Browser Use
Stagehand
A complete open-source agent that works with any model, starts locally, and has the lowest published cloud browser rate
The best choice when you know the workflow: steps in code, AI where pages are unpredictable, cached actions on repeat runs
- MIT library
- Any model
- $0.02/browser-hr
- SOC 2 Type II
- MIT
- Six languages
- Action caching
- Python only
- Re-plans every run
- You write the workflow
- Needs a host to scale
Key Takeaways
- Browser Use — An MIT Python library that plans every click from a goal, with any model, plus a cloud at $0.02 per browser-hour. Guide score 19/20.
- Browserbase — Managed Chromium in per-session VMs, with saved logins, CAPTCHA solving, replay and, since June 30, 2026, a one-call Agents API. $20 a month for 100 hours, then $0.12 an hour. Guide score 15/20.
- Stagehand — Browserbase's MIT SDK: write the workflow in code and call a model for the steps a selector cannot handle. Six languages since January 2026. Guide score 16/20.
- Bottom line — Browser Use for goal-driven agents and the lowest browser cost. Stagehand for repeatable workflows. Browserbase when you need a production browser fleet, under either one.
Why are these three compared so often?
They are the three most searched names in browser tooling for agents, and they sit on different layers. Browser Use is an agent: you give it a goal and it plans every click. Stagehand is an SDK: you write the workflow and call a model for the steps that are hard to script. Browserbase is the hosted browser underneath, and the company that maintains Stagehand. So the real choice is usually between Browser Use and Stagehand, with Browserbase as an option under either.
Scores below come from our Browser Automation for AI Agents 2026 guide: Browser Use 19 of 20, Stagehand 16, Browserbase 15. They are editorial assessments of published documentation and pricing checked through November 3, 2026, not benchmark runs.
How do the features compare?
Feature matrix
| Feature | Browser Use | Browserbase | Stagehand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | |||
| What it is | Agent library + hosted cloud | Hosted browser platform + Agents API | Automation SDK |
| License | Library MIT; cloud proprietary | Proprietary cloud-only platform | MIT |
| Languages | Python 3.11+ | Any CDP client (Playwright, Puppeteer, Stagehand) | TypeScript, Python, Go, Ruby, Java, Rust |
| Agent | |||
| Goal-driven agent | Core design; BU 2.0 action model | Browserbase Agents (Jun 2026) | Agent mode alongside scripted steps |
| AI for single steps in a script | Possible, but the library is built around full runs | Through Stagehand | act, extract, observe |
| Model choice | Any provider, local via Ollama, or BU 2.0 | Model gateway, or bring your own | Model-agnostic |
| Repeat-run savings | Re-plans each run | Depends on the client | Caches discovered elements and actions |
| Infrastructure | |||
| Runs locally | Yes | Cloud only | Local Chrome or any CDP endpoint |
| Hosted browsers | Browser Use Cloud | Per-session VMs, up to 250+ concurrent on Scale | Through Browserbase |
| Logins, CAPTCHA, proxies | Residential proxies $5/GB; check CAPTCHA terms | Contexts, CAPTCHA from Developer, stealth on Scale | Inherited from the browser host |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type II; HIPAA mode on Enterprise | Check current attestations with sales | Not applicable (library) |
| Price (published, Oct to Nov 2026) | |||
| Entry price | Library free; cloud pay as you go | Free 1 hr; Developer $20/mo | Free |
| Browser time | $0.02 per browser-hour | $0.12/hr (Developer) or $0.10/hr (Startup) beyond plan hours | Free locally; host's rate otherwise |
When does Browser Use fit?
Browser Use's MIT library turns a plain-language task into browser actions with any model, and its BU 2.0 model, released January 27, 2026, is trained for choosing the next action. The cloud bills $0.02 per browser-hour, agent steps from $0.006 and $0.01 per task, with concurrency rising from 10 to 1,000 sessions as total spend grows. Full Browser Use review.
Browser Use
- A complete agent from a plain-language goal, with any model or a local one
- Lowest published browser rate in the category, $0.02 an hour, with no subscription
- Starts on a laptop and moves to hosted browsers without changing libraries
- Python only
- Goal-driven runs re-plan each time, which costs tokens and varies run to run
When does Browserbase fit?
Browserbase runs each Chromium browser in its own VM, keeps logins between sessions with contexts, solves CAPTCHAs from the Developer plan, and records sessions for replay. Developer is $20 a month with 100 browser hours, Startup $99 with 500, and the June 2026 Agents API runs a full agent from one prompt. Full Browserbase review.
Browserbase
- Each session in its own VM, destroyed afterwards
- Contexts keep logins between runs; CAPTCHA solving and replay for debugging
- Works with Playwright, Puppeteer, Stagehand or its own Agents API
- Cloud only; no self-hosted option
- $0.10 to $0.12 an hour beyond plan hours, several times Browser Use Cloud's published rate
When does Stagehand fit?
Stagehand v3, released October 29, 2025, talks to Chrome over the DevTools Protocol, caches the elements and actions it discovers, and heals steps when pages change. Since January 13, 2026 it ships SDKs for TypeScript, Python, Go, Ruby, Java and Rust. Full Stagehand review.
Stagehand
- Workflows live in code, so they can be reviewed, tested and versioned
- Caching and self-healing reduce model calls and breakage on repeat runs
- MIT, six languages, any CDP driver and any model
- Someone has to write the workflow
- Not a host: you still need a browser fleet for scale
Related questions
- Which browser infrastructure should developers use for AI agents?
- What does Browserbase cost at scale?
- Which agentic browsers are worth shortlisting for end users?
- When should you use an AI agent instead of scripted automation? (partner site CTAIO)
- How does prompt injection work? (partner site CTAIO)
Frequently asked questions
Is Stagehand the same as Browserbase?
No, but they come from the same company. Browserbase is the hosted browser service. Stagehand is its open-source SDK for writing browser automation with AI steps. Stagehand can run on a local browser, and Browserbase can be driven by Playwright, Puppeteer or other tools.
Browser Use or Browserbase: which is cheaper?
On published browser time, Browser Use Cloud: $0.02 per browser-hour against Browserbase's $20 a month for 100 hours and $0.10 to $0.12 an hour beyond. Model tokens are billed on top, so compare the full cost of a typical task.
Can I use Stagehand and Browser Use together?
They solve overlapping problems in different ways, so most teams pick one per workflow: Stagehand where the steps are known, Browser Use where the agent has to plan. Both can share the same hosted browser provider.
Which is best for production?
For repeatable production workflows, Stagehand on Browserbase: code-reviewed steps, cached actions and a managed browser fleet with replay. For production agents facing open-ended tasks, Browser Use with its cloud, which publishes SOC 2 Type II and a HIPAA mode on Enterprise.
Final verdict
- Choose Browser Use if the agent has to work out the steps itself, you work in Python, and browser cost matters.
- Choose Stagehand if you can write the workflow and want runs you can review, test and repeat.
- Add Browserbase when you need many isolated, logged-in browsers with CAPTCHA handling and replay, whichever of the two drives them.
Sources
- Browser Use, Pricing (checked Nov 3, 2026); BU 2.0 model card (Jan 27, 2026); PyPI, browser-use.
- Toolradar, Browserbase pricing (confirmed Oct 30, 2026); Browserbase, Introducing Browserbase Agents (Jun 30, 2026).
- Browserbase, Launching Stagehand v3 (Oct 29, 2025); Stagehand in every language (Jan 13, 2026).
- eCorpIT, Cloud browsers for AI agents 2026 (Oct 22, 2026).
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