Hyperbrowser vs Kernel (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hyperbrowser grades higher than Kernel: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Hyperbrowser grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Hyperbrowser
Cloud browsers, sandboxes and web APIs for AI agents
Kernel
Cloud browser infrastructure for web agents and automations
Which one is for you
Pick Hyperbrowser if
- Fits if you run browser automation for agents and don't want to host Chrome
- Works for developers who already use Playwright or Puppeteer
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 5,000 credits, 1 session at a time and 7 days of data
- Pricey if you go past the plan, at $0.10 an hour of browser time and $10 a GB of proxy data
- Watch out: agent steps cost $0.02 each on top of browser time and proxy data
- Watch out: plan credits reset on renewal and don't carry over
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
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAHyperbrowserFair | 2.0GPAKernelFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStartup is $30 a month, just above the category's middle of $25, with 30,000 credits. Scale is $100 for 100,000. | CHobbyist is $30 a month plus usage, between the category's $25 middle and $50 dearer-quarter start. The $200 Start-Up plan is where proxies and GPU begin. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free account with 5,000 credits, 1 concurrent session and 7 days of retention. The page doesn't say the credits renew. | CThe free plan has $5 of usage credits a month, 5 concurrent browsers and 1-day replays. A real project will use that up. |
| Features | BCloud browsers, sandboxes, a web API and browser agents, with SDKs and MCP. The listing names no gap in the core job. | CStealth, CAPTCHA solving, managed auth, live view and replays are covered. Custom proxies, GPU and regional browsers need the $200 plan. |
| Ease of use | DDeveloper product: you write code against Playwright, Puppeteer or an SDK. We found no store rating. | DNo rating on record. You drive it through an API and SDK, so it is a developer setup with code to write. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb service with Node.js and Python SDKs, a CLI, MCP, Playwright, Puppeteer and Browser Use. No desktop or phone app. | BWeb service with an API and links to Stripe, Anthropic, 1Password and Vercel. No desktop or phone app, and it is cloud only. |
| Best for | cloud browsers for AI agents | cloud browsers for web 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: Hyperbrowser and Kernel. How we grade
Price against what you get
Hyperbrowser starts at $30 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Kernel starts at $30 a month and scores 2.0.
Hyperbrowser scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other AI agents on the chart, 26 score higher than Hyperbrowser for less, and 53 score higher than Kernel for less.
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
Where they differ
- Kernel is open source, according to its own site.
- Hyperbrowser also covers screenshots.
- Kernel also covers screen recording.
At a glance
| Hyperbrowser | Kernel | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $30 per month | $30 per month, plus usage |
| Free plan | None | $0 a month with $5 of free usage credits each month, 5 concurrent browsers, stealth mode, 3 managed auth connections and 1-day session replays. |
| Free trial | Free account with 5,000 credits (about 50 browser hours at base rates); the page does not say the credits renew | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Hyperbrowser | Kernel |
| Price read from | hyperbrowser.ai | kernel.sh |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Hyperbrowser
- Usage past the included credits is billed at 1,000 credits = $1: browser time is $0.10 per hour and proxy data $10 per GB.
- Agent steps (HyperAgent or Browser Use) are $0.02 each, on top of browser time and proxy data.
- Plan credits reset on renewal and do not carry over; credits bought separately expire after 12 months.
- Free allows 1 concurrent session and 7 days of data retention; the 14-day trial the page mentions is for Enterprise.
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.
Key features
Hyperbrowser
- Cloud browsers
- Chrome sessions controlled through Playwright, Puppeteer or the SDKs, with saved profiles for logins and live or recorded session viewing.
- Sandboxes
- Isolated virtual machines for installing dependencies and running commands, with memory snapshots that can be reused.
- Web API
- Fetch a page, crawl a site or search the web and get Markdown, HTML, screenshots or JSON that matches a schema.
- Browser agents
- Run HyperAgent, Browser Use or computer-use models in a managed browser from a plain-language task.
- SDKs and MCP
- Node.js and Python SDKs, a CLI and MCP access, with WebMCP support announced on the blog.
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.
Plans
Hyperbrowser
Free$0
5,000 credits, 1 concurrent session and 7 days of data retention, across all four products.
Startup$30
per month
30,000 credits, 25 concurrent sessions, 30-day retention, automatic CAPTCHA solving, basic stealth and residential proxies.
Scale$100
per month
100,000 credits, 100 concurrent sessions, 30-day retention, CAPTCHA solving, basic stealth and premium residential proxies.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom credits, 1,000+ concurrent sessions, 180+ days of retention, ultra stealth mode and premium support.
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.
Ways to pay less
Hyperbrowser
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hyperbrowser or Kernel?
As of Nov 13, 2026, they start at the same price. Hyperbrowser starts at $30 per month, and Kernel starts at $30 per month, plus usage.
Which has a free plan, Hyperbrowser or Kernel?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Kernel has a free plan. Hyperbrowser does not, though it has a free trial.
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.