September 5, 2026 · 5 min read

How to Choose Between the Web App, Browser Extension, and MCP Server

repoprep started as one thing: paste a folder or a repo URL, get a clean context file back. It's still that, but there are now three different doors into it — a web app, a browser extension, and an MCP server — and they all run the same parsing and filtering engine underneath. The question isn't which one is "better." It's which one fits the moment you're actually in.

Three surfaces, one underlying engine

Whichever one you use, the rules are the same: node_modules, build output, lockfiles, and obvious secrets get filtered out before anything reaches you, and nothing gets uploaded to a server to make that happen. What changes between the three isn't the output — it's where you're standing when you need it.

The web app: best for a one-off, right now

If you just need a context file — once, for a project you're not necessarily going to touch again this week — the web app is the least ceremony. No install, no config file to edit, works for a local folder, a ZIP, or a public GitHub/GitLab URL straight out of the box. It's the right default when you don't yet know if you'll need this again.

The browser extension: best for private repos you're already looking at

Private repos are where the web app gets awkward, because proving access usually means a token, and handing one over is a real trust decision — worth reading more about in the private-repo breakdown if you haven't. The Chrome extension sidesteps that entirely — it runs on the GitHub or GitLab page you're already logged into and reuses that session instead of asking for a token. If you're already on the repo page, it's the least-friction option there is.

The MCP server: best when your AI assistant should just handle it

The web app and the extension both assume a human is doing the preparing — you open a tab, you generate a file, you paste it in. The MCP server removes that step. Once it's connected to Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any other MCP-compatible client, your assistant can reach for repoprep directly, mid-conversation, without you switching windows at all. It's the right fit if you're working inside an AI coding tool regularly and you're tired of the copy-paste round trip — set it up once, and every project after that just works the same way.

A quick way to decide

Occasional, one specific project right now — use the web app.
Private repo, and you're already on the page — use the extension.
You live inside Claude Desktop or Cursor and do this often — set up the MCP server once and stop thinking about it.

None of these are exclusive — plenty of people end up using the extension for quick private-repo checks and the MCP server for everyday work, and reach for the web app only when they're on a machine without either installed.

The part that stays the same

Whichever surface you pick, the underlying question is still the one covered in how much code to actually give the assistant. More surfaces to reach the engine doesn't change what belongs in the context window — that call is still yours to make, every time.