Browserbase vs Hyperbrowser AI: Which is Better? (November 2025)

You're looking at hyperbrowser ai and Browserbase because you need automation that scales. Browserbase runs serverless Chromium instances with session persistence, while Hyperbrowser AI focuses on anti-detection and concurrent sessions. Both services handle the infrastructure piece, but they leave you building all the intelligence yourself.

This post breaks down the actual differences between these two options. You'll see how they handle stealth features, what their pricing really costs at scale, and why most teams end up frustrated with traditional browser infrastructure. The answer isn't about picking the better service, it's about finding a solution that combines infrastructure with intelligence so your automation actually adapts to changes.

TLDR:

• Browserbase provides browser infrastructure while Hyperbrowser AI offers managed instances with anti-detection features
• Both services separate infrastructure from intelligence, requiring custom development for production automation
• Skyvern combines browser infrastructure with LLM and computer vision for visual web interpretation, with browser-based workflow automation that connects to your existing tools
• Workflows adapt to website changes without maintenance using AI reasoning instead of brittle XPath selectors
• Skyvern offers transparent pricing with both managed cloud and open-source self-hosted deployment options

What is Browserbase?

Browserbase is a cloud-hosted browser infrastructure service that runs headless Chromium instances through an API. It's built for teams developing AI agents, web scraping tools, and automation workflows that require browser environments without server management overhead.

The service includes pre-configured Chromium browsers with stealth features to avoid bot detection. Session persistence allows you to pause and resume browser states across automation runs, which helps maintain logged-in sessions or continue multi-step workflows.

Browserbase offers debugging capabilities like live session viewing and session replay, with integrations for Playwright and Puppeteer. The service handles browser infrastructure so developers can focus on automation logic.

What is Hyperbrowser AI?

Hyperbrowser AI provides managed browser instances designed for AI agents and web automation workflows. The service runs browser environments that handle automation at scale while bypassing anti-bot systems.

The core features include CAPTCHA solving, proxy rotation, and anti-detection capabilities built into each browser instance. These help automation scripts and AI agents appear as legitimate traffic when interacting with sites that deploy bot protection.

Hyperbrowser AI serves teams running web scraping operations, automated testing, and AI agent workflows across multiple sites. The service handles infrastructure management so developers can run browser automation without configuring servers or managing proxy networks.

Cloud Infrastructure and Deployment

Browserbase operates on a serverless architecture that spins up Chromium instances through API calls. The service integrates with Playwright, Puppeteer, and Selenium, with built-in session recording for debugging and network interception for request visibility.

Hyperbrowser AI launches isolated browser environments with sub-second start times. The service claims to support over 1,000 concurrent sessions without performance degradation, though organizations requiring guaranteed uptime may find the infrastructure less proven than more mature services.

Skyvern, though, offers both managed cloud and self-hosted deployment options. The service combines browser hosting with AI that interprets web pages visually, removing the need to manage separate infrastructure and automation systems.

AI Automation Capabilities

Browserbase offers Stagehand, an open-source SDK that translates natural language into browser actions, and Director, a no-code workflow orchestration tool. For detailed performance comparisons, see our web bench results. Stagehand includes self-healing components that adapt to web changes, though these still depend on DOM selectors that break with major layout updates. The service supports Model Context Protocol (MCP) for LLM integration with GPT-4, Claude, and Gemini, but requires separate handling of automation logic.

Hyperbrowser AI provides HyperAgent, a Playwright-based framework with AI capabilities through natural language commands. The API includes methods like page.ai() and page.extract() for automation, with integrations for LangChain, LlamaIndex, and MCP. Production deployments typically need substantial custom logic built on top of the base infrastructure.

Skyvern, alternatively, uses computer vision and LLMs to interpret web pages visually, eliminating XPath dependencies. A single workflow runs across multiple websites without modification, while the system handles complex reasoning like inferring eligibility or understanding product equivalents through LLM interactions.

Stealth and Anti-Detection Features

Browserbase offers two stealth tiers. Basic stealth includes automatic CAPTCHA detection and realistic browser fingerprints, while advanced stealth runs custom Chromium that randomizes agent behavior and mimics human interaction patterns. The service provides residential proxies with intelligent routing and session contexts that retain cookies and credentials across runs.

Hyperbrowser AI fingerprints browsers across User-Agent, WebGL, Canvas, and AudioContext parameters. The service combines IP rotation with behavior simulation and ad-blocking, plus automatic CAPTCHA solving. The credit-based pricing makes cost estimation challenging for ongoing stealth operations at scale.

