Browserbase vs Browserless in 2026
Both give you headless browsers in the cloud so you don't have to run them yourself. They lean in different directions — here's how to choose, and when to run your own.
What they both do
Running browsers at scale is fiddly: they eat memory, crash, get blocked and need updating. Cloud browser platforms run them for you. You connect with Playwright, Puppeteer or Selenium over a WebSocket, and the platform handles the fleet.
Side by side
| Browserbase | Browserless | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Browsers for AI agents and automation | General headless browser infrastructure |
| Connect with | Playwright, Puppeteer, Selenium, Stagehand | Playwright, Puppeteer, plus REST APIs |
| Self-hosting | Cloud service | Docker image available |
| Standout | Session tooling, live view and recordings; makers of Stagehand | Ready-made endpoints (screenshots, PDFs, content) and its own query language |
Both are evolving quickly and publish their own pricing and limits — check them directly for current plans.
When Browserbase fits
You're building an AI agent that browses, you want to watch sessions and replay them, and you like the idea of using Stagehand's AI helpers on top of Playwright.
When Browserless fits
You want browser infrastructure you can also self-host, or you mostly need simple jobs — screenshots, PDFs, page content — through an HTTP endpoint without writing browser code.
The third option: a dedicated machine
Hosted browsers are billed by time or sessions and are usually ephemeral. That's ideal for bursts of stateless jobs. It's less ideal when you need:
- Persistent logins — a browser that stays signed in to the sites you use, day after day.
- Long-running work — agents that run for hours or on a schedule.
- Everything in one place — the browser, a terminal and your agent on the same machine.
A dedicated server with plenty of memory (64 GB comfortably runs many browser contexts) gives you that, at a flat cost. The trade-off is setup and security — which is exactly what a managed setup handles for you.
Common questions
What is the difference between Browserbase and Browserless?
Browserbase focuses on browser infrastructure for AI agents with session tooling and makes the Stagehand framework. Browserless focuses on general headless browser infrastructure, offers a self-hostable Docker image and ready-made REST endpoints.
Can I self-host Browserless?
Browserless offers a Docker image you can run yourself; check its license terms for your use case.
Do I need a cloud browser service for an AI agent?
Not necessarily. For long-running agents that need persistent logins, a dedicated server running its own browsers can be simpler and cheaper at a flat monthly cost.
Skip the setup — get a ready-made agent machine
We set up a dedicated 64 GB machine with a live browser, an online terminal and a chat agent (Claude Code-ready — you use your own Claude subscription or API key), on your own domain and secured for you. Access emailed within 24 hours, plus a month of support.
Get set up — $1,000