Browserless vs Steel: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Browserless and Steel? Both are popular browser infrastructure for ai agents tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.
Quick verdict
Both Browserless and Steel are strong browser infrastructure for ai agents choices. The right pick comes down to your specific feature needs, existing stack, and team preferences.
Browserless vs Steel — Side by Side
| Browserless | Steel | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Browser Infrastructure for AI Agents | Browser Infrastructure for AI Agents |
| Pricing | Free · paid from $25/mo | Free · then usage-based |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Free tier | ||
| Rating | 4.4 | 4.5 |
| Best for | Browser Infrastructure for AI Agents — web-scraping, headless-browser | Browser Infrastructure for AI Agents — headless-browser, ai-agents |
Pros & Cons
- Keep your existing Puppeteer/Playwright code
- Stealth and CAPTCHA solving included
- Session recording and debugging tools
- No browser fleet to patch
- Annual billing on every paid tier
- Unit accounting is opaque at first
- Self-hosting is enterprise-licensed only
- 100 free browser hours a month
- Open source, so you can self-host
- Agent-friendly API
- Smaller company than Browserbase
- Fewer enterprise features
- Self-hosting browsers is heavy on memory
Key Features Compared
Browserless
- 20,000 units / month
- 10 concurrent browsers
- 15 min sessions
Steel
- 100 browser hours / month
- Session management
- Playwright and Puppeteer
Choose Browserless if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- Keep your existing Puppeteer/Playwright code
- Stealth and CAPTCHA solving included
- Session recording and debugging tools
Choose Steel if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- 100 free browser hours a month
- Open source, so you can self-host
- Agent-friendly API
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Browserless better than Steel?⌄
Both Browserless and Steel are strong browser infrastructure for ai agents choices. The right pick comes down to your specific feature needs, existing stack, and team preferences.
What is the difference between Browserless and Steel?⌄
Browserless — Hosted headless Chrome you connect Puppeteer or Playwright to over WebSocket, with stealth, proxies and CAPTCHA solving built in. Steel — Open-source browser API for AI agents with 100 free browser hours a month, then usage-based pricing. Both are browser infrastructure for ai agents tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.
Browserless vs Steel: which is cheaper?⌄
Browserless pricing: Free · paid from $25/mo. Steel pricing: Free · then usage-based. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, Browserless or Steel?⌄
In our catalog, Browserless rates 4.4 out of 5 and Steel rates 4.5 out of 5, so Steel has a slight edge on reviews.
See more options in our guide to the best browser infrastructure for ai agents tools for startups.
In-depth guideBest Browser Infrastructure for AI Agents 2026: Kitesurf vs Browserbase vs Browser UseCloudflare shipped a browser with no Chromium in it. Kitesurf, Browserbase, Browser Use, Steel, Stagehand and Firecrawl compared on cost per browser hour, session persistence, and anti-bot reality.Still not sure which to pick?
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