Hyperbeam vs Lightpanda (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Lightpanda grades higher than Hyperbeam: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Hyperbeam grades higher on features. Lightpanda grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Hyperbeam
API for embedding shared cloud browsers and virtual computers
Lightpanda
Lightweight headless browser for automation and AI agents
Which one is for you
Pick Hyperbeam if
- Fits if you are building a shared-browser or watch-together feature into an app
- Works for teams that want to try it on a free monthly allowance
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a browser to use yourself, as it is a developer API
- Pricey if you run large or long sessions, since the bill follows participants times minutes
- Watch out: the consumer Watch Party product is on a separate site
- Too light for non-coders: you integrate it with code
Pick Lightpanda if
- Fits if you write crawlers or automations and want a light engine
- Makes sense if you run AI agents that need pages loaded without a screen
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to read websites: it has no graphical interface
- Not for you if you avoid code, because it is driven through a command line and libraries
- Tight if you stay on Explorer: 10 browser hours and 5 sessions a month
- Watch out: Cloud plans are bring-your-own-proxy
- Watch out: the benchmark numbers are the vendor's own, from one test setup
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAHyperbeamFair | 2.4GPALightpandaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPay as you go at $0.007 a minute for HD after 10,000 free minutes. Usage pricing does not map onto a monthly seat price, so we leave it in the middle. | AOpen source to run yourself, and Lightpanda Cloud has a $0 Explorer plan. Builder is $19 a month, under this category's $19.99 dearer quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | B10,000 free participant-minutes every month with no card, enough for a small project to run on. | ARun it locally at no charge, or use Cloud's Explorer plan with 10 browser hours and 5 concurrent sessions a month. |
| Features | CEmbedding any site, synced media, multi-user control and programmatic control. The listing shows the price scales with session size and length. | DOne narrow function: a headless engine with CDP support, and you need Puppeteer, Playwright or similar to drive it. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record, and it is a developer API you wire into your own app with code. | DNo rating on record. It has no graphical interface and is driven by code and the command line. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb, with an API. No apps or named integrations listed. | CLinux and macOS, with Windows through WSL, and works with Puppeteer, Playwright, Chromedp, Selenium and Stagehand. No phone. |
| Best for | embedding a shared cloud browser in an app | headless browsing for crawlers and AI agents |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Hyperbeam and Lightpanda. How we grade
Where they differ
- Lightpanda is open source, according to its own site.
- Hyperbeam also covers remote desktop.
- Lightpanda also covers workflow automation and web browser.
At a glance
| Hyperbeam | Lightpanda | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $19 per month for 300 browser hours |
| Free plan | 10,000 free participant-minutes every month, no credit card required. | Explorer: 10 browser hours a month and 5 concurrent sessions on Lightpanda Cloud. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Hyperbeam Inc. | Lightpanda |
| Price read from | hyperbeam.com | lightpanda.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Hyperbeam
- Usage past the free 10,000 minutes is billed per participant-minute: the page shows $0.007 a minute for HD video and audio, with volume discounts.
- The price follows participants times session length, so large or long sessions cost more; the site offers custom pricing at high volume.
- It is a developer API, not a browser for everyday use.
- The consumer Watch Party product lives on a separate site, watch.hyperbeam.com.
Lightpanda
- It has no graphical interface: it is a headless engine, not a browser for everyday browsing.
- The vendor's site lists Linux, macOS and Windows through WSL as operating systems.
- Cloud plans bring your own proxy.
- The vendor's benchmark numbers are its own, run on one test setup.
Key features
Hyperbeam
- Embed any website or app
- A remote Chrome, Android, Linux or emulator session is embedded in your page, which avoids X-Frame-Options problems.
- Synced audio and video
- Playback stays in sync among participants, with echo cancellation for audio calls; the site lists 1 to 10,000 active participants.
- Multi-user control
- Several people can control the same session with no downloads or browser extensions, and access control sets who may do so.
- Programmatic control
- A REST API and an NPM package open apps, navigate to URLs and run scripts.
- Saved sessions and kiosk mode
- Session state can be saved so users need not sign in again, and parts of the interface can be hidden for a native-app look.
- WebGL, mobile and regions
- GPU servers handle WebGL apps, touch input is supported, and servers are offered in several regions.
Lightpanda
- Built for machines
- A browser engine built from scratch for headless use, running JavaScript without rendering graphics.
- CDP support
- Works with Puppeteer, Playwright and Chromedp through the Chrome DevTools Protocol; the docs also cover WebDriver and Selenium.
- Agent tooling
- The docs list an MCP server, an agent mode with PandaScript, and a Python SDK.
- Local or cloud
- Install it locally with a one-line script, Docker or a package manager, or run sessions on Lightpanda Cloud.
- Speed and memory claims
- The vendor's benchmark, run against chromedp on 933 pages, shows 5 seconds against 46 and 123 MB against 2 GB peak memory.
Plans
Hyperbeam
Free allowance$0
10,000 free minutes every month, then pay as you go. Volume discounts apply automatically.
Lightpanda
Explorer$0
per month for 10 browser hours
5 concurrent sessions, community support on Discord, bring your own proxy.
Builder$19
per month for 300 browser hours
30 concurrent sessions, email and Slack support, bring your own proxy. Hours beyond 300 cost $0.08 each.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom volume pricing, dedicated support, SLA and uptime guarantees, and on-premise or private cloud options.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hyperbeam or Lightpanda?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hyperbeam publishes no starting price, and Lightpanda starts at $19 per month for 300 browser hours.
Which has a free plan, Hyperbeam or Lightpanda?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Hyperbeam and Lightpanda have a free plan.
Which platforms do Hyperbeam and Lightpanda run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Hyperbeam lists a web app and only Lightpanda lists macOS and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.