Steel

What it is for

Steel is an open-source browser API for agents: the official docs still (see the cover: Steel documentation, Get Started with CLI + Agent skill, Sessions / CAPTCHAs / Credentials cards) is the getting-started surface. Use it when the job is attach Playwright to a stealth cloud session, not when you need a general chat agent.

The runtime is open source. Cloud Launch is $0/month + usage. Scale is the first public paid card.

What makes it unique: the cover is Steel’s own docs hub with a real CLI install line — not a marketing prism poster.

Key features

• CLI + agent skill — curl -sSf https://setup.steel.dev | sh on the docs home (cover).
• Sessions API — create, live-view, and release Chromium over CDP.
• CAPTCHA / credentials / files — billed APIs on the same docs grid.
• Integrations — Gemini / Claude / OpenAI computer-use cookbooks on the hub.
• OSS runtime — self-host the browser API; Cloud adds stealth, proxies, and replays.

Who it's for

Best fit: agent authors who want a CDP endpoint with proxies and session replay.

Poor fit: people who want a hosted general agent (Manus) or markdown-out scrape credits (Firecrawl).

Pricing

Verified 2026-10-22 (Asia/Shanghai) from the live cards on steel.dev/pricing and docs.steel.dev/overview/pricinglimits. Re-check before you buy.

• Launch — $0/month + usage. $30 one-time credits (~300 browser hours). 10 concurrent; 15-minute sessions; 3 seats.
• Scale — $250/month + usage. $100 credits every month. 100 concurrent; 1-hour sessions; dedicated IPs $5/IP; HIPAA-ready BAA.
• Enterprise — custom + usage. 1,000+ concurrent; stealth browser; 24-hour sessions; SSO.

Launch rates: browser hours $0.10; proxy $10/GB; CAPTCHA $3/1k; browser tools $5/1k. Scale: $0.08/hr; proxy $6/GB; CAPTCHA $1/1k.

Limitations / costs

• Launch credits are one-time. After $30, usage bills at $0.10/hour.
• Launch sessions cap at 15 minutes. Longer runs need Scale.
• Stealth Browser is Enterprise. It is not on Launch or Scale.
• CAPTCHA / Steel proxies on Launch need a $10 deposit on the docs we copied.

Alternatives

• Browserbase — session grid with a $20 Developer card.
• Browser Use — MIT agent plus Cloud at $0.02/hour.
• Skyvern — prompt-to-agent Studio; Hobby $29.

Official tutorial

Official Steel Browser channel video: Hermes Agent + Steel Browser: Let Your AI Agent Browse the Web (oEmbed author: Steel Browser).

Written path: Steel Docs plus Pricing.

Website

https://steel.dev

Repository

https://github.com/steel-dev/steel-browser

Source

Catalog row curated for AI Tools Nav. Cover is the official docs hub (CLI + Sessions / CAPTCHAs cards). Dollars checked on steel.dev/pricing (Launch $0 + $30 credits; Scale $250). Tutorial: Hermes Agent + Steel Browser on @steel-dev (oEmbed).

Last verified

2026-10-22 (Asia/Shanghai) editorial check.