The decision
Browser Use separates hosted-agent runs from its standalone browser infrastructure. Notte also supplies deployed Python Functions and authentication resources. Compare browser sessions with browser sessions first, then decide whether your code, a deployed handler or a hosted agent should own the browser loop.
Notte combines cloud browser sessions with deployed Python automations and website authentication tools. You can control the browser over CDP or use Notte's actions, then deploy repeated work as a Function.
Browser Use has separate hosted-browser and hosted-agent paths. For browser infrastructure, create a browser and connect your own code over CDP. Profiles and secret bindings handle different parts of authenticated work.
At a glance
| Requirement | Notte | Browser Use |
|---|---|---|
| Browser control | Documented | Documented |
| Saved browser state | Documented | Documented |
| Credential handling | Documented | V4 secret bindings |
| Website sign-in | Documented | Profile / 2FA flows |
| Code execution | Python Functions | External worker or hosted agent |
| Scheduled execution | Native | Check execution setup |
| Live view | Documented | Documented |
| Recordings / replay | Documented | Recording option |
| Deployment choice | Enterprise options | Local framework available |
Sources: docs.notte.cc [1] ↗docs.notte.cc [2] ↗docs.notte.cc [3] ↗docs.notte.cc [4] ↗docs.notte.cc [5] ↗docs.notte.cc [6] ↗docs.browser-use.com [7] ↗docs.browser-use.com [8] ↗docs.browser-use.com [9] ↗docs.browser-use.com [10] ↗
What survives a session
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.
Browser Use: Profiles persist cookies, local storage and login state between browsers. Browser settings select a profile for a run. A session's conversation history and a profile's browser state are different resources.
Website login
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.
Browser Use: V4 secret bindings give credentials aliases and allowed hostnames for use in a run. Profiles reuse existing state; the separate 2FA guide addresses verification during authenticated work.
Where the code runs
Notte: Functions deploy Python code with a run() entry point. Invoke them over HTTP or with an SDK, inspect run history, and roll back code by redeploying an earlier version as the latest version.
Browser Use: The cloud offers hosted-agent runs and separately created browsers. The reviewed browser documentation does not establish a deploy-your-own Python Function equivalent. Keep an external script runner separate from a hosted agent when comparing execution ownership.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notte | 332 ms | 451 ms | 3.14 | 2026-10-18 / 2026-10-18 |
| Browser Use | 442 ms | 620 ms | 4 | 2026-10-18 / 2026-10-17 |
Sources: browserarena.ai [1] ↗browserarena.ai [2] ↗github.com [3] ↗
Pricing model
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.
Browser Use: Browser time and hosted-agent/model usage are separate pricing questions. Select the infrastructure path before comparing rates, and account for retained idle browser time and network usage where applicable.
Capacity and limits
Notte: The public plans list 5, 25 and 100 concurrent browser sessions, with custom limits on Enterprise. Session duration and concurrent capacity are separate plan limits; a larger technical API limit does not override the plan.
Browser Use: The concurrency guide distinguishes concurrent browser capacity from the HTTP request budget. Keys in a project share capacity and credits. Polling frequency can exhaust request capacity even when there are free browser slots.
Which approach fits?
Choose Notte when your browser workflow needs saved logins, credential fill or scheduled Python code alongside the browser.
Notte tradeoff: A saved profile restores browser state; it does not prove that a website still considers the user signed in. Use Managed Auth when the workflow needs connection readiness before it starts.
Choose Browser Use when you use Browser Use's framework or want its hosted browsers while retaining the option of a hosted browser agent.
Browser Use tradeoff: A hosted-agent run is a different execution unit from your deployed browser script. Keep comparisons focused on the browser path when measuring session speed and price.
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 Notte and Browser Use 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.