Kernel vs Notte (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kernel grades higher than Notte: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Kernel grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Kernel
Cloud browser infrastructure for web agents and automations
Notte
Cloud browsers, identities and agents for web automation
Which one is for you
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
Pick Notte if
- Fits if you want to try browser agents for a few runs with no card
- Works for developers who need saved logins across agent sessions
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: $10 once, 5 browsers and 15-minute sessions
- Watch out: plan credits expire at the end of each cycle, though top-ups do not
- Watch out: usage is billed on top, with residential proxies at $10 per GB
- Skip it if you need to bring your own keys or proxies below the $100 Startup plan
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAKernelFair | 1.8GPANotteWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CDeveloper is $20 a month with $20 of credits that expire each cycle, so most of it is prepaid usage. Startup is $100. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe free plan has $5 of usage credits a month, 5 concurrent browsers and 1-day replays. A real project will use that up. | CA one-time $10 in credits with no card, 5 concurrent browsers and 15-minute sessions. It runs out and does not refill. |
| Features | CStealth, CAPTCHA solving, managed auth, live view and replays are covered. Custom proxies, GPU and regional browsers need the $200 plan. | CSessions, agents, functions, personas and vaults. Bring-your-own keys and proxies wait for the $100 Startup plan. |
| Ease of use | DNo rating on record. You drive it through an API and SDK, so it is a developer setup with code to write. | DNo rating on record. It is used through an SDK and API, so it takes code. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb service with an API and links to Stripe, Anthropic, 1Password and Vercel. No desktop or phone app, and it is cloud only. | CWeb service only, with no integrations named. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | cloud browsers for web agents | cloud browsers and agent identities |
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: Kernel and Notte. How we grade
Price against what you get
Kernel starts at $30 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Notte starts at $20 a month and scores 1.7.
Kernel scores higher, and starts $10 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other AI agents on the chart, 53 score higher than Kernel for less, and 35 score higher than Notte 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.
- Kernel also covers screen recording.
At a glance
| Kernel | Notte | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $30 per month, plus usage | $20 per month |
| Free plan | $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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | $10 in credits granted once on sign-up, no card needed, no expiry |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Kernel | Notte Labs Inc. |
| Price read from | kernel.sh | notte.cc |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Notte
- Usage is billed on top of the credits: sessions $0.01 an hour, functions $0.05 an hour, residential proxies $10 per GB.
- Monthly plan credits expire at the end of each cycle; extra purchased top-ups do not.
- Bring-your-own keys and proxies start on the Startup plan; Free and Developer sessions cap at 15 and 120 minutes.
- Model tokens are passed through without a Notte markup when Notte-managed keys are used.
Key features
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.
Notte
- Cloud browser sessions
- Launches many concurrent browser instances, with live view, session replays, stealth and captcha solving included on every plan.
- Browser agents
- An agent takes a task described in plain language and carries it out on the web without selectors to maintain.
- Functions
- Browser functions run as billed workloads on the platform, charged by the hour.
- Personas and vaults
- Browser profiles for each agent and credential vaults keep identities and logins available across runs.
- Proxies
- Residential proxies are available when enabled, and the Startup plan accepts your own proxy at a lower per-GB rate.
Plans
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.
Notte
Free$0
One-time $10 of credits, 5 concurrent browsers and 15-minute sessions.
Developer$20
per month
$20 of credits a month that expire each cycle, 25 concurrent browsers and 120-minute sessions.
Startup$100
per month
$100 of credits a month, 100 concurrent browsers, 300-minute sessions, bring-your-own keys and proxies.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom limits, SSO, SLAs, HIPAA, on-premise deployment and bring-your-own cloud.
Ways to pay less
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.
Notte
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Kernel or Notte?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Notte is cheaper to start with: $20 a month, against $30 a month for Kernel. Kernel starts at $30 per month, plus usage, and Notte starts at $20 per month.
Which has a free plan, Kernel or Notte?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Kernel has a free plan. Notte 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.