kitio.aiBrowser Use vs Steel
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Browser Use starts at See pricing page and Steel starts at $250/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Python browser agent library
- Hosted cloud browsers
- Custom tools
- Session and login persistence
- Multi-model support
- Headless browser API
- Proxy and CAPTCHA handling
- Session persistence
- Steel CLI
- Self-hosted or cloud
| Feature | Browser Use | Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source library and cloud for AI agents that use browsers | Open-source browser API for AI agents, self-hosted or cloud |
| Category | Agents & automation | Agents & automation |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | $250/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Browser Use | Steel |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Browser Use starts at See pricing page and Steel starts at $250/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Browsers
$0.02 / hour
- Cloud browsers
- Residential proxy $5/GB
- $1 free credit, never expires
Browser agents
Model cost + 20%
- Web agents that finish tasks
- Plus browser time and traffic
On-prem
Contact sales
- Run browsers and agents in your network
- SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA
3 plans
Launch
Free
- $30 one-time credits, then usage
- 10 concurrent sessions
- Sessions up to 15 minutes
- Up to 3 seats
Scale
$250/mo
- Plus usage, $100 credits / month
- 100 concurrent sessions
- Sessions up to 1 hour
- Dedicated Slack, HIPAA BAA
Enterprise
Custom
- 1,000+ concurrent sessions
- Stealth browser
- Sessions up to 24 hours
- SLAs and enterprise SSO
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Browser Use
- Very popular open-source project
- Easy to customize in Python
- Cheap usage-based cloud
- Agent runs can be slow
- Reliability varies on complex sites
Steel
- Open source and self-hostable
- Works with standard browser libraries
- Agent-friendly CLI
- Smaller company and community
- You manage it if self-hosted
Which one should you choose?
Choose Browser Use if you want:
- Very popular open-source project
- Easy to customize in Python
- Cheap usage-based cloud
Watch out: agent runs can be slow.
Choose Steel if you want:
- Open source and self-hostable
- Works with standard browser libraries
- Agent-friendly CLI
Watch out: smaller company and community.
Browser Use vs Steel FAQ
What is the difference between Browser Use and Steel?
Browser Use: Open-source library and cloud for AI agents that use browsers. Steel: Open-source browser API for AI agents, self-hosted or cloud. Both are agents & automation tools.
Is Browser Use or Steel cheaper?
Browser Use starts at See pricing page and Steel starts at $250/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Browser Use and Steel have free plans?
Browser Use: Yes. Steel: Yes.
Who makes Browser Use?
Browser Use is made by Browser Use.
Who makes Steel?
Steel is made by Steel.
Which should I choose, Browser Use or Steel?
Choose Browser Use if you value very popular open-source project and easy to customize in python. Choose Steel if you value open source and self-hostable and works with standard browser libraries.