Cloud browser sessions
Create on-demand browser sessions through an API and run browser automation in Steel’s cloud environment instead of managing the browser process locally.
Steel
Freemium
Steel is open-source browser infrastructure for AI agents and web automation. It provides cloud browser sessions through an API, with support for common browser automation tools and workflows such as scraping, research, RPA, and agent-driven web tasks.
什么是 Steel？
Steel is an open-source browser API for AI agents and web automation. It lets developers create and control browser sessions in the cloud, giving agent applications a way to navigate websites, collect information, and complete browser-based workflows.
The product separates browser execution from an application's agent logic: the application decides what action to take, while Steel provides the hosted browser session. It is intended for workflows including web scraping, autonomous web agents, foundational-model data collection, shopping assistants, RPA, sales automation, QA software, and customer-service agents.
Steel supports existing Puppeteer, Playwright, and Selenium automation code, and the site references Python and Node.js usage. Sessions can be created on demand, kept running for up to 24 hours, and reused with saved cookies and local storage. The platform also provides session inspection through a viewer for live or recorded runs.
Steel 能做什么？
Puppeteer, Playwright, and Selenium support
Connect common browser automation frameworks to Steel, allowing existing automation workflows to move to the cloud with a minimal launch-to-connect change.
Stateful browser contexts
Save and inject cookies and local storage so an agent can reuse a browsing context across runs rather than starting from a blank session each time.
Automation controls for difficult sites
The site describes built-in CAPTCHA solving plus proxy and browser-fingerprinting controls for automations that encounter bot checks or require configurable network and browser signals.
Long-running sessions
A browser session can run for up to 24 hours, supporting workflows that take minutes or hours rather than only short, single-page interactions.
Session observability and authenticated access
Session Viewer supports inspection of live or recorded browser activity, while Auto Sign-In is intended to let agents access authentication-walled websites and applications securely.
使用场景
“Web scraping and data collection”
Run browser-based collection jobs against sites that require page interaction, including large-scale scraping and data gathering for foundational-model training.
“Autonomous web agents”
Give an agent a persistent cloud browser for multi-step tasks such as searching travel sites, comparing options, and carrying out actions based on user instructions.
“Shopping and sales automation”
Build shopping assistants or sales workflows that browse websites, retrieve product or prospect information, and operate across browser interfaces.
“RPA and customer-service workflows”
Use hosted browsers for repetitive business processes and customer-service agents that need to work inside web applications.
“QA and research software”
Support browser-based QA testing or deep-research workflows with reusable context and the ability to inspect live or recorded sessions.
常见问题
What is Steel used for?
Steel provides cloud browser sessions for AI agents and web automation. The site lists web scraping, foundational-model training, AI shopping assistants, RPA, sales automation, QA software, and customer-service agents as example applications.
Which browser automation frameworks does Steel support?
The site shows support for Puppeteer, Playwright, and Selenium, and provides integration references for Python and Node.js.
Can Steel preserve a browser session between runs?
Yes. Steel describes saving and injecting cookies and local storage so developers can reuse a browsing context across sessions.
How long can a Steel browser session run?
The site states that sessions can run for up to 24 hours, supporting both short tasks and longer browser workflows.
Does Steel provide a way to inspect browser activity?
Yes. Session Viewer is described as a tool for viewing and debugging live or recorded sessions.
快速信息
- Category
- Developer Tool / Browser Infrastructure
- Primary users
- Developers building AI agents and web automations
- Deployment model
- Cloud browser sessions controlled through an API
- Automation support
- Puppeteer, Playwright, and Selenium
- Session duration
- Up to 24 hours
- Source domain
- steel.dev
Steel 替代品
Hyperbrowser
www.hyperbrowser.ai
Hyperbrowser provides on-demand cloud browsers and sandboxes for AI agents, web automation, scraping, testing, and agentic code execution. It connects browser workflows through an API, Playwright, Puppeteer, Python, or Node.js.
Notte
www.notte.cc
Notte is browser infrastructure for AI agents and production web automation. It provides managed cloud browsers, AI-driven workflows, developer interfaces, and operational tools for authenticated or recurring web tasks.
Simular
www.simular.ai
Simular is an autonomous computer platform that uses AI agents to operate real computers and automate digital workflows. It serves individuals, builders, operators, and businesses that need to automate tasks across desktop applications and websites, including workflows that do not expose traditional APIs.
BrowserAct
www.browseract.com
BrowserAct is a no-code AI web scraping and browser automation platform that builds reusable Bots from plain-language data requests. It helps teams collect structured, refreshed web data in the cloud or give local AI agents a browser layer for web tasks.
Apify
apify.com
Apify is a marketplace and platform for running web-scraping and browser-automation tools, called Actors. It helps developers and teams collect live web data, feed AI and data workflows, automate browser tasks, and connect runs to external tools.
Stagehand
www.stagehand.dev
Stagehand is an SDK for building browser agents with Playwright-style APIs, natural-language actions, structured extraction, and self-healing behavior. It supports TypeScript, Python, and Go for agents that need to operate web pages with browser-level control.