Agentic Index
Browserbase vs Kernel (2026)
Browserbase last verified ·Kernel last verified
Two hosted browser platforms for agents. That verdict is the Agentic Index coverage score, graded from each vendor's own published materials.
Browserbase provides hosted browsers with MCP integration, a free tier and plans from $20 a month on Developer. Kernel counters on runtime properties, with millisecond spin ups, persistent session state, live take control views and replays, any framework support, an MCP server and an agent runtime turning agents into HTTPS endpoints, a free Developer plan, then Hobbyist at $30 a month plus usage. Ecosystem maturity against cold start speed and session persistence.
On the Agentic Index agent infrastructure ranking, Browserbase clears the bar and Kernel does not. Browserbase documents all five production contract capabilities in full; Kernel does not document model flexibility and routing in full, nor testing, debugging and optimization. 33 of the 186 vendors in the lane clear it. See the agent infrastructure ranking
This comparison is published by Agentic Index, an independent agentic AI vendor research platform. Browserbase and Kernel are each graded against the same 14 capability Agentic Index taxonomy, from the vendor's own public materials under the Agentic Index verification standard, alongside 1,084 researched vendors. No vendor pays for placement and no vendor has reviewed this page. How this evidence is graded
Choose Browserbase if
- You want to pick OpenAI, Anthropic or Google models by name for the agents you run.
- Testing and debugging agent runs before production is part of your process.
- One plan that also carries search, fetch and extract allocations suits how your agents gather data.
Choose Kernel if
- Cold start latency is a user facing number in your product.
- Persistent session state across runs is the property your workflow depends on.
- Framework agnosticism matters because you have not settled on one.
| Feature | B Browserbase |
K Kernel |
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| Action & orchestration | ||
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Integrations & Tool Calling Ability to connect agents to real systems through native integrations, OAuth-authenticated actions, custom tools, APIs, webhooks, or MCP-compatible tools. |
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BrowserbaseIntegrations & Tool Calling Browserbase Agents have four built in tool groups (browser, search, shell and files) and cannot take custom tools yet. The integrations directory (Stripe cards, 1Password logins, Box, n8n and agent frameworks) connects services to sessions that the customer's own code drives. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/platform/agents/how-it-worksread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelIntegrations & Tool Calling A named integration catalog puts a Kernel browser inside Browser Use, Stagehand, the Claude Agent SDK and Claude Code, the Vercel AI SDK, Replit, Hermes Agent and computer use models from Anthropic, OpenAI and Gemini. Agents can also act with authentication. Managed Auth logs agents in to outside sites with profiles the user approves, vaults fill stored credentials without exposing them, and wallet integrations with Stripe Link and Agentcard let agents pay. Sourcekernel.sh/docs/integrations/overviewread 2026-09-27 |
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Workflow Orchestration Ability to sequence, branch, retry, route, and combine deterministic workflow nodes with autonomous agent steps. |
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BrowserbaseWorkflow Orchestration An Agent run plans and executes multi step browser work, reusable Agents run one prompt across many inputs, and Functions host the customer's own scripts behind an API. Sequencing, branching and retries across runs live in the customer's code, and there is no workflow model. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/platform/functions/overviewread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelWorkflow Orchestration Customer code runs on Kernel as apps with named actions, invoked synchronously or asynchronously with status streaming, and browser pools keep browsers ready for repeated work. The workflow logic itself lives in the customer's agent, and there is no workflow model for multi step or multi agent work. Sourcekernel.sh/docs/apps/invokeread 2026-09-27 |
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Triggers & Channel Coverage How agents wake up and where they work: schedules, webhooks, message events, CRM events, inbox events, chat, email, voice, and collaboration tools. |
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BrowserbaseTriggers & Channel Coverage Runs and Functions start from the API, SDKs, the Browse CLI or the MCP server. To run a Function on a cron, the customer uses its own webhook, queue worker or scheduled job. Browserbase's webhooks are outbound notices, and Browserbase runs no schedule itself. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/platform/webhooks/overviewread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelTriggers & Channel Coverage Work starts when a caller creates a browser or invokes a deployed app through the API, SDKs or CLI, synchronously or asynchronously. No schedule, event or inbound webhook of Kernel's own starts agent work. Sourcekernel.sh/docs/apps/invokeread 2026-09-27 |
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| Knowledge & context | ||
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Knowledge Grounding & RAG Ability to ground agent behavior in company data through document ingestion, retrieval, external knowledge APIs, semantic search, or RAG layers. |
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BrowserbaseKnowledge Grounding & RAG There is no retrieval over the customer's own knowledge. Search and Fetch read the public web at run time. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/llms.txtread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelKnowledge Grounding & RAG There is no knowledge grounding or retrieval layer. Kernel supplies browsers and their runtime, and the pages the agent reads are web work done at run time. Sourcekernel.sh/docs/llms.txtread 2026-09-27 |
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Memory & State Persistence Ability to persist context across a run, conversation, workflow, user, team, or longer-term memory layer. |
