Skip to content
effecthub

Browserbase vs Skylight

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Entry price
The same for both — $20/mo
Free plan
Both have one
Public API
Both have one
Higher Trust score
Browserbase — 96 vs 82 for Skylight
Best fit
Browserbase: Developers building browser-using AI agents · Skylight: Developers automating legacy Windows software without an API

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

BrowserbaseHosted headless-browser infrastructure so AI agents can browse, log in, and fill forms on real websites at scale.SkylightSpins up cloud Windows machines that an AI agent or API can control — clicking, typing, and taking screenshots.

Side by side

FactBrowserbaseSkylight
CategoryBrowser Automation AgentsRPA & Desktop Automation
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$20/mo$20/mo
Public APIYesYes
Trust score96 / 10082 / 100
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, API
CompanyBrowserbase Inc.Ledra AI Inc.
Launched2024—
Last verifiedOct 22, 2026Oct 15, 2026

What our research says

Browserbase

Browserbase removes the operational work of running headless Chrome at scale - proxies, fingerprinting, CAPTCHA, session storage - which is exactly the layer most agent-building teams don't want to own themselves. It's infrastructure, not a finished agent, so there's still integration work to do on top of it.

Pros

  • Automatic CAPTCHA solving and proxy/fingerprint handling out of the box
  • Free tier available to test before paying
  • Session replay and observability for debugging agent runs
  • Open-source Stagehand framework for the automation layer

Cons

  • Free tier is capped at just 1 browser hour, not enough for real workloads
  • Requires developer effort to wire into an actual agent - it's infrastructure, not an end-user tool
  • Overage billing on browser-hours can add up for high-volume use

Skylight

Skylight is infrastructure for people building automation on top of Windows software that has no API of its own, not a finished workflow product by itself. It requires developer effort to wire up, and the metered fees on top of the monthly plan mean actual monthly cost depends heavily on how many actions the agent performs.

Pros

  • Full Windows environment rather than a browser-only sandbox
  • API and built-in agent both available for controlling instances
  • Free tier with $5 of monthly credit for testing before paying

Cons

  • Metered per-minute and per-action fees sit on top of the monthly plan, so costs are hard to predict upfront
  • Requires developer integration work — not a plug-and-play tool for non-technical users
  • Enterprise on-premises pricing isn't published

Which one fits

Choose Browserbase if you need

  • Developers building browser-using AI agents
  • Teams scraping sites that block plain HTTP requests
  • Products that need agents to log in and act on behalf of users

Choose Skylight if you need

  • Developers automating legacy Windows software without an API
  • Teams needing a full desktop environment rather than just a browser
  • Builders comfortable metering costs per action rather than a flat fee

Browserbase vs Skylight: the questions people ask

Is Browserbase cheaper than Skylight?

Both publish the same entry price, $20/mo. The difference is what each plan includes, which the fact table above sets side by side.

Does Browserbase or Skylight have a free tier?

Both: Browserbase has a free tier, and Skylight has a free tier.

Which has a public API, Browserbase or Skylight?

Both ship a public API, so either can be built on; the fact table above shows the platforms each one runs on.

More comparisons

Browse all Browser Automation Agents →