Skyvern, though, manages authentication flows that break most automation workflows, including native 2FA and TOTP support. CAPTCHA solving and proxy networks support geographic targeting down to ZIP code level, handling the complete authentication sequence that other browser infrastructure typically requires developers to build separately.

Session Management and Debugging

Browserbase includes Live View for embedding browser sessions into applications, plus Session Inspector and Session Replay for debugging failed runs. The Contexts API maintains cookies and browser state across sessions, with data retention ranging from 7 to 90+ days based on pricing tier.

Hyperbrowser AI stores browser state including cookies and cache through configurable profiles, with data retention up to 180+ days. The service logs real-time and historical records of automated tasks and supports static IPs for consistent connections.

Skyvern provides live viewport streaming that displays the AI's visual perspective during execution. The action viewer shows decision justifications at each step, while multi-step workflow chaining connects sequences with full visibility. The managed cloud option includes anti-bot detection and parallel execution.

Pricing and Cost Structure

Browserbase starts at $39/month for 200 browser hours with 2GB of proxies and 3 concurrent browsers. The $99/month tier increases capacity to 500 hours, 5GB of proxies, and 50 concurrent browsers. A free tier includes 1 browser hour with 7-day data retention.

Hyperbrowser AI uses a credit-based model where 1 credit equals $0.001. One browser hour costs 100 credits ($0.10) while one scraped page costs 1 credit ($0.001). The Startup plan runs $30/month plus usage fees with 30,000 credits, 25 concurrent browsers, and 30 days of data retention.

Skyvern offers transparent pricing across Basic, Pro, and Enterprise plans without hidden fees. The open-source option allows self-hosting for teams wanting infrastructure control, while the managed cloud version removes server management overhead.

Why Skyvern is the Better Choice

Browserbase and Hyperbrowser AI provide browser infrastructure for running headless browsers at scale. Browserbase integrates with traditional automation frameworks, while Hyperbrowser AI handles concurrent sessions with AI agent support.

Both services separate infrastructure from intelligence. Browserbase lacks native AI reasoning, while Hyperbrowser AI requires substantial development to build production-ready automation. Neither solves the core issue: brittle automation that breaks when websites change.

Skyvern combines enterprise-grade infrastructure with LLM and computer vision that interpret web pages visually. Workflows run on unfamiliar websites without custom code and adapt to layout changes without maintenance. Teams get reliable infrastructure and AI intelligence in one solution.

Final thoughts on browser infrastructure for web automation

You can get reliable browser infrastructure from either Browserbase or Hyperbrowser AI, but you'll need to handle the AI reasoning yourself. If you're looking at browser automation tools, consider whether you want to manage two systems or get infrastructure and intelligence in one package. Skyvern bundles everything together so your automation adapts to website changes without rewriting selectors. It's worth considering whether you want to manage two systems or get infrastructure and intelligence in one package.

FAQ

What is the main difference between Browserbase and Hyperbrowser AI?

Browserbase focuses on providing browser infrastructure with integrations for Playwright and Puppeteer, while Hyperbrowser AI specializes in anti-detection features with built-in CAPTCHA solving and proxy rotation. Browserbase offers better debugging tools, while Hyperbrowser AI supports more concurrent sessions at scale.

How does Skyvern handle website changes differently than browser infrastructure services?

Skyvern uses computer vision and LLMs to interpret web pages visually instead of relying on DOM selectors or XPaths, which means a single workflow runs across multiple websites without modification and adapts automatically when layouts change, eliminating the maintenance overhead that breaks traditional automation.

When should I choose browser infrastructure over an AI automation solution?

Choose browser infrastructure like Browserbase or Hyperbrowser AI if you already have automation scripts and need managed hosting. Choose an AI automation solution like Skyvern if you're building new workflows, dealing with frequent website changes, or need to automate across multiple unfamiliar sites without writing custom code for each one.

Can Browserbase or Hyperbrowser AI handle authentication flows automatically?

Both services provide session persistence and stealth features, but you'll need to build authentication logic separately. Skyvern includes native 2FA and TOTP support that handles the complete authentication sequence, including CAPTCHA solving and multi-step verification flows.

How much does browser automation cost with credit-based pricing?

Hyperbrowser AI charges 100 credits ($0.10) per browser hour and 1 credit ($0.001) per scraped page, with the Startup plan starting at $30/month plus usage fees. Browserbase uses fixed pricing starting at $39/month for 200 browser hours, making costs more predictable for ongoing automation operations.