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BrowserbaseMemory & State Persistence An Agent reads its memory of earlier steps within a run. Contexts keep cookies, local storage and cache across sessions, but that is saved browser state, and the Agent has no memory store it reads across runs. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/platform/browser/core-features/contextsread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelMemory & State Persistence Browser profiles save cookies and logins for reuse, Managed Auth keeps sessions signed in, and standby mode keeps a browser ready to resume. Each is browser state loaded or kept for the next session, not a memory the agent reads to decide. There is no memory with a stated scope and lifetime. Sourcekernel.sh/docs/browsers/profilesread 2026-09-27 |
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| Control & trust | ||
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Human Oversight & Guardrails Approval steps, consent checkpoints, escalation rules, structured guardrails, policy constraints, and pause/resume controls. |
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BrowserbaseHuman Oversight & Guardrails A run given pauseWhen pauses when the stated condition arises, such as an approval or a verification code. It tells the customer what it needs and continues where it left off once they reply. Allowed Domains limits where sessions may browse. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/platform/agents/pausing-runsread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelHuman Oversight & Guardrails Purchases wait for approval. Wallet integrations supply hosted purchase approval, and for Agentcard, Kernel holds a recognized checkout request for approval before it executes. Managed Auth sends logins through a hosted page where the user approves and enters credentials or MFA, and a live view with read and write access lets a person take over a running browser. Sourcekernel.sh/docs/browsers/paymentsread 2026-09-27 |
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Security, Identity & Governance RBAC, SSO, auditability, encryption, least-privilege tool access, compliance posture, and data handling policy. |
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BrowserbaseSecurity, Identity & Governance Organizations assign Admin, Contributor and Viewer roles, and the Scale plan adds SAML single sign on. Every plan has SOC 2 Type II, and HIPAA with a BAA, a DPA and third party penetration tests are available, with a trust center at trust.browserbase.com. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/account/enterprise/securityread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelSecurity, Identity & Governance Projects isolate browsers, profiles, credentials and deployments, API keys are scoped to the org or project with expiry and rotation, and Enterprise adds single sign on. Kernel holds SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, PCI DSS and ISO 27001 attestations, with reports on request through trust.kernel.sh, and GDPR is in progress. Sourcekernel.sh/securityread 2026-09-27 |
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Observability & Auditability Traces, logs, execution histories, metrics, audit events, and debugging detail for production agent behavior. |
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BrowserbaseObservability & Auditability Each Agent run keeps a chronological message transcript of what the Agent did. Every session has live view, session replay and downloadable recordings. Logs are kept for 7 to 30 or more days depending on plan, and logging can be turned off. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/platform/browser/observability/observabilityread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelObservability & Auditability A live view, session replays with retention by plan, browser telemetry that can be read or streamed and exported to OTLP destinations, and app logs show what ran. Organization audit logs record every authenticated API request and are kept for one year, with search, download and continuous S3 export on higher plans. Sourcekernel.sh/docs/info/audit-logsread 2026-09-27 |
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Deployment & Data Residency Deployment modes and options, including SaaS, dedicated cloud, VPC, on-prem, hybrid, local runtime, and self-hosting. |
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BrowserbaseDeployment & Data Residency The Sessions API takes a region parameter, and data residency is configurable across US, EU and Asia regions. Enterprise accounts get zero data retention and bring your own storage. The service is hosted only. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/optimizations/latency/multi-regionread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelDeployment & Data Residency A region is chosen per browser or browser pool from us-east, eu-west and ap-southeast on Start-Up and Enterprise plans, with us-east the default. Kernel frames the choice as one of latency, and regional support for apps and invocations is not yet available. Enterprise adds zero data retention, and private networking routes browser traffic to private services, which is connectivity, not deployment. Sourcekernel.sh/docs/browsers/regionsread 2026-09-27 |
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| Solution readiness | ||
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Prebuilt Agents, Templates & Packs Ready-made workflows, packaged employees, templates, blueprints, industry solutions, and role-specific agents that reduce time-to-value. |
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BrowserbasePrebuilt Agents, Templates & Packs The Agents examples are worked task recipes (KYC checks, price monitoring, many portals) that the customer writes into its own Agent, and Skills teach coding agents to use Browserbase. There are no packaged agents or templates to adopt. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/platform/agents/examplesread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelPrebuilt Agents, Templates & Packs Kernel ships agent skills, including Bot Detection, Browser Profiles, Kernel Auth and Create Site Skills, with a fuller list on skills.sh. They teach the customer's own agent to use Kernel and to turn a verified workflow into a site skill. These are starting points a developer builds from, not a catalog of agents a customer adopts. Sourcekernel.sh/docs/skills/overviewread 2026-09-27 |
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| Platform extensibility | ||
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Model Flexibility & Routing Ability to work across multiple foundation models, route tasks to different models, or let buyers bring their own providers and keys. |
