Steel

What it does

Steel takes in instructions from AI agents or code, such as a Playwright, Puppeteer, or Selenium script, and returns controlled cloud browser sessions. Each session starts in a real Chromium browser with its own cookies, storage, and proxy settings, and can be recorded, viewed live, or read back as a step-by-step trace. Output is the browser's results: pages, extracted data, screenshots, PDFs, and session recordings.

People use Steel to give agents a browser for web tasks such as scraping pages that need logins or JavaScript, running end-to-end browser tests, and automating forms in web apps that lack an API. Its distinct features include stealth browsing with CAPTCHA solving, residential and datacenter proxies with country-to-city targeting, persistent profiles that keep sign-ins across runs, and human takeover for steps like two-factor authentication. Steel Browser is also available as open-source software that you can host yourself.

Steel suits developers and engineering teams building browser-based agents or automation, and it can also be used by enterprises needing HIPAA-ready agreements and self-hosting. Access is through an API, SDKs, a CLI, and an account at app.steel.dev. Pricing is usage-based, with a one-time $30 credit on the Launch plan. Key limitations: Launch sessions are capped at 15 minutes and 10 concurrent sessions, residential proxies and CAPTCHA solving need a verified account with a paid balance, and the credentials feature is in beta.

What it can do

• Start cloud browser sessions in under a second via the Sessions API
• Connect Playwright, Puppeteer, or Selenium scripts over a CDP WebSocket URL
• Solve CAPTCHAs and use residential or datacenter proxies with country-to-city targeting
• Record sessions and view them live, with readable traces of each run
• Persist cookies and logins across runs with browser profiles and human takeover
• Store credentials for injection into sessions, with TOTP support (beta)

Works with

• Playwright
• Puppeteer
• Selenium
• Claude Code
• Codex
• Cursor
• Gemini
• Hermes Agent
• Python SDK
• Node.js SDK

Before you choose

• Launch sessions are limited to 15 minutes and 10 concurrent sessions; Scale raises these to 1 hour and 100
• Residential proxies and CAPTCHA solving require a verified account with at least $10 paid balance
• Credential storage is in beta and free during the beta period

Listed under

• Coding
• MCP and agent tools
• AI agents
• Browser automation
• Developers
• Developer tools
• Open source
• QA testing

Get started

Launch plan includes $30 of one-time credits with no credit card needed.

1. Create an account at app.steel.dev and get an API key
2. Install the SDK (npm install steel-sdk) or the CLI (npm install -g @steel-dev/cli)
3. Start a session with client.sessions.create() and connect your Playwright or Puppeteer script to its CDP URL

Launch is $0/month plus usage after $30 one-time credits run out. Scale is $250/month plus usage with $100 monthly credits. Browser hours, proxy bandwidth, and CAPTCHA solves are metered; see the pricing page rate table.

Source: steel.dev/pricing, checked 29 Oct 2026. Prices can change; check before you buy.

Sources for this overview

Product pages, documentation, and pricing checked 29 Oct 2026. Each source supports part of the overview; availability and prices can change.

• Steel | Open-source Browser Infrastructure for AI Agents ↗steel.dev
• Steel | Pricing ↗steel.dev
• Steel | Steel now ships as a browser plugin for Hermes Agent ↗steel.dev
• Credentials API | Steel Docs ↗docs.steel.dev
• Steel | Developer tools come with an assembly required sticker ↗steel.dev

Company website

steel.dev: product, pricing and policy pages

YC directory mirror

Batch and company name

Web search

Confirms the official site

Social accounts

Accounts the company links, and its posts on X

Human review

Checked by a person

knowledge_base

manual_review

Last checked 29 Oct 2026. Every field keeps its source and date; unknown means we couldn’t confirm it.