Steel Browser
Steel Browser is an open-source browser API that lets AI agents open web pages, take screenshots and control Chrome. Deploy it in one click with a password.
Deploy Steel Browser on CloudStation Without Managing Servers
This template runs the Steel Browser API with Chrome and a password in front of it, so your agents get a real browser without you installing or maintaining one.
⚠️ Before you start: Connect with username admin and the ACCESS_PASSWORD value from the service's environment variables. It is generated for each deployment. The project describes itself as a public beta.
What is Steel Browser?
Steel Browser is an open-source browser API for AI agents and automation. It manages Chrome sessions and offers quick calls for page content, screenshots and PDFs. It is licensed under Apache-2.0.
How do I connect an AI agent to Steel Browser?
Create a session with POST /v1/sessions using basic auth, then connect Playwright or Puppeteer to the returned websocket address with the same credentials. For one-off work, call /v1/scrape, /v1/screenshot or /v1/pdf with the page URL.
Best For and Not Best For
Best for: AI agents that need to read or use websites, and browser automation with Playwright or Puppeteer.
Not best for: critical production work that cannot tolerate beta software, or large fleets of browsers running at once.
Why Teams Choose Steel Browser
Browser Control
Full Chrome control over the DevTools protocol
Sessions that keep cookies and browser state
Works with Playwright and Puppeteer
Quick Tools
Scrape a page in one API call
Take screenshots
Create PDFs from web pages
Steel Browser vs Alternatives
Steel Browser vs Browserless: Choose Steel Browser when you want an Apache-2.0 licensed browser API built with AI agents in mind.
Steel Browser vs Hosted browser services: Choose Steel Browser when you want your own instance and fixed hosting instead of paying per browser session.
Steel Browser vs Running Chrome yourself: Choose Steel Browser when you want sessions and an API ready, without managing Chrome in a container.
Why Deploy Steel Browser on CloudStation?
Password protected: Nobody else can use your browser through your address.
Room to burst: Chrome can use extra memory when a heavy page needs it.
HTTPS handled for you: CloudStation provides SSL on your web address.
Common Steel Browser Use Cases
Agents that use websites: Let an agent read pages and take actions a simple HTTP request cannot.
Screenshots and PDFs: Capture any public page with one API call.
Testing and monitoring: Run scripted browser checks against your own sites.
FAQ
Is Steel Browser free?
Yes. It is open source under Apache-2.0. You pay only for the CloudStation resources it runs on.
Can I use Playwright with it?
Yes. Connect to the websocket address that a session returns, and include your username and password.
Does it have a web dashboard?
No. This template runs the API only.
Is it production ready?
The project describes itself as a public beta, so test it against your workload first.
Are sessions kept after a restart?
No. Sessions are temporary, and this template has no volume.
Give Your Agent a Browser With Steel
If you are searching for self-host a browser for AI agents, Steel Browser hosting, a Browserless alternative, a headless Chrome API or a browser API for AI agents, this CloudStation template is built for that intent.
Deploy Steel Browser Now → A real browser for agents. Your own server. Zero server management.