{"name":"Steel","tagline":"Open-source cloud browsers for agents — sessions API, CAPTCHA, proxies, or Docker self-host.","url":"https://steel.dev","category":"data","pricing":"freemium","price_note":"Launch $0 + usage ($30 one-time credits, $0.10/browser-hour); Scale $250/mo + usage ($0.08/h, $100 credits/mo); proxy $6–$10/GB","free_tier":true,"open_source":true,"api":true,"self_host":true,"verdict":"situational","verdict_text":"Browserbase-shaped, with a public OSS docker story. Launch is $0 plus $0.10/hour after a $30 credit. Scale drops the hour rate and raises session length. CAPTCHA/proxies on Launch need a $10 paid deposit. Adjacent to Browser Use, not a duplicate.","limitations":["Launch sessions cap at 15 minutes; 24h sessions are Enterprise.","Proxies and CAPTCHA on Launch require a $10 paid balance, not free credits.","Stealth browser is Enterprise-only on the June 2026 limits table.","Browser hours round up to the next minute."],"strengths":["Open-source browser with a public Docker self-host path.","Sessions API with CAPTCHA solving and proxy support.","Launch tier starts at $0 plus usage-based browser hours."],"use_for":["Agent workflows that need real browser sessions instead of HTTP scraping.","Teams that want to self-host browser infra on their own hardware.","Prototypes that can fit within 15-minute Launch sessions."],"skip_when":["You need free CAPTCHA or proxy access without a $10 paid balance.","24-hour sessions or stealth browser are hard requirements.","You want fully predictable costs on heavy browser-hour volume."],"receipts":["https://docs.steel.dev/overview/pricinglimits","https://github.com/steel-dev/steel-browser"],"affiliate":"none","evidence_tier":"source-verified","momentum":"blueshift","featured":false,"data_sensitivity":{"trains_on_inputs":"unknown","local_processing":true},"last_verified":"2026-08-19","observed_by":"whysanesanders","slug":"steel","canonical_url":"https://noemium.com/tools/steel/","attribution":"Noemium catalog data is licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). See https://noemium.com/method/ for how entries are verified."}