Decide whether this move earns its cost
A browser submits a credential while the application restricts which models, processes and logs receive its raw value. The destination website still needs the submitted secret.
Steel's managed and self-hosted choices make infrastructure ownership a concrete deciding factor. Keep that option on the shortlist when operating the browser is intentional; evaluate Notte when owning fewer execution and authentication components is the actual goal.
Notte vault placeholders are relevant when supported browser actions should substitute credentials outside the model context. Function secrets and application environment variables have a different exposure boundary.
Keep an established secret manager integration when its exposure boundary and browser fill path already meet the requirement. A placeholder feature should not be assumed to protect arbitrary application code.
Keep the result contract stable
A disposable test credential, the intended fill path and an explicit list of components allowed to handle its value.
The website authenticates the test account and the observed credential path matches the declared exposure boundary.
Preserve the evidence contract across the move: Approved component boundary, secret reference, fill result and exposure-check outcome; never the raw value.
Map the workflow's resources
| Requirement | Steel | Notte |
|---|---|---|
| Saved browser state | Documented | Documented |
| Credential handling | Credentials API | Documented |
| Website sign-in | Profile / credential flows | Documented |
Sources: docs.steel.dev [1] ↗docs.steel.dev [2] ↗docs.notte.cc [3] ↗docs.notte.cc [4] ↗
Website login
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.
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.
What survives a session
Steel: The Profiles API documents reusable browser context, cookies, extensions, credentials and browser settings. Steel also documents lighter auth-context reuse, which should not be confused with a complete profile.
Notte: Profiles save cookies, local storage and session storage. Sessions start with fresh state by default. Persisting a profile writes state back when the session ends; a running session can also save its state explicitly.
Pricing model
Steel: Hosted browser plans and a self-hosted browser have different cost structures. For self-hosting, include the worker, compute, networking, storage and operations rather than assigning the open-source code a zero operating cost.
Notte: The public usage rates are $0.01 per browser-hour, $0.05 per Function-hour and $10 per GB of managed proxy traffic. Paid plans return their price as usage credits. Price the relevant meters and plan eligibility for the workload.
Sources: docs.steel.dev [1] ↗notte.cc [2] ↗
Cut over one responsibility at a time
For this Steel-to-Notte migration, keep the business assertion outside provider resource management. Source profile, connection, file and execution IDs are not valid target IDs; use a documented transfer path or establish the corresponding resource in Notte.
Retain source job history and a rollback route until the target pilot passes. A migration checklist is not evidence that saved state or runtime behavior is automatically portable.
- Trace the source credential path before changing the secret store or browser.
- Provision a target test secret through the supported path and use its reference in the browser workflow.
- Inspect prompts, logs and account identity before moving real credential-dependent tasks.
Sources: docs.steel.dev [1] ↗docs.notte.cc [2] ↗docs.notte.cc [3] ↗
A proposed acceptance case
This is an evaluation design, not a claim that this workflow has been executed successfully on every provider.
| Part of the test | Required observation |
|---|---|
| Controlled input | A disposable test credential, the intended fill path and an explicit list of components allowed to handle its value. |
| Pass condition | The website authenticates the test account and the observed credential path matches the declared exposure boundary. |
| Negative case | Inspect controlled prompts and ordinary application logs after the test. Fail the evaluation if the test secret appears outside the components intentionally allowed to handle it. |
| Evidence to retain | Approved component boundary, secret reference, fill result and exposure-check outcome; never the raw value. |
A reason to delay or keep the source
Inspect controlled prompts and ordinary application logs after the test. Fail the evaluation if the test secret appears outside the components intentionally allowed to handle it.
Steel: Hosted and self-hosted Steel are different operating choices. A cloud feature's documentation does not establish identical packaging, retention or operational support in a self-hosted installation.
Delay cutover when the target's selected plan, required artifact path or supported website-account flow is not established. Resolve that gap before moving real jobs, even if the rate comparison favors the target.
Sources: docs.steel.dev [1] ↗notte.cc [2] ↗