We compared open-source browser agents, hosted APIs, and remote browser runtimes for AI workloads. The goal was to see which approaches are actually ready for production, not just demos.
Key findings: open-source agents are flexible but often fragile in real-world automation. Hosted APIs are convenient but can lock you into specific models. Remote browser runtimes offer a middle ground, but they vary in stability and security.
I wrote up how we approached the gap between local browser automation and production workloads. The post covers the core pieces of a browser use cloud runtime: hosted Chromium instances, CDP support, Playwright compatibility, persistent profiles, and live debugging.
For makers building AI agents that interact with web pages, the main pain point is usually reliability and observability. A cloud runtime gives you a consistent environment, avoids local resource constraints, and lets you inspect what the agent actually sees in real time.
