E2B vs Steel
Side-by-side comparison of two AI agent tools
Short answer
- E2B is growing faster: +418 GitHub stars in the last 30 days vs +156 for Steel.
- Pick E2B for: open-source, secure environment with real-world tools for enterprise-grade agents. Pick Steel for: open Source Browser API for AI Agents & Apps.
From GitHub data refreshed daily.
E2Bopen-source
Open-source, secure environment with real-world tools for enterprise-grade 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
| E2B | Steel | |
|---|---|---|
| Stars | 14.1k | 7.7k |
| Star velocity /mo | 417.6190476190477 | 156.03174603174602 |
| Commits (90d) | 228 | 10 |
| Releases (6m) | 10 | 2 |
| Overall score | 0.7806204852669489 | 0.5745364089228213 |
Pros
- +Open-source with self-hosting options for full control over infrastructure and security
- +Provides secure isolated sandboxes that prevent AI-generated code from affecting host systems
- +Dual SDK support for both JavaScript/TypeScript and Python with comprehensive documentation
- +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
- -Requires separate Code Interpreter SDK installation for advanced code execution features
- -Cloud-based service requiring API key and account signup for basic usage
- -Additional complexity for simple code execution needs compared to direct execution
- -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 coding assistants that need to safely execute and test generated code snippets
- β’Automated code analysis and debugging tools that run potentially unsafe code
- β’Educational platforms where AI tutors execute student or AI-generated code in isolation
- 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, E2B or Steel?
- E2B has more GitHub stars (14,102 vs 7,726).
- Which is more actively developed, E2B or Steel?
- E2B had more commits in the last 90 days (228 vs 10).
- Should I use E2B 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.