Get into the right account. Keep it that way.

What the comparison covers

Sessions cover browser control, lifecycle, state, live view, recording and capacity. Functions cover where browser code runs and how it is deployed, invoked, scheduled and monitored. Auth covers website account state, credential handling and connection readiness.

Each provider's product surfaces stay separate. A hosted agent is not a deployed Function, an API key is not a website login, and a persisted profile is not a guarantee of authentication. The directory links focused comparisons when those differences determine the choice.

Notte

Vaults substitute credential placeholders in supported browser actions outside the model context. Managed Auth checks requested saved connections before automation. Personas supply an inbox and optional phone number for verification workflows.

Sources: docs.notte.cc ↗

Browserbase

The identity documentation covers website authentication and reuse of login state. Contexts and Function Secrets serve different roles: retained browser state versus values available to executing code.

Sources: docs.browserbase.com ↗

Kernel

Managed Auth handles website login and eligible connection recovery. Vault fill is a separate flow for applications that control navigation and form submission; the reviewed vault documentation labels that surface as preview.

Sources: kernel.sh ↗

Steel

Steel's Credentials API stores credentials for users or agents. Its cookbook demonstrates using stored credentials with Playwright, while profiles and auth contexts preserve signed-in browser state.

Sources: docs.steel.dev ↗

Choose a practical evaluation

Compare the concrete login path. A vault can fill a secret while your code controls the workflow; a managed connection may own more of the login process. Neither should be described as a universal guarantee that every website remains signed in.

For a customer-facing app, associate each stored connection with the correct application user before opening a browser. Reusing another user's profile can produce a technically successful run in the wrong account.

• Identify whether the task uses an existing account or creates an approved new identity.
• Separate profile restoration from credential fill and connection readiness.
• Document which component can access credential values and which only handles references.
• Verify the expected tenant and account after login.
• Provide a human handoff when the website requires user interaction.

From a comparison to a working workflow

Start with a short browser task and a pass/fail result. Add the necessary account state, then exercise the production shape: concurrency, duration, triggers and retained artifacts. Keep the provider's documented cleanup flow in place from the first test.

The full directory includes provider comparisons, focused buying questions, workload shortlists, competitor buying guides and migrations to Notte. Use it to resolve a specific implementation decision rather than assuming the most feature-rich or fastest-starting product will fit every job.