Browserless

Description

Browserless is a managed headless browser platform for developers running Puppeteer, Playwright, and headless Chrome without operating servers, containers, or Chrome updates. Existing scripts connect by swapping launch() for connect() and pointing to a Browserless endpoint, while Browserless manages the browsers, concurrency, memory, and browser versions. It runs a managed fleet of Chromium, Chrome, Firefox, and WebKit instances across regions in San Francisco, London, and Amsterdam.

The platform can be driven five ways over the same runtime: Browsers as a Service via WebSocket for Puppeteer and Playwright, REST APIs for screenshots, PDFs, scraping, search, and crawl, BrowserQL declarative mutations for stealth-first workflows, an MCP server with a browser agent and REST tools for AI agents, and self-hosted Docker deployments. Runtime features such as stealth fingerprints, automatic CAPTCHA solving, residential proxies, persistent sessions, and LiveURL handoff can be enabled per request across every interface.

Browserless is built for AI agents, integrating with frameworks such as Browser Use, Stagehand, LangChain, the Vercel AI SDK, and Claude Computer Use, and dropping into Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, and Windsurf through its hosted MCP server. Authenticated Profiles let an agent log in once and reuse that state across many parallel sessions without keeping credentials in code, including autologin via 1Password.

The company reports eight years in production, 173M+ Docker pulls, 99.9% uptime, and SOC 2 Type II certification, and offers cloud, managed cloud, and self-hosted deployment with the same API. Pricing is unit-based, and a free plan includes 1,000 units per month, 2 concurrent browsers, CAPTCHA solving, and residential proxies with no credit card required.

Browserless's Core Features

• Managed cloud Chromium, Chrome, Firefox, and WebKit fleet

• Drop-in Puppeteer and Playwright support over WebSocket

• REST APIs for screenshots, PDFs, scraping, search, and crawl

• BrowserQL for stealth-first, CAPTCHA-heavy workflows

• Hosted MCP server and browser agent for AI frameworks

• Built-in stealth, CAPTCHA solving, and residential proxies

• Authenticated Profiles to log in once and reuse across sessions

• Cloud, managed cloud, and self-hosted deployment with the same API

How to use Browserless?

1. 1

   Get an API key: Sign up for the free plan, no credit card required.

2. 2

   Connect your code: Replace launch() with connect() and point to a Browserless endpoint.

3. 3

   Pick an interface: Use Puppeteer, Playwright, REST, BrowserQL, or the MCP server.

4. 4

   Enable runtime features: Turn on stealth, proxies, CAPTCHA solving, or profiles per request.

5. 5

   Run and monitor: Execute automations and track metrics, sessions, and live debugging.

Browserless's Use Cases

• Web scraping
• Browser automation
• AI agents
• Screenshots and PDFs
• Self-hosted automation

FAQ from Browserless

• What is Browserless?

  Browserless is a managed headless browser platform for developers running Puppeteer, Playwright, and headless Chrome, with no servers, containers, or Chrome updates to manage. You connect with one line of code.

• Do I need to rewrite my code?

  No. Browserless is compatible with standard Puppeteer and Playwright APIs, so if your scripts run locally, they run on Browserless by changing one line to connect to its endpoint.

• What is included in the free plan?

  The free plan includes 1,000 units per month, 2 concurrent browsers, automatic CAPTCHA solving, residential proxies, and access to Chrome, Firefox, and WebKit, with no credit card required.

• How does pricing work and what is a unit?

  Pricing is unit-based. A unit is charged each time a browser runs for up to 30 seconds, with a new unit every 30 seconds a session continues. Paid plans include a monthly allowance, and residential proxies use 6 units per MB.

• Can I self-host Browserless?

  Yes. Browserless offers cloud, managed cloud, and self-hosted deployment with the same API. Enterprise customers can specify cloud providers, regions, GPU configs, and run on their own infrastructure.

• How does Browserless work with AI agents?

  Browserless provides a hosted MCP server with a browser agent and REST tools, integrates with Browser Use, Stagehand, LangChain, the Vercel AI SDK, and Claude Computer Use, and keeps sessions stateful across tool calls.