The decision
Start with the product contracts for saved browser state, credential handling, website sign-in, code execution. Different labels do not establish different functionality; compare the implementation and conditions behind each one.
Browserbase provides managed browser sessions and TypeScript Functions that run next to a browser. Contexts preserve browser state, while its identity and secret tools address different parts of the sign-in workflow.
Hyperbrowser provides cloud browser sessions with profile persistence and browser credential fill. Its broader catalog also has sandboxes and other APIs; this comparison concerns the browser and the code or authentication attached to it.
At a glance
| Requirement | Browserbase | Hyperbrowser |
|---|---|---|
| Browser control | Documented | Documented |
| Saved browser state | Contexts | Documented |
| Credential handling | Identity / Secrets | Credential fill |
| Website sign-in | Website auth tools | Credential / profile flows |
| Code execution | TypeScript Functions | Separate execution options |
| Scheduled execution | External trigger path | Check execution setup |
| Live view | Documented | Documented |
| Recordings / replay | Documented | Documented |
| Deployment choice | Hosted service | Check deployment offering |
Sources: docs.browserbase.com [1] ↗docs.browserbase.com [2] ↗docs.browserbase.com [3] ↗docs.browserbase.com [4] ↗docs.browserbase.com [5] ↗hyperbrowser.ai [6] ↗hyperbrowser.ai [7] ↗hyperbrowser.ai [8] ↗hyperbrowser.ai [9] ↗hyperbrowser.ai [10] ↗hyperbrowser.ai [11] ↗
What survives a session
Browserbase: Contexts preserve browser data between sessions. Associate the intended Context with each user's browser and decide which sessions may update it; a Context is distinct from a live running session.
Hyperbrowser: Profiles save browser user-data-directory state, including cookies, local storage, session storage and cache. A fresh session has a fresh directory unless a profile is attached and its save behavior is selected.
Website login
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.
Hyperbrowser: Credential fill refers to stored secrets or vaults by name and fills selected inputs. The documented flow supports credentials and one-time codes; saved profiles address browser state after sign-in.
Where the code runs
Browserbase: A Function is TypeScript code published with an entry point. Invocation starts asynchronously, creates a browser, passes its connection URL to the handler, and stores the result, logs and session ID. Function webhooks report status changes.
Hyperbrowser: Action Caching records a HyperAgent action sequence for deterministic replay. The broader platform also offers sandbox compute. Check how a handler is deployed, invoked and versioned before choosing the execution path.
Published browser measurements
These are the latest provider runs in the saved BrowserArena snapshot checked on October 18, 2026. Dates and runner environments can differ. A lifecycle test opens, connects, navigates and releases a browser; the throughput test runs a separate browser action sequence. Neither measures managed authentication or deployed Function reliability.
Use these observations to choose what to test in your application. An account-configuration failure, an incompatible page action and a timed-out navigation require different interpretations. BrowserArena is maintained by Notte and publishes its source and methodology.
| Provider | Lifecycle median | Lifecycle P95 | Actions / second | Run dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browserbase | 600 ms | 638 ms | 3.5 | 2026-10-18 / 2026-10-17 |
| Hyperbrowser | 878 ms | 944 ms | 2.03 | 2026-10-18 / 2026-10-17 |
Sources: browserarena.ai [1] ↗browserarena.ai [2] ↗github.com [3] ↗
Pricing model
Browserbase: Compare the public plan's included browser allowance and overage with the workflow's duration. Include proxy traffic and any separately priced services; an Arena browser-hour estimate does not describe the whole Browserbase bill.
Hyperbrowser: The reviewed pricing page lists $0.10 per browser-hour and $10 per GB of proxy traffic. Credits acquired through subscriptions and direct purchases have different refresh or expiry behavior.
Capacity and limits
Browserbase: Browser and Function constraints have separate documentation. Check the account's concurrent browser limit, the Function runtime cap and the Function region rather than assuming a browser entitlement covers every execution path.
Hyperbrowser: Session concurrency and configuration are account-dependent. Use the session API's supported settings and public limits rather than assuming that available sandbox capacity is browser concurrency.
Which approach fits?
Choose Browserbase when you want to deploy TypeScript browser logic or already use Browserbase's browser and Stagehand tooling.
Browserbase tradeoff: An identity feature, a persisted Context and a Function secret solve different problems. Select the required combination instead of treating all three as automatic login.
Choose Hyperbrowser when you need existing Playwright, Puppeteer or Selenium code to use a managed browser with saved state and named credentials.
Hyperbrowser tradeoff: Browser sessions, sandbox execution and action caching are separate surfaces. A cached action sequence is not the same deployment contract as an independently versioned browser Function.
Check the browser connection
Install playwright-core in your application and provision a session through the provider's documented creation flow. Run this smoke test from the intended controller region with the returned CDP endpoint. It checks connection and navigation, not login, rendering parity or a complete business workflow.
Keep browser connection URLs on your backend. After the test, release the owned session through the provider's API. Product-specific lifecycle APIs and profile identifiers are not portable between providers.
import { chromium } from "playwright-core";
// Provision the owned browser using the provider's documented session API.
// Keep the connection URL in your backend's secret environment.
const endpoint = process.env.BROWSER_CDP_URL;
if (!endpoint) throw new Error("Set BROWSER_CDP_URL for an owned session");
const browser = await chromium.connectOverCDP(endpoint);
try {
const context = browser.contexts()[0] ?? await browser.newContext();
const page = context.pages()[0] ?? await context.newPage();
await page.goto("https://example.com", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
if ((await page.title()) !== "Example Domain") {
throw new Error("The browser did not reach the expected page");
}
console.log({ connected: true, expectedPage: true });
} finally {
await browser.close();
// Release the owned session with the provider's documented API as well.
// A disconnected socket alone is not a portable session-cleanup contract.
}Sources: playwright.dev ↗
Before you switch
Keep the same target workflow when evaluating both products. Separate infrastructure facts from measurements and test the required account state, action sequence and artifacts. A successful connection test does not establish that a long or authenticated task will complete.
Use the focused guides for Browserbase and Hyperbrowser below when the deciding requirement is pricing, persistence or code execution. Provider-owned resources such as session IDs, profiles and managed connections need a new mapping during migration.
When Notte belongs on this shortlist
Browserbase's TypeScript Function contract is a reason to retain it when that is the deployed language your team wants. A move to Notte Functions includes a Python execution decision; moving only the browser can leave your existing controller in place.
Hyperbrowser's profiles, credential tools and Action Caching deserve separate evaluation. A recorded action sequence and a deployed Python handler have different maintenance contracts, so decide which one your team will edit after the website changes.
Notte: Create an owned browser session, connect Playwright or Puppeteer over CDP, and stop the session when the work finishes. Browser lifecycle management remains necessary even when the control socket disconnects.
Consider this third option when its documented mechanism addresses a requirement left open by the two providers above. A working configuration on either original provider can still be the better choice; compare the task and ownership cost before switching.
Sources: docs.browserbase.com [1] ↗hyperbrowser.ai [2] ↗docs.notte.cc [3] ↗