If you searched "Claude Code + Playwright," the first thing you probably found was the Playwright MCP server — it's the original, most widely documented integration. But there's a newer option, Playwright CLI, built specifically for agents like Claude Code that already have shell access. They solve the same problem in very different ways, and picking the wrong one for your situation can cost you real time and real tokens.
This post breaks down exactly how they differ, with real numbers, so you can pick the right tool for your project.
Why This Comparison Matters
Token cost adds up fast in long test-writing sessions — the wrong tool can burn your budget on a single flow.
Not every environment supports both — sandboxed clients like Claude Desktop can't run CLI commands, so MCP is your only option there.
