BrowsaBrowserbase alternatives, compared with sources
Browserbase is a cloud browser platform for AI agents. The main alternatives differ in how they charge, how long a session may run, whether proxies and CAPTCHA solving are included, whether they run the agent for you, and whether you can host them yourself. This page puts Browsa, Steel and Browser Use Cloud next to Browserbase, and links every competitor figure to the page we read it from.
Browserbase and Steel figures read 7 November 2026. Browser Use Cloud rows read 12 November 2026. We make Browsa, so weigh our view accordingly.
The short version.
- The cheapest steady browser-hoursSteel or Browserbase
- To host the browser yourselfSteel, open source
- SOC 2Browserbase
- Proxies and CAPTCHA solving includedBrowserbase, Steel or Browser Use Cloud
- Uneven usage and no monthly planBrowsa
- Hosted agent tasks on your own model key, schedules and webhooks on every packBrowsa
How do the main Browserbase alternatives compare?
"Not compared" means we have not read a public source for that row yet; it does not mean the product lacks it.
Swipe the table sideways
| Topic | Browsa | Browserbase | Steel | Browser Use Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Prepaid credit packs, no subscription: $20, $100 or $500. Credits never expire | Monthly plans: Free, Developer $20/mo, Startup $99/mo, Scale customB1 |
Launch $0 plus usage, Scale $250/mo plus usage, Enterprise customS1 |
Pay as you go, no subscriptionU1 |
| Free to start | 100 credits after email verification, about 100 browsers of up to 12 minutes. No card | 1 browser-hour, 3 concurrent browsers, 15-minute sessionsB1 |
Not compared | |
| Price per browser-hour | 5 credits: $0.50 at the Starter rate, $0.33 at the Pro rate. Billed in 12-minute blocks | Not compared | ||
| Longest session | 1 hour on every pack | 15 minutes on Free, 6 hours on Developer and StartupB2 |
15 minutes on Launch, 1 hour on Scale, up to 24 hours on EnterpriseS1 |
Not compared |
| Browsers at once | 6 browser slots per workspace; more on request | 3, 25, 100 or 250+ by planB1 |
10, 100 or 1,000+ by planS1 |
Not compared |
| Proxies | Not supplied. Bring your own HTTP, HTTPS or SOCKS5 proxy per browser | Included bandwidth on paid plans, then $10 to $12/GBB1 |
$10/GB on Launch, $6/GB on ScaleS1 |
|
| CAPTCHA solving | Not offered | Automatic on Developer and aboveB1 |
$3 per 1,000 on Launch, $1 per 1,000 on ScaleS1 |
Supported challenges solved automaticallyU2 |
| Fingerprints and stealth | Phantom, Browsa's own Chromium build, on every pack, with dated results, misses included | None on Free, Basic on Developer and Startup, Advanced on ScaleB1 |
Stealth Browser on EnterpriseS1 |
Stealth browsersU1 |
| Hosted agent tasks | Yes, on your own Anthropic, OpenAI or Google key, or Browsa's hosted model | Agents, with 3, 15 or 50 runs a month by planB1 |
No hosted agent listed; your own agent connects to SteelS3 |
Hosted agents with a choice of modelsU1 |
| Schedules and webhooks | Recurring tasks from every hour to every 30 days; HMAC-signed webhooks | Not compared | Signed webhooksU2 |
|
| Self-hosting | No, hosted only | Not compared | Yes: steel-browser, Apache-2.0, with a Docker imageS4 |
Not compared |
| Compliance | No SOC 2 or HIPAA today | HIPAA-ready BAA on Scale and Enterprise, SSO on EnterpriseS1 |
Not compared |
Which one should I choose?
You run many browser-hours every month
Steel and Browserbase charge $0.08 to $0.12 an hour beyond what a plan includes, billed by the minute. Browsa's 5 credits an hour costs several times more at steady volume. Our Browserbase and Steel pages work through a month of usage.
You need to host it yourself
Steel's steel-browser is open source and runs in Docker. Browsa is hosted only.
Your security review asks for SOC 2 or a BAA
Browserbase lists SOC 2 Type II; Browserbase and Steel offer a BAA on higher plans. Browsa has neither today.
You want proxies and CAPTCHA solving from the same vendor
Browserbase, Steel and Browser Use Cloud list both. Browsa expects you to bring your own proxy and does not solve CAPTCHAs.
Your usage is uneven, or you are just starting
Browsa has no monthly plan: credits never expire, so a quiet month costs nothing and a busy week draws down what you already bought.
You want the agent run for you, on your own model key
Browsa runs agent tasks from a plain-language description on your Anthropic, OpenAI or Google key, self-serve, with schedules and signed webhooks on every pack. Browserbase Agents and Browser Use Cloud also host agents; see their pages for model and key options.
How hard is it to switch?
For Playwright and Puppeteer code, usually one line.
Every product here gives you a Chromium you attach to over CDP. On Browsa you start a browser with POST /v1/agents and pass its cdp_http address and an X-API-Key header to connect_over_cdp() or puppeteer.connect(). Saved logins, contexts and session options are platform features and need their own change.
# before
browser = p.chromium.launch()
# after: a Browsa browser from POST /v1/agents
browser = p.chromium.connect_over_cdp(
agent["cdp_http"], headers={"X-API-Key": API_KEY})Questions
What is the cheapest Browserbase alternative?
For steady browser time, Steel. Its Launch plan lists $0.10 per browser-hour and Scale $0.08, billed by the minute, as read on 7 November 2026. Browsa costs more per hour (5 credits, $0.33 to $0.50) and can cost less only when usage is low or uneven, because there is no monthly plan.
Which Browserbase alternative can I self-host?
Steel. steel-browser is open source under Apache-2.0 and ships a Docker image. Browsa runs only as a hosted service.
Which alternatives include proxies and CAPTCHA solving?
Browserbase includes proxy bandwidth and CAPTCHA solving on paid plans, Steel sells both per use, and Browser Use Cloud lists residential proxies and automatic solving of supported CAPTCHAs. Browsa supplies neither: you bring your own HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy, and your code decides what to do with a CAPTCHA.
Will my Playwright or Puppeteer code move between them?
Mostly yes. All four give you a Chromium you connect to over CDP, so the line that starts or attaches to the browser changes and the page code stays the same. Platform features such as saved identities, contexts or session options need their own small change.
Sources
Prices and plans change; check the source before you decide. Browsa figures come from our pricing page, docs and benchmarks. Spot an error? Tell us and we will fix it.
- B1. Browserbase pricing, read 7 November 2026: https://www.browserbase.com/pricing
- B2. Browserbase plans and billing docs, read 7 November 2026: https://docs.browserbase.com/account/billing/plans
- B3. Browserbase Functions docs, read 7 November 2026: https://docs.browserbase.com/platform/functions/overview
- B4. Browserbase changelog, SOC 2 Type II: https://www.browserbase.com/changelog/soc-2-type-ii
- B5. Browserbase webhooks docs, read 7 November 2026: https://docs.browserbase.com/platform/webhooks/overview
- S1. Steel pricing, read 7 November 2026: https://steel.dev/pricing
- S2. Steel pricing and limits docs, read 7 November 2026: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/pricinglimits
- S3. Steel homepage, read 7 November 2026: https://steel.dev
- S4. steel-browser repository: https://github.com/steel-dev/steel-browser
- U1. Browser Use pricing page, read 12 November 2026: https://browser-use.com/pricing
- U2. Browser Use docs index, read 12 November 2026: https://docs.browser-use.com/llms.txt
Try Browsa on your own workload.
100 free credits once you verify your email. No card, no subscription.