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 open source. If you're willing to run the Docker image yourself, or sure enough of your monthly hours to commit to a plan, the per-hour math is competitive. This page is for the other case: fully managed, no ops, 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 $10/mo in credits, roughly 100 browser-hours if you use them within the month.
- 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. Past that, Steel Starter's per-hour rate is lower in isolation. Only if you'll consistently consume the 290 included hours. Below them, you're paying for capacity you didn't burn.
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 hobby tier is $10/mo in credits, larger on paper, but it expires whether you used it or not.