Free and open first

Best Headless Browser APIs in 2026

Headless browser APIs let software open and control browsers without a visible window. This list is for developers and teams choosing a service for browser automation or web tasks.

32 apps
Research read 28 Sept 2026
How the order is worked out

1

Browser Use
by Browser Use, Inc.
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3

Choose Browser Use if you need hosted or self-hosted browser task execution with persistent sessions, recordings, and broad automation integrations.

9.0 From $0.02 Visit site
2

Browserless
by Browserless
Free plan Open source Web

Browserless combines browser automation interfaces, APIs, and session persistence with both cloud and self-hosted deployment.

8.6 Free plan · paid from $25/mo (annual) Visit site
3

Steel
by Nen Labs, Inc.
Free plan Open source APISelf-hostedWeb

Steel provides browser sessions and one-call tools alongside integrations for automation and agents. Session duration and the availability of proxies or CAPTCHA solving depend on the selected plan.

8.5 Free plan · paid from $250/mo Visit site
4

Anchor Browser

Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb

7.5 Free plan · paid from $50/mo Visit site
5

Airtop
by Airtop
Free plan APIWeb

Airtop combines visual agent building with programmable APIs and browser controls. Its plan limits and cloud-only delivery matter when sizing concurrent work or deployment needs.

7.4 Free plan · paid from $29/mo · 7-day trial Visit site
6

BrowserCat
by BrowserCat
Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb

BrowserCat centralizes managed cloud browser execution behind one API and supports several common automation clients. Review credit charging and spending limits carefully when estimating usage.

7.4 Free plan · paid from $50/mo Visit site
7

Bright Data Browser API

Free plan APIWeb

Bright Data Browser API combines cloud browser execution with automation framework support and built-in unblocking features.

7.3 Free plan · paid from $1.50 Visit site
8

Firecrawl
by Firecrawl
Free plan APIExtensionLinux+4

7.3 Free plan · paid from $16/mo (annual) Visit site
9

GoLogin
by SCALEHAT LLC
Free plan AndroidAPILinux+3

GoLogin combines isolated Chromium profiles, proxy assignment, and sharing across supported devices. Its free plan is limited to three profiles, while paid pricing is billed annually.

7.3 Free plan · paid from $4.50/mo (annual) · 7-day trial Visit site
10

Browserbase
by Browserbase, Inc.
Free plan APIWeb

Browserbase provides managed browser sessions alongside search, retrieval, and observability tools for web agents. Its free tier has usage and session limits, and the service is cloud-only.

7.2 Free plan · paid from $20/mo Visit site
11

BrowserCloud
by BrowserCloud, LLC
Free plan APIWeb

BrowserCloud combines hosted Chrome sessions, automation APIs, monitoring, and proxy and stealth features.

7.2 Free plan · paid from $19/mo Visit site
12

BrowserSolver Headless Browser API

Free plan API

7.0 From $49/mo Visit site
13

Cloudflare Browser Run
by Cloudflare
Free plan APIWeb

Browser Run provides hosted Chrome with both stateless actions and controllable sessions, plus several output formats and Cloudflare integrations.

7.0 Free plan · paid from $5/mo Visit site
14

Notte Cloud Browsers

Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb

7.0 Free plan · paid from $20/mo Visit site
15

BrowserView

Free plan API

6.9 Free plan · paid from $20/mo Visit site
16

Hyperbrowser
by S2 Labs Inc.
Free plan APIWeb

Hyperbrowser packages cloud browser execution, automation integrations, extraction, and browser-management controls for AI and development workflows.

6.9 Free plan Visit site
17

MegaIndex
by MegaIndex
Free plan API

MegaIndex combines SEO datasets with browser automation and API access. Compare the free capacity and traffic-based Dev pricing with the scraping and support features reserved for Enterprise.

6.8 Free plan · paid from $2.50 Visit site
18

Reader Browser

Free plan APISelf-hosted

6.8 Free plan Visit site
19

ScrapingBee
by VostokInc SAS
Free plan APIWeb

ScrapingBee combines browser rendering, extraction methods, proxy handling, and dedicated APIs in a cloud service.

6.8 From $19/mo Visit site
20

Remote Browser

Free plan API

6.7 Free plan · paid from $4.90/mo Visit site
21

Webscrape AI Browse

Free plan APIWeb

6.7 Free plan · paid from $19/mo Visit site
22

ScreenshotNeo
by Yorker Media
Free plan Web

6.6 Visit site
23

Surfsky Cloud Browser

Free plan API

6.6 From $29/mo Visit site
24

Yutori Browsing API

Free plan APISelf-hosted

6.6 From $0.01 Visit site
25

TinyFish Browser

Free plan API

6.5 From $0.00 Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

Compare free plans, paid starting prices, trials, and licence terms before you commit. Check supported platforms, browser engines, session limits, session duration, proxies, stealth mode, recording, and geo targeting.

Questions

What is a headless browser API?

It is an API or service that opens and controls a web browser without displaying its user interface.

Can I use a headless browser API for free?

Some services offer a free plan, while others provide a free trial or start with paid pricing. Check the terms for the service you choose.

Are headless browser APIs open source?

Open-source code is available from items in this category. Review the licence and confirm whether self-hosting is supported.

What platforms do these services support?

Services may run through an API, web interface, or self-hosted setup, with platform support that can include macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Which features should I compare?

Compare free plan, paid starting price, self-hosting, parallel and concurrent sessions, browser engines, session duration, proxies, stealth mode, recording, and geo targeting.

Questions

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