kitio.aiPydantic AI vs Steel
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Pydantic AI 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
- Typed agent outputs
- Function tools
- Multi-provider support
- MCP support
- Logfire tracing
- Headless browser API
- Proxy and CAPTCHA handling
- Session persistence
- Steel CLI
- Self-hosted or cloud
| Feature | Pydantic AI | Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Type-safe Python agent framework from the Pydantic team | 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 | Pydantic | Steel |
| Based in | United Kingdom | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Pydantic AI 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
Pydantic AI
- Strong typing reduces bugs
- Familiar to Pydantic users
- Model-agnostic
- Code-only
- Fewer prebuilt integrations than LangChain
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 Pydantic AI if you want:
- Strong typing reduces bugs
- Familiar to Pydantic users
- Model-agnostic
Watch out: code-only.
Choose Steel if you want:
- Open source and self-hostable
- Works with standard browser libraries
- Agent-friendly CLI
Watch out: smaller company and community.
Pydantic AI vs Steel FAQ
What is the difference between Pydantic AI and Steel?
Pydantic AI: Type-safe Python agent framework from the Pydantic team. Steel: Open-source browser API for AI agents, self-hosted or cloud. Both are agents & automation tools.
Is Pydantic AI or Steel cheaper?
Pydantic AI is completely free, while Steel is freemium.
Do Pydantic AI and Steel have free plans?
Pydantic AI: Yes, fully free. Steel: Yes.
Who makes Pydantic AI?
Pydantic AI is made by Pydantic, based in United Kingdom.
Who makes Steel?
Steel is made by Steel.
Which should I choose, Pydantic AI or Steel?
Choose Pydantic AI if you value strong typing reduces bugs and familiar to pydantic users. Choose Steel if you value open source and self-hostable and works with standard browser libraries.