When building AI agents that need to navigate the web, whether for scraping data, automating forms, or bypassing anti-bot measures, choosing the right browser infrastructure is critical. Two standout platforms, Kernel (link here, raised $22mil here from Accel, YCombinator, Vercel Ventures, and others) and Browserbase (link here, raised +$40mil here from Notable Capital, CRV, Kleiner Perkens, and others), offer cloud-based, headless browser solutions that integrate seamlessly with tools like Playwright, Puppeteer, and agent frameworks. Both aim to simplify the complexities of managing browser fleets, but they cater to slightly different needs.
Both promise powerful browser automation, observability, and scaling capabilities for AI agents, scrapers, and data workflows. But under the hood, they approach the problem very differently.
So which is right for you? Let’s dig in.
Overview of Kernel and Browserbase
Kernel: Speed and Simplicity for Agent-First Workflows
Kernel (that’s us!) is a Y Combinator-backed startup offering a “crazy fast” browser-as-a-service platform built on unikernel technology. Our lightweight architecture enables sub-300ms cold start times, making it ideal for real-time web interactions. Unlike most competitors, Kernel provides a fully headful browser by default: fast, reliable, and ready for complex, visually interactive tasks like dynamic sites, dashboards, or CAPTCHA-heavy flows. We emphasize developer experience with open-source SDKs, a CLI, and features like session reuse (persisting cookies, auth, and history for days). Kernel is built for AI agents tackling workloads such as e-commerce automation, fraud detection, or dynamic web scraping, with a focus on speed, security, and scalability.
Browserbase: Reliable Fleet Management for Enterprise Needs
Browserbase positions itself as a serverless headless browser solution optimized for enterprise-grade reliability. It offers a managed fleet of browsers with a “super network” of residential proxies to evade detection, making it a favorite for teams building large-scale data pipelines or automating complex single-page applications (SPAs). Backed by heavyweights like Perplexity and Vercel, Browserbase prioritizes stability and ease of integration, particularly for teams using frameworks like Stagehand for agentic workflows.
Feature Comparison: Where Kernel Shines
Core Technology and Performance
Kernel: Unikernel-Powered Speed
Kernel’s standout feature is its use of unikernels, which strip away unnecessary OS layers to deliver blazing-fast browser launches (325ms cold starts, per their docs). This speed is a game-changer for real-time applications like live price monitoring or fraud detection, where every millisecond counts. Kernel also supports session reuse, allowing agents to maintain state (cookies, authentication, browsing history) across sessions for days, reducing setup overhead. Developers on X have praised this for cutting latency in e-commerce bots by up to 50% compared to traditional headless setups.
Browserbase: Stable but Slower
Browserbase relies on a serverless architecture optimized for reliability over raw speed. While it handles dynamic JavaScript-heavy sites (e.g., Airbnb or LinkedIn) with ease, its cold start times are less impressive: closer to 500-800ms based on user reports on Reddit. Browserbase’s strength lies in its managed fleet, which ensures consistent performance across thousands of concurrent sessions, but it lacks the sub-second responsiveness that Kernel delivers out of the box.
Why Kernel Wins: For latency-sensitive tasks, Kernel’s unikernel tech and session reuse provide a clear performance edge, making it the faster choice for real-time agent workflows.
Anti-Detection and Stealth Capabilities
Kernel: Built-In Evasion Tools
Kernel comes equipped with high-performance proxies, automatic CAPTCHA solvers, and a stealth mode that mimics human-like browser behavior. These features are critical for scraping sites with robust anti-bot measures (e.g., Cloudflare-protected pages). Kernel’s documentation highlights its ability to rotate IPs dynamically and adjust browser fingerprints, reducing ban risks. A developer on X (@techbit, Sept 2025) noted that Kernel’s stealth mode “breezed through a heavily guarded ticketing site” where other tools failed.
Browserbase: Proxy-Centric Reliability
Browserbase’s “super network” of residential proxies is designed to evade detection by routing traffic through diverse, human-like IPs. It excels at maintaining session consistency, which is crucial for large-scale scraping projects. However, its stealth features are less customizable than Kernel’s, and some Reddit users report needing to layer additional tools (like custom fingerprinting) to match Kernel’s flexibility.
Why Kernel Wins: Kernel’s integrated CAPTCHA solvers and customizable stealth options give developers more control, making it better suited for tricky, bot-resistant sites.
Developer Experience and Debugging
Kernel: Interactive and Open-Source
Kernel’s developer-first approach is evident in its Live View feature, which offers real-time read/write access to browser sessions, complete with logs, replays, and file I/O. This makes debugging a breeze, especially for complex agent workflows. Kernel’s open-source CLI and SDKs (Python, JavaScript) allow developers to spin up browsers in just five lines of code, as demonstrated in their quickstart guide. The ability to install browser extensions and run custom scripts further enhances flexibility, earning praise from indie devs on Reddit for “saving tens of hours” on automation projects.
Browserbase: Streamlined but Less Interactive
Browserbase provides solid debugging tools, including session monitoring and replays, but it leans more toward set-it-and-forget-it workflows. Its Stagehand framework simplifies scripting for less technical users, but it lacks the granular control of Kernel’s Live View. Developer feedback on X suggests Browserbase’s interface is clean but less intuitive for rapid prototyping compared to Kernel’s CLI-driven approach.
Why Kernel Wins: Kernel’s open-source tooling and interactive debugging make it a dream for developers who want hands-on control and fast iteration.
