Are you inspecting a browser now or investigating an earlier run?
Live view serves an active browser and may allow interaction. Replay serves a recorded run. Both need access controls, but they differ in timing, retention and what a person can change.
An active live view helps someone inspect or take over a browser. A recording explains a finished run. Application logs, network events and Function outputs add different context; none alone proves that the requested operation succeeded.
Notte
Live view shows an active browser and can be embedded in an application. Recordings let you review a finished session. Function runs have their own history and results, so keep the run ID alongside the browser session ID.
Sources: docs.notte.cc ↗
Browserbase
Browserbase documents live session views, recordings and observability. Function results also include a session association, so correlate the handler outcome with the actual browser run.
Sources: docs.browserbase.com ↗
Kernel
Live browser URLs support an embedded view and a read-only option. Replays and browser telemetry are separate observability surfaces; app invocation logs add execution context.
Sources: kernel.sh ↗
Anchor Browser
Anchor documents MP4 session recordings and a live browser used during demonstrations. Keep the session artifact alongside the task's version, inputs and completion result.
Sources: docs.anchorbrowser.io ↗
Evaluate the operational difference
Choose observability around how the team diagnoses failures. A visually rich replay can be useful, but an error message and the exact account, input and code version often determine whether the failure can be reproduced.
A screenshot showing a confirmation page can support a result, while a saved job identifier lets the application verify it later. Capture both when the workflow creates a persistent object.
- Keep a correlation between the application job, browser session and Function run.
- Enable the required recording mode before the run starts.
- Check retention, export and access behavior for the chosen plan.
- Verify whether a viewer is interactive or read-only before handing control to a user.
- Record the final application state as well as a video or log.
Make the acceptance test explicit
Describe the work that must finish, the account it runs under, the state it needs to retain and the expected output. Select eligible product configurations before measuring latency or price.
Run the same workflow with each proposed architecture. Keep startup measurements separate from task execution, and distinguish provider failure from a configuration error or an unsupported website action.
Choose the responsibility you want to own
An external runner keeps deployment and queues in your application. A hosted execution layer moves part of that responsibility to the browser platform. Saved browser state reduces repeated setup, while managed website authentication may add readiness checks. Choose each part deliberately rather than treating a brand as one indivisible feature list.