Decide whether this move earns its cost
A recurring job returns to the same website account in a later browser session. A stored profile must restore the intended user without assuming the website login is still valid.
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 profiles are relevant for restoring cookies and web storage. Add its managed connection flow when the requirement includes login readiness rather than state restoration alone.
Keep a source profile or context integration when its documented storage behavior is essential and already verified. State should move only through a supported export/import contract or a fresh authorized login.
Keep the result contract stable
An authorized account, its expected identity marker and two separately created browser sessions.
The second session reaches a protected page as the expected account after loading the target provider's saved-state resource.
Preserve the evidence contract across the move: Expected account, source and target state references, second-session identity and expired-login result.
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] ↗
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.
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.
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.
- Record the source account-to-profile mapping without treating its identifier as portable.
- Establish an authorized login in a target session and save it using the target profile contract.
- Verify the account in a second target session and in an expired-login test before changing recurring jobs.
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 | An authorized account, its expected identity marker and two separately created browser sessions. |
| Pass condition | The second session reaches a protected page as the expected account after loading the target provider's saved-state resource. |
| Negative case | Invalidate the test website login between sessions. The workflow must detect the expired account state before performing the task. |
| Evidence to retain | Expected account, source and target state references, second-session identity and expired-login result. |
A reason to delay or keep the source
Invalidate the test website login between sessions. The workflow must detect the expired account state before performing the task.
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] ↗