Integrations and Ecosystem
Kernel: Broad and Flexible
Kernel is built for universality: it works seamlessly with all major web agent frameworks, including Stagehand, Browser Use, Magnitude, Playwright, Puppeteer, Selenium, and even OpenAI, Anthropic, and Gemini Computer Use. Its SDKs support both Python and JavaScript, while the open-source CLI allows for deep customization and integration into any workflow. Kernel also supports browser extensions, a rare capability for cloud-based browsers, enabling advanced use cases like ad-blocking, analytics tracking, or custom UI automation.
Browserbase: Focused on Agent Frameworks
Browserbase supports the same core tools (Playwright, Puppeteer, Selenium) but primarily promotes its own Stagehand framework for agentic scripting. While Stagehand offers quick setup for simple tasks, it comes at the cost of flexibility — Browserbase tends to favor its proprietary ecosystem over broad compatibility or external partnerships in the browser automation space. This contrasts with Kernel’s approach, which focuses on building browser infrastructure that maximizes compatibility with all major web automation and agent frameworks. As a result, Browserbase’s ecosystem feels more closed, with fewer options for deep customization or extensions.
Why Kernel Wins: Kernel’s broader integration options and support for extensions make it more versatile for diverse agent architectures.
Compliance and Security
Kernel: Enterprise-Ready with Secure Auth
Kernel offers SOC2 and HIPAA compliance for its Enterprise tier, ensuring data security for sensitive applications like healthcare or finance. Its secure auth system prevents credential exposure to LLMs, a critical feature for AI agents handling sensitive logins. This makes Kernel a safe bet for regulated industries.
Browserbase: Enterprise-Grade but Less Transparent
Browserbase markets itself as enterprise-ready, with compliance features implied but not detailed in public docs. User testimonials from companies like Vanta suggest robust security, but without clear SOC2/HIPAA badges, Kernel has the edge for transparency.
Why Kernel Wins: Kernel’s explicit compliance certifications and secure auth give it a leg up for regulated use cases.
Pricing: Kernel’s Cost-Effective Advantage
Kernel: Transparent and Affordable
Kernel’s pricing is built for clarity and scalability. Unlike competitors that meter by session time, Kernel uses resource-based pricing, billing only for active CDP connection time: not idle browser hours. It offers separate headless and headful rates, and includes proxy usage, advanced stealth mode, and other premium features at no extra charge.
Its tiers are straightforward:
- Free / Developer: $5/month in credits, supporting up to 5 concurrent browsers.
- Pro / Startup: $50/month in credits, with 50 concurrent browsers, replays, and extensions.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing with BYO browser images and extended session retention.
- Usage: $0.0000166667 per GB-second: predictable and scalable for any workload.
This structure lets small teams experiment without breaking the bank, while the resource-based model ensures you only pay for what you actually use, not for idle sessions.
Browserbase: Session-Metered and Less Transparent
Browserbase’s pricing is session-metered, meaning users are charged for both active and idle browser time. Proxy usage and advanced stealth features also come at an additional cost. Pricing details aren’t publicly listed (users must contact sales) but reports from X and Reddit suggest a usage-based model (likely per session-hour or proxy usage) that can be unpredictable for smaller teams. While enterprises may find it scales, many users describe it as “pricey but worth it” for large-scale scraping.
Why Kernel Wins: Kernel’s resource-based pricing, transparent tiers, and included premium features make it far more accessible to startups and bootstrapped developers, while still offering the performance, scalability, and reliability that enterprise teams expect.
Real-World Feedback: What Devs Say
Here’s a good example of developer feedback out there:
Kernel vs Browserbase dev feedback
- @chrisatdeepsky (X, Aug 2025): “Swapped our browser agent web browser from @browserbasehq to @onkernel and startup latency went from ~(30 seconds - never because it failed to load) to a few seconds. Really great product @onkernel! Crazy to see y'all shipping in features in real time too.”
Kernel’s open-source ethos and performance focus resonate with developers building cutting-edge agents, while Browserbase appeals to teams prioritizing stability over raw speed.
Conclusion: Why Kernel is the Better Choice
Kernel and Browserbase comparison chart
For most AI agent developers, whether you’re a solo coder, a startup, or an enterprise team, Kernel is the superior choice. Its unikernel-powered speed (sub-300ms cold starts), session reuse, and open-source CLI make it a powerhouse for real-time automation, scraping, and agent-driven tasks. Kernel’s broad compatibility across the browser automation stack (working seamlessly with frameworks like Playwright, Puppeteer, Stagehand, Browser Use, Magnitude, and even OpenAI / Anthropic / Gemini Computer Use) sets it apart from competitors like Browserbase, which focuses more on its own vertically integrated ecosystem.
Add in interactive debugging tools (Live View, replays), browser extension support, and SOC2/HIPAA compliance, and developers get unmatched flexibility and reliability for even the most sensitive use cases. Combined with transparent, resource-based pricing ($0.0000166667 per GB-second) and a vibrant community of indie devs singing its praises, Kernel stands out as the faster, more open, and more universally compatible browser platform.
Browserbase is no slouch: it’s reliable, scales well, and excels at managing large browser fleets for data-heavy tasks. But its slower cold starts, less customizable stealth features, and opaque pricing make it better suited for enterprise teams with deep pockets and less need for real-time performance. If you’re building AI agents that demand speed, control, and cost-effectiveness, Kernel is the clear winner.
Get Started: Try Kernel at onkernel.com or Browserbase at browserbase.com. Share your thoughts below: what’s your go-to for browser automation? 🚀