claude or ChatGPT plan; Send, Pay and Delete wait for your yes. Playwright MCP has no model of its own: your agent drives Chrome, Edge, Firefox or WebKit, reading pages as accessibility snapshots, in a profile of its own, a clean one, or your Chrome through extension mode.
Your sign-insa matter of taste
Veb is the browser you sign in to, so agents work with your sign-ins. Playwright MCP uses a profile of its own by default, and your Chrome or Edge through its extension.
Which agents can use iteven
Veb works with yab mcp and the yab command, for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and any MCP client. Playwright MCP works with any MCP client, like Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or VS Code.
PriceVeb leads
Veb: Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan. Playwright MCP: Free and open source; you pay only for your agent’s model.
Where it runsPlaywright MCP leads
Veb runs on Mac. Playwright MCP runs on Mac, Windows and Linux.
Where Playwright MCP is better
Playwright MCP comes out ahead on where it runs. It is also the better pick if you:
- Run agents in CI and tests that need a clean, repeatable browser
- Want it in any MCP client: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or VS Code
- Check pages in Chromium, Firefox and WebKit
The catch with each
Real limits, from the makers’ own words and our own use.
Playwright MCP
- Its own profile has none of your sign-ins unless you use extension mode
- Extension mode works only in Chrome and Edge
- Brings no model: needs an MCP client and Node.js
- Microsoft suggests its command line for coding agents, since MCP uses more tokens
Veb, honestly
- Mac only for now: macOS 15.4 or later; the iPhone app is in beta, and there is no Windows or Android
- New: first released in September 2026
- Its AI needs a Claude or ChatGPT plan; ChatGPT’s free plan may work with low limits
- WebKit, as in Safari: a site tested only in Chrome can misbehave
- Closed source
What changed lately
- September 25, 2026Veb: First release
- January 26, 2026Playwright MCP: Microsoft published Playwright CLI (@playwright/cli), suggested for coding agents
- March 13, 2025Playwright MCP: First published on npm as @playwright/mcp
Questions
Is Veb free?
Yes. Free; its AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT plan.
Is Playwright MCP free?
Yes. Free and open source; you pay only for your agent’s model.
Which one works in my signed-in browser, Veb or Playwright MCP?
Veb is the browser you sign in to, so agents work with your sign-ins. Playwright MCP uses a profile of its own by default, and your Chrome or Edge through its extension.
Which runs on Windows, Veb or Playwright MCP?
Playwright MCP does. Veb runs on Mac.
More comparisons
Veb, Very Expensive Browser.
Free for the Mac. Arc’s sidebar, your own Claude or ChatGPT as the agent, Chrome extensions on WebKit.