Side by side
Browserbase vs chromedp
Both stand on browser automation tools. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
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.
Visit Browserbase Free plan APILinuxMac+2
Choose chromedp if you are building browser automation in Go and want Chrome DevTools Protocol control without an external driver. Look elsewhere if you need support for multiple browser engines or cannot use Go 1.27 or newer.
Visit chromedpThe facts
| Browserbase | chromedp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Web | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Developer Plan: $20 a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Maker | Browserbase, Inc. | Not published |
| Website | browserbase.com | github.com |
| On browser automation tools | #12 of 63 | #8 of 63 |
Browserbase: what it does well
- Supports Playwright, Puppeteer, Selenium, and Stagehand.
- Sessions can be watched live and replayed.
- Free plan includes one browser hour.
- Lists SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA compliance.
What to know first
- Free sessions have a 15-minute limit.
- Free plan includes three concurrent browsers.
- No on-prem deployment option is listed.
- Developer plan includes 100 browser hours before extra charges.
chromedp: what it does well
- Automates navigation, clicks, forms, JavaScript, and element waits.
- Handles cookies, headers, request interception, and login sessions.
- Captures screenshots, prints PDFs, and saves screencast frames as JPEGs.
- Connects to remote browsers over WebSocket.
- Includes a headless-shell Docker image and uses debugging pipes by default.
What to know first
- Requires Go 1.27 or newer.
- The package targets browsers supporting the Chrome DevTools Protocol; browser engines are listed as one.
- Sharing one context between goroutines can cause races.
Alternatives to Browserbase Alternatives to chromedp The whole list