Alternatives / Steel.dev
A Steel.dev alternative when you don't want to self-host
Fully managed. No Docker image, no autoscaler, no patching cycle. Per-minute billing instead of monthly credit buckets.
Steel is a great open-source project. If you want to self-host or you're sure of your monthly volume, their numbers are hard to beat. This page is for the other case: managed, no ops work, no plan to commit to.
Free tier · $0.15/hour after · No credit card
Side by side
| Bug0 Browsers | Steel.dev | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly minimum | $0 | $0 free / $29+ paid |
| Effective hourly rate | $0.15 | ~$0.10 (credit-based) |
| Billing unit | Per minute | Credits |
| Free tier, no credit card | Yes | Yes |
| Standard CDP URL | Yes | Yes |
| Live preview | noVNC on every session | Live session viewer |
| Self-host option | No | Yes (open source) |
| Stealth / captcha built in | No | Yes |
| Proxies built in | No | Yes |
Pricing accurate as of April 2026. We update as Steel.dev changes theirs.
Migrate in two lines
Steel returns a CDP websocket URL. Bug0 returns a CDP websocket URL. The SDK is the only thing that changes.
Steel SDK
import Steel from "steel-sdk";
const steel = new Steel({ steelAPIKey: process.env.STEEL_API_KEY });
const session = await steel.sessions.create();
const browser = await chromium.connectOverCDP(session.websocketUrl);
const page = browser.contexts()[0].pages()[0];Bug0 SDK
import { Bug0 } from "@bug0/sdk";
import { chromium } from "playwright";
const bug0 = new Bug0({ apiKey: process.env.BUG0_API_KEY });
const { cdpUrl } = await bug0.createBrowser();
const browser = await chromium.connectOverCDP(cdpUrl);
const page = browser.contexts()[0].pages()[0];If you used Steel's session-level proxies or solver options, you'll layer those in your own code on Bug0.
Where Steel.dev wins
- Open source. Self-host with Docker when compliance or cost demands it.
- Free tier is unusually generous: $10 of monthly credits, about 100 browser-hours.
- Sessions run up to 24 hours. Sub-one-second cold starts.
Where Bug0 wins
- Fully managed with no ops work, no Docker image to maintain.
- Simple per-minute billing instead of monthly credit buckets.
- Live noVNC preview on every session by default.
Pricing math
Steel free is $10/mo in credits (~100 browser-hours). Steel Starter is $29/mo for 290 hours. Bug0 is $0.15/hr with no plan. If you're below ~190 hours/mo, Bug0's no-minimum side is cheaper than Steel Starter. Above that, Steel's per-hour rate wins, if you're sure of your volume.
Frequently asked questions
Why pick Bug0 over self-hosting Steel?
Self-host wins on cost at scale and on compliance. Bug0 wins on time. If you'd rather not maintain a Docker image, write the autoscaler, and watch the dashboards, that's the trade.
What about Steel's hosted tier?
Steel hosted is generous on free credits ($10/mo, ~100 hours) but plans step up fast. Bug0 stays linear: $0.15/hr, billed per minute, no plan picker.
Is there a live preview?
Yes, on every Bug0 session. Steel has a live session viewer too. Both work. Bug0 just doesn't gate it behind a tier.
Will my Steel scripts work?
Yes. Both expose Playwright/Puppeteer over CDP. Swap the SDK call that returns the URL.
Pricing comparison?
Bug0 is $0.15/hr, no minimum. Steel Starter is $29/mo for 290 hrs (~$0.10/hr). Below ~190 hours/mo of actual usage, Bug0 is cheaper than committing to Starter.
Free tier?
10 browser-minutes free, no credit card. Steel's free $10 in credits is more generous if you're sure you'll use them.