Stagehand review (2026): is it any good?
Open-source SDK for browser agents, from Browserbase
Stagehand report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for open-source browser agent SDK
Stagehand is an MIT-licensed SDK that lets you control a browser with Playwright-style code or plain-language commands, in TypeScript, Python or Go. It is a library with no dashboard, and cloud browsers at scale mean a separate Browserbase account.
Who Stagehand is for
- Fits if you write TypeScript, Python or Go and automate sites with no API
- Works for developers already using Playwright who want plain-language steps
Who Stagehand is not for
- Skip it if you do not code, because it is a library with no interface
- Not for you if you need hosted browsers at scale, as that is a separate Browserbase account
- Tight if model costs worry you: natural-language actions call a model you pay for
- Watch out: the speed and token figures on the site are the vendor's own benchmarks
Why Stagehand gets a 3.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyThe SDK is free under the MIT licence and runs against a local browser. You only pay for the model you plug in.
- AFree plan and trialThere is no paid plan for the SDK and no cap on it. Model API costs and any Browserbase account are yours to pay.
- BFeaturesAct, Observe and Extract commands, self-healing actions and a Playwright-style API in three languages. The listing shows no gap in the core job, though scaling needs another product.
- DEase of useNo rating on record. You install a package and write code, and supply your own model keys.
- BPlatforms and integrationsRuns wherever your code does, with Playwright, Browserbase and MCP links. No app of its own on desktop or phones.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Browserbase's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Stagehand? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/stagehand#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/stagehand.svg" alt="Stagehand: 3.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Stagehand stands among AI agents
Stagehand's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 171 of the 178 other AI agents we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 167 of 178) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Stagehand has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 179 AI agents we grade, cut by the letter each got. Stagehand’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 161 of 178, level with 17
- AFree plan and trialAbove 167 of 178, level with 11
- BFeaturesAbove 133 of 178, level with 40
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 178, level with 35
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 47 of 178, level with 121
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 109 AI agents. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Stagehand, or make your own?
Keep it
Stagehand is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 171 of the 178 other AI agents we grade.
What you could not
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Stagehand’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Stagehand?
Stagehand is an MIT-licensed SDK for controlling a browser from agents, with Playwright-style methods plus natural-language Act, Observe and Extract primitives. It is available for TypeScript, Python and Go, and can run against a local browser or be deployed to Browserbase. The SDK is free; cloud browsers are a separate Browserbase service.
Worth knowing
- It is a code library with no dashboard of its own; running it at scale in the cloud means a separate Browserbase account.
- Natural-language actions call an AI model you provide, so model costs are yours.
- Speed and token figures on the site are the vendor's own benchmarks.
Key features
- Act, Observe and Extract
- Natural-language primitives for clicking and typing, finding elements on a page, and pulling structured data that matches a schema.
- Self-healing actions
- The site says Stagehand detects when a page changes and refreshes how a cached action is carried out.
- Playwright-style API
- Familiar goto, click, locator and screenshot methods, with support for out-of-process iframes and closed Shadow DOMs.
- Token-trimmed page context
- A trimmed accessibility tree is passed to the model; the site shows 7.4k tokens against 35.7k for Playwright on one extract task.
- Controls for production
- WebMCP support, domain allowlists and blocklists, batched commands and built-in OpenTelemetry tracing.
Stagehand pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stagehand is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The SDK is free and MIT-licensed. You supply your own model API keys.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open source SDK | $0 | Install from npm (or the Python and Go packages) and run it against a local browser; no paid plan for the SDK itself. |
Read from stagehand.dev on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Stagehand before you buy.
Works with
- Playwright
- Browserbase
- MCP
Stagehand alternatives
- Stagehand vs Browser Use
Free plan · from $5
- Stagehand vs Browserbase
Free plan · from $20/mo
- Stagehand vs Hyperbrowser
Free trial · from $30/mo
- Stagehand vs Kernel
Free plan · from $30/mo
- Stagehand vs Steel
Free trial · from $250/mo
Common questions
Does Stagehand have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Stagehand is listed for Web.
Does Stagehand have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Stagehand is listed for Web.
Is Stagehand open source?
Yes. Stagehand is open source, according to its own site.
Does Stagehand have an API?
Yes. Stagehand offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.