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BrowserbaseModel Flexibility & Routing Model Gateway lets a customer pick OpenAI, Anthropic or Google models by name on a Browserbase API key, and enterprise security includes bring your own LLM. Browserbase Agents themselves take no model setting, and the gateway is used through the Stagehand SDK. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/platform/model-gateway/overviewread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelModel Flexibility & Routing The model lives in the customer's agent, not in Kernel. The computer use guides for Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, OpenAGI, Tzafon and Yutori show those agents calling a Kernel browser. Sourcekernel.sh/docs/integrations/computer-use/overviewread 2026-09-27 |
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APIs, SDKs & MCP Extensibility Composability layer: stable APIs, SDKs, MCP tool consumption/serving, custom tools, and integration into internal systems. |
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BrowserbaseAPIs, SDKs & MCP Extensibility A REST API covers sessions, contexts, Agents, Functions, Fetch and Search, with Node.js and Python SDKs, the Browse CLI and a Browserbase MCP server. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/reference/introductionread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelAPIs, SDKs & MCP Extensibility Outside code calls Kernel through an API described by an OpenAPI 3.1 specification at kernel.sh/openapi.json, with an API reference at api.onkernel.com. There are official TypeScript, Python and Go SDKs, a CLI, and a hosted MCP server at mcp.onkernel.com over streamable HTTP with OAuth metadata. Sourcekernel.sh/docs/reference/mcp-serverread 2026-09-27 |
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Testing, Debugging & Optimization Testing, debugging, scoring, retries, fallbacks, quality gates, and optimization loops for improving agent workflows before and after deployment. |
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BrowserbaseTesting, Debugging & Optimization The Optimize tool analyzes completed Agent runs and proposes a system prompt change to run again. Each Agent tracks completion, fail and timeout rates and average duration over its run history, so the deployed Agent can be improved from one run to the next. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/platform/agents/optimizing-agentsread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelTesting, Debugging & Optimization Replays, telemetry, a browser REPL and debugging skills let developers inspect what an agent saw and did after a run. That is debugging, and there is no evaluation harness, scored test cases or quality gate. Sourcekernel.sh/docs/browsers/replaysread 2026-09-27 |
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| Specialist automation | ||
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Browser & Computer Use Browser, desktop, or remote/local computer control for workflows that cannot be handled through stable APIs alone. |
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BrowserbaseBrowser & Computer Use Browserbase runs hosted Chromium browsers, one per VM, which agents and Playwright, Puppeteer or Selenium code drive, with stealth, CAPTCHA solving, proxies and live view. Browserbase Agents browse, click, type and extract on the web in their own session. Sourcedocs.browserbase.com/platform/agents/overviewread 2026-10-21 |
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KernelBrowser & Computer Use Kernel runs isolated cloud Chromium browsers that agents drive through a computer controls API (click, drag, type, scroll, screenshots), Playwright execution, CDP or WebDriver BiDi, in headless, headful or GPU modes, with stealth, proxies and CAPTCHA handling. Sourcekernel.sh/docs/browsers/computer-controlsread 2026-09-27 |
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Pricing snapshot
Sourced from the Index pricing dataset · open each vendor's profile for full detail.
| Pricing | B Browserbase |
K Kernel |
|---|---|---|
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Entry price Lowest public entry point |
From $20 a month (Developer) · free tier | Developer free plus usage ($5 credits a month); Hobbyist $30 a month plus usage; Start-Up $200 plus usage; Enterprise custom |
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Pricing confidence How public the numbers are |
Public, partial | Public, exact |
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Billing Primary billing axis |
Hybrid. A monthly plan fee includes allocations of browser hours, proxy bandwidth and API calls, and usage past them is metered. | monthly plan plus per second browser usage |
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Variable cost Workload / overage exposure |
High variable cost | Medium variable cost |
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Free tier / trial Try before you buy |
Free tier
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Free tierTrial
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Buying motion Self-serve vs sales call |
Mixed | Self-serve |
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Pricing verified When this pricing was last checked |
Product updates
Newest first, each linked to its source.
Browserbase
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· Human approval / guardrails
Agents running in Browserbase can now sign in to websites through 1Password Agentic Autofill, added through the Browserbase extension system.
Source -
· Browser/computer use
Stagehand 4.2 adds page.onToolsAdded() and page.onToolsRemoved() so browser agents can react as websites expose or withdraw WebMCP tools during a session.
Source -
· Security / enterprise
Secrets are now generally available in Browserbase Functions, so credentials and API keys are stored in Browserbase, attached to specific functions and read at run time instead of being written into code.
Source
Kernel
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· Browser/computer use
Config Registry, a new Kernel API, tells an agent which browser and proxy settings get through to a target website, with evidence on success rate, number of trials and when each setting was last tested.
Source -
· Pricing / packaging
Agents can now buy a Kernel browser session on their own through the Machine Payments Protocol.
Source
More comparisons with Browserbase or Kernel
Other matchups in browser and computer-use agents
Not the pairing you were after? These compare a different set of browser and computer-use agents on the same 14 capabilities.