kitio.aiOpenAI Agents SDK vs Steel
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. OpenAI Agents SDK is completely free, while Steel is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Agent handoffs
- Function and hosted tools
- Guardrails
- Sessions
- Built-in tracing
- Headless browser API
- Proxy and CAPTCHA handling
- Session persistence
- Steel CLI
- Self-hosted or cloud
| Feature | OpenAI Agents SDK | Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | OpenAI's lightweight framework for multi-agent workflows | Open-source browser API for AI agents, self-hosted or cloud |
| Category | Agents & automation | Agents & automation |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free | $250/mo |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes |
| Made by | OpenAI | Steel |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
OpenAI Agents SDK is completely free, while Steel is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
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
OpenAI Agents SDK
- Small, easy-to-learn API
- Good tracing
- Official OpenAI support
- Model usage billed separately
- Fewer integrations than larger frameworks
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 OpenAI Agents SDK if you want:
- Small, easy-to-learn API
- Good tracing
- Official OpenAI support
Watch out: model usage billed separately.
Choose Steel if you want:
- Open source and self-hostable
- Works with standard browser libraries
- Agent-friendly CLI
Watch out: smaller company and community.
OpenAI Agents SDK vs Steel FAQ
What is the difference between OpenAI Agents SDK and Steel?
OpenAI Agents SDK: OpenAI's lightweight framework for multi-agent workflows. Steel: Open-source browser API for AI agents, self-hosted or cloud. Both are agents & automation tools.
Is OpenAI Agents SDK or Steel cheaper?
OpenAI Agents SDK is completely free, while Steel is freemium.
Do OpenAI Agents SDK and Steel have free plans?
OpenAI Agents SDK: Yes, fully free. Steel: Yes.
Who makes OpenAI Agents SDK?
OpenAI Agents SDK is made by OpenAI, based in United States.
Who makes Steel?
Steel is made by Steel.
Which should I choose, OpenAI Agents SDK or Steel?
Choose OpenAI Agents SDK if you value small, easy-to-learn api and good tracing. Choose Steel if you value open source and self-hostable and works with standard browser libraries.