Kasm Workspaces vs Lightpanda (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Lightpanda grades higher than Kasm Workspaces: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Kasm Workspaces grades higher on features and platforms. Lightpanda grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Kasm Workspaces
Containerized desktops, apps and browsers streamed to a browser
Lightpanda
Lightweight headless browser for automation and AI agents
Which one is for you
Pick Kasm Workspaces if
- Fits if you want isolated browsers for your own non-commercial use
- Makes sense if your team already runs Docker or Kubernetes servers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price list, since paid editions are contact-sales
- Not for you if you use it commercially on the free tier: Community is for individuals, nonprofits and non-commercial use
- Tight if you need more than 5 concurrent sessions on Community
- Watch out: paid editions require a standard support subscription
- Too heavy if you do not run servers: self-hosting means installing on a Linux server you run
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
| 2.2GPAKasm WorkspacesFair | 2.4GPALightpandaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CCommunity is $0 but self-hosted on a server you run, which counts as a C. Basic, Essentials and Premier are contact-sales with no published price. | 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 | BCommunity Edition is free for individuals, nonprofits and non-commercial use, with up to 5 concurrent sessions, which one person can live on. | ARun it locally at no charge, or use Cloud's Explorer plan with 10 browser hours and 5 concurrent sessions a month. |
| Features | CBrowser isolation, desktops and apps, workspace images, admin controls and an API, though the paid editions need a support subscription. | DOne narrow function: a headless engine with CDP support, and you need Puppeteer, Playwright or similar to drive it. |
| Ease of use | DNo rating on record. You install it on a Linux server you run, with Docker and Kubernetes among the pieces. | DNo rating on record. It has no graphical interface and is driven by code and the command line. |
| Platforms and integrations | BReached from any web browser, with Docker, Kubernetes, OpenZiti, WireGuard and OpenVPN listed. No desktop or phone app. | CLinux and macOS, with Windows through WSL, and works with Puppeteer, Playwright, Chromedp, Selenium and Stagehand. No phone. |
| Best for | isolated browsers and desktops streamed from your servers | 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: Kasm Workspaces and Lightpanda. How we grade
Where they differ
- Kasm Workspaces is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Kasm Workspaces also covers remote desktop.
- Lightpanda also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Kasm Workspaces | Lightpanda | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $19 per month for 300 browser hours |
| Free plan | Community Edition: free for individuals, nonprofits and non-commercial use, up to 5 concurrent sessions. | Explorer: 10 browser hours a month and 5 concurrent sessions on Lightpanda Cloud. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Kasm Technologies | Lightpanda |
| Price read from | kasm.com | lightpanda.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Kasm Workspaces
- No prices are published for the paid editions; Basic, Essentials and Premier are contact-sales.
- Community Edition is limited to 5 concurrent sessions and to individual, nonprofit or non-commercial use.
- Paid editions need a support subscription: the feature matrix marks standard support as required.
- Self-hosting means installing on a Linux server you run.
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
Kasm Workspaces
- Browser isolation
- Web isolation workspaces run browsing in a container away from the endpoint, with web content filtering.
- Desktops and apps
- Streams Linux desktops, Windows desktops and individual applications to the browser, with no client install needed.
- Workspace images
- A library of images including Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Edge, Chromium and Vivaldi browsers, development tools and OSINT tools.
- Admin controls
- User groups, single sign-on, two-factor authentication, DLP controls and an admin console with session history.
- Flexible hosting
- Single-server, multi-server and Kubernetes deployments, or hosted by Kasm in the cloud.
- Developer API
- A REST API is listed for building custom streaming apps on the Workspaces backend.
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
Kasm Workspaces
Community$0
Free for individuals, nonprofits and non-commercial use; up to 5 concurrent sessions, self-hosted, with community support.
BasicCustom
Browser-focused edition with unlimited concurrent sessions. Contact sales.
EssentialsCustom
Full workspace catalog with unlimited concurrent sessions. Contact sales.
PremierCustom
Everything included. Contact sales.
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, Kasm Workspaces or Lightpanda?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kasm Workspaces publishes no starting price, and Lightpanda starts at $19 per month for 300 browser hours.
Which has a free plan, Kasm Workspaces or Lightpanda?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Kasm Workspaces and Lightpanda have a free plan.
Which platforms do Kasm Workspaces and Lightpanda run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Kasm Workspaces 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.