Alternatives · AI Agents
Steel alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the highest-graded Steel alternative is Stagehand (3.0 GPA). It's also the best free one.
Steel compared with 7 alternatives: Browserbase, Browser Use, Hyperbrowser, Kernel, Notte and 2 more.
Steel is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $250 per month plus usage (Scale), after a free Launch plan. 5 of the 7 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 2 more offer a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Steel sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| SteelThis tool | Free trial · from $250/mo | Trial only | Web |
| Browserbase | Free plan · from $20/mo | Yes | Web |
| Browser Use | Free plan · from $5 | Yes | Web |
| Hyperbrowser | Free trial · from $30/mo | Trial only | Web |
| Kernel | Free plan · from $30/mo | Yes | Web |
| Notte | Free trial · from $20/mo | Trial only | Web |
| Anchor Browser | Free plan · from $50/mo | Yes | Web |
| Stagehand | Free | Free | Web |
Price against what you get
Steel starts at $250 a month and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 4 of the 6 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: Browserbase, Hyperbrowser, Kernel and Stagehand.
Notte and Anchor Browser start lower without scoring higher.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Steel
Browserbase
Cloud browsers and APIs for agents that use the web
- Browserbase starts at $20 per month.
- Browserbase has a free plan, which Steel lacks.
- Browserbase also covers workflow automation.
Suits: Developers who want hosted browsers instead of running their own
Browser Use
Browser agents and cloud browsers for AI apps
- Browser Use starts at $5 minimum top-up, used as you go.
- Browser Use has a free plan, which Steel lacks.
Suits: Developers adding browser automation to an AI app without a subscription
Hyperbrowser
Cloud browsers, sandboxes and web APIs for AI agents
- Hyperbrowser starts at $30 per month.
- Hyperbrowser also covers workflow automation and screenshots.
Suits: Developers who want hosted browsers and web data for agents
Kernel
Cloud browser infrastructure for web agents and automations
- Kernel starts at $30 per month, plus usage.
- Kernel has a free plan, which Steel lacks.
- Kernel also covers workflow automation and screen recording.
Suits: Developers who want hosted browsers billed by the second
Notte
Cloud browsers, identities and agents for web automation
- Notte starts at $20 per month.
- Notte also covers workflow automation.
Suits: Developers running browser agents or scrapers that need stealth and proxies
Anchor Browser
Cloud browsers and authentication for computer-use agents
- Anchor Browser starts at $50 per month.
- Anchor Browser has a free plan, which Steel lacks.
- Anchor Browser also covers workflow automation.
Suits: Developers automating sites that have no API
Stagehand
Open-source SDK for browser agents, from Browserbase
- Stagehand is free.
- Stagehand has a free plan, which Steel lacks.
- Stagehand also covers workflow automation.
Suits: Developers adding AI-driven actions to browser automation
Limits worth knowing in Steel
- Usage is billed beyond included credits: browser hours are $0.10 on Launch and $0.08 on Scale.
- The comparison table marks the stealth browser as Enterprise only, while the homepage describes stealth for the product generally.
- Launch sessions stop at 15 minutes and 7 days of data retention; Scale allows 1 hour and 14 days.
- Dedicated IPs cost $5 each on Scale; reserved browser pools need Enterprise.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Steel?
The alternatives to Steel in this directory are Browserbase, Browser Use, Hyperbrowser, Kernel, Notte, Anchor Browser and Stagehand. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Steel.
Is there a free alternative to Steel?
Yes. Stagehand is free to use. Browserbase, Browser Use, Kernel and Anchor Browser have a free plan alongside paid ones.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Nov 12, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.