Anchor Browser vs Kernel (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Anchor Browser if

• Fits if your agents must stay logged in to sites that have no API
• Works for teams that want a browser task kept as repeatable code

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you stay free: 5 credits a month and 5 concurrent browsers
• Pricey if you need the full stealth browser, which sits on the $2,000 a month Growth plan
• Skip it if you want to host browsers yourself, as that is Enterprise only
• Watch out: the pricing page's structured data lists a $20 Starter and 25 free browsers, which contradicts the visible cards
• Watch out: past included credits every paid plan charges $1.00 a credit

Pick Kernel if

• Fits if you run web agents and need hosted browsers with logins that persist
• Works for developers who want session replays to see what an agent did

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a point-and-click tool, as this is an API and SDK
• Tight if you stay free: $5 in credits, 5 browsers and 1-day replays
• Pricey if you need custom proxies, GPU or regional browsers, which start at $200 a month
• Watch out: usage is billed on top of every plan, and the monthly credits do not cover the plan fee
• Watch out: the homepage links a notice about a security incident dated around November 2026

Anchor Browser

• Usage past included credits is $1.00 per credit on every paid plan; the calculator on the page uses $0.09 per browser hour, $8 per GB of proxy and $0.01 per AI step.
• The page's structured data lists a $20 Starter plan and 25 free browsers, conflicting with the visible cards ($50, 5 browsers), which are recorded here.
• Authenticated browsers and CAPTCHA bypass start at Starter; custom proxy and 30-day retention at Team; SOC 2 reporting at Growth.
• Anchor's browsers are cloud-only unless you take the Enterprise plan with bring-your-own-cloud.

Kernel

• Every plan adds usage costs: headless browsers are $0.0000166667 per second, headful $0.0001333336 and headful with GPU $0.0008000016; idle time is not charged.
• Included monthly credits apply to usage only, not to the plan fee.
• Custom proxies, GPU acceleration, regional browsers and unlimited extensions need Start-Up ($200 a month).
• The homepage links a public notice of a security incident dated around November 2026; read it before choosing.

Anchor Browser

Anchor Chromium

A Chromium fork the vendor says is recognized as human, with Web-Bot-Auth verification and parallel browsers.

OmniConnect authentication

Handles onboarding, management and use of the logins an agent needs to act on behalf of a user.

Planned deterministic tasks

An agent turns a plain-language task into a browser workload and falls back to AI at runtime only when needed; a web action cache keeps workflows as code.

Built-in VPN

An enterprise VPN offered as a network backbone that does not rely on third-party proxies.

Flexible deployment

Used through an SDK, MCP or automation platforms; bring-your-own-cloud and on-premises deployment are listed for Enterprise.

Kernel

Sandboxed Chromium

Cloud browsers that start in under 30ms, according to the homepage, with browser pools and a computer controls API.

Stealth mode

A CAPTCHA solver and a Kernel-managed residential proxy are attached to browsers; the pricing FAQ says proxies are not charged separately.

Managed auth and vaults

Handles logins for agents and stores credentials in vaults, with wallet integrations such as Link by Stripe for agent checkout.

Live view and replays

Watch a session live and record it as an MP4 for debugging; replay retention runs from 1 to 30 days by plan.

GPU and regional browsers

GPU acceleration for memory-heavy or canvas-based sites and browsers run in the nearest region, on the Start-Up plan and above.

Anchor Browser

• Free$0

  5 credits a month, up to 5 concurrent browsers, up to 500 sessions and an embedded browser agent.

• Starter$50

  per month

  50 credits, then $1.00 per extra credit; 25 concurrent browsers, authenticated browsers, automated CAPTCHA bypass and any geolocation.

• Team$500

  per month

  500 credits, then $1.00 per extra credit; 50 concurrent browsers, Cloudflare-verified agents, custom proxy and 30-day data retention.

• Growth$2000

  per month

  2,000 credits, then $1.00 per extra credit; 200 concurrent browsers, SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001 and GDPR, and the full stealth Anchor Chromium.

• EnterpriseCustom

  500+ concurrent browsers, SSO, RBAC, BAA and HIPAA, custom regions, bring your own cloud or on-premises, and a dedicated Slack channel.

Kernel

• Free$0

  per month, plus usage

  $5 in monthly credits, 5 concurrent browsers, stealth mode, 3 managed auth connections, 3 vaults and 1-day replays.

• Hobbyist$30

  per month, plus usage

  $10 in monthly credits, 10 concurrent browsers, unlimited proxy usage, unlimited auth connections and vaults, 7-day replays.

• Start-Up$200

  per month, plus usage

  $50 in monthly credits, 150 concurrent browsers, custom proxies, GPU acceleration, regional browsers, 30-day replays.

• EnterpriseCustom

  High browser concurrency, 99.9% SLA, SSO, 24/7 Slack support, HIPAA BAA, white-labeling and zero-data retention.

Anchor Browser

No public discounts listed.

Kernel

• Startups

  Start-Up plan free for 3 months

  New-to-Kernel companies under 2 years old that have raised $1M or more get the $200 plan free for 3 months with $50 a month in credits. A larger tier gives $5,000 in credits to companies backed by listed funds.