Chrome DevTools for agents vs Steel
Side-by-side comparison of two AI agent tools
Short answer
- Chrome DevTools for agents is growing faster: +930 GitHub stars in the last 30 days vs +156 for Steel.
- Pick Chrome DevTools for agents for: chrome DevTools for coding agents. Pick Steel for: open Source Browser API for AI Agents & Apps.
From GitHub data refreshed daily.
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Chrome DevTools for agentsopen-source
Chrome DevTools for coding agents
Steelopen-source
π₯ Open Source Browser API for AI Agents & Apps. Steel Browser is a batteries-included browser sandbox that lets you automate the web without worrying about infrastructure.
Metrics
| Chrome DevTools for agents | Steel | |
|---|---|---|
| Stars | 52.9k | 7.7k |
| Star velocity /mo | 930 | 155.68421052631578 |
| Commits (90d) | 350 | 10 |
| Releases (6m) | 10 | 2 |
| Downloads (30d, npm + PyPI) | 7.9M | β |
| Overall score | 0.8216627288549094 | 0.5500925879249736 |
Pros
- +Multi-client support allows integration with Puppeteer, Playwright, or Selenium for maximum flexibility
- +Comprehensive session management automatically handles browser state, cookies, and storage persistence
- +Built-in anti-detection capabilities with stealth plugins and fingerprint management help avoid bot blocking
Cons
- -Public beta status indicates the platform is still evolving and may have stability issues
- -Browser automation inherently resource-intensive and can be complex to debug at scale
- -Requires understanding of browser automation concepts and may have learning curve for new users
Use Cases
- β’AI agents that need to interact with dynamic websites, fill forms, or navigate complex user interfaces
- β’Web scraping projects requiring session persistence, proxy rotation, and anti-detection measures
- β’Automated testing scenarios where browser state management and debugging capabilities are essential
FAQ
- Which is more popular, Chrome DevTools for agents or Steel?
- Chrome DevTools for agents has more GitHub stars (52,903 vs 7,729).
- Which is more actively developed, Chrome DevTools for agents or Steel?
- Chrome DevTools for agents had more commits in the last 90 days (350 vs 10).
- Should I use Chrome DevTools for agents or Steel?
- Compare their capabilities, limitations and "best for" notes above. Both are open source, so trying each on a small task is the fastest way to decide.