# Steel

Open-source cloud browser API that runs remote Chrome sessions for agents, with proxies, CAPTCHA solving, profiles and scraping endpoints.

- Provider: Nen Labs, Inc. (https://steel.dev)
- Category: Drive a browser
- Type: Hosted browser
- Pricing model: Usage-based; free Launch plan, $250 a month Scale plan plus usage [1]
- Free tier: $30 one-time credit, valid for 90 days [1]
- Authentication: API key in the `steel-api-key` header; x402 pay-per-call without a key [2]
- Connect via: REST API, CDP over WebSocket (Playwright, Puppeteer, Selenium), Node and Python SDKs, CLI, local MCP server [13]
- Read from the provider's pages on 2026-11-04
- Page: https://supermarket.dev/tools/drive-a-browser/steel

## Pricing

### Billing
- Pricing model: Pay as you go on metered usage; Launch $0 a month, Scale $250 a month, Enterprise custom [1]
- Free tier: Launch: $30 in one-time usage credits, valid for 90 days [1]
- Card required for free tier: Not published
- Minimum spend: None stated for Launch; Scale is $250 a month plus usage [1]
- Billing period: Browser time billed by the minute, rounded up; Scale includes $100 of credits each month [1]
- Verification for proxies and CAPTCHA on Launch: $10 paid balance; free credits do not count [1]

### Prices
Prices are per browser-hour as listed; no conversion needed. Enterprise rates are custom.
| Meter | Launch | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Browser hour (billed per minute, rounded up) | $0.10 | $0.08 |
| Proxy bandwidth | $10/GB | $6/GB |
| CAPTCHA solves | $3 per 1,000 | $1 per 1,000 |
| Browser tools (`/scrape`, `/screenshot`, `/pdf`) | $5 per 1,000 | $5 per 1,000 |
| Dedicated IP | Not available | $5 per IP per month |
Source [1]

### Plans
| Plan | Monthly price | Included usage credits |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | $0 + usage | $30 one time |
| Scale | $250 + usage | $100 each month |
| Enterprise | Custom + usage | Custom |
Source [1]

### Pay per call
- x402 price: $0.01 in USDC per request, no account or API key [8]

## Tools

### MCP server
- Official MCP server: Yes, local [14]
- Address or package: `npx -y github:steel-dev/steel-mcp-server` (not on npm; `mcp.steel.dev` is not live) [14]

### MCP tools
Default `browse` profile; `STEEL_PROFILE=scrape` exposes only the first three. Server not run; tool list from its README.
| Tool | What it does | Read-only |
|---|---|---|
| `steel_scrape` | Read a budgeted page plus bounded links and metadata. Starts no browser session | Not stated |
| `steel_screenshot` | Capture a URL or a live session | Not stated |
| `steel_pdf` | Render a page to PDF and return a link | Not stated |
| `steel_session_create` | Start a browser session you can interact with | Not stated |
| `steel_session_release` | Shut a session down and stop the meter | Not stated |
| `steel_navigate` | Point a session at a URL | Not stated |
| `steel_snapshot` | Read the page as an accessibility tree with `@eN` references | Not stated |
| `steel_find` | Locate elements by text, regex or role | Not stated |
| `steel_act` | Click, type, fill a form, select, hover, scroll, press a key, go back, dismiss overlays | Not stated |
| `steel_wait_for` | Wait for named text, a selector or a URL | Not stated |
| `steel_session_diagnostics` | Read a session's activity without starting a browser | Not stated |
| `steel_session_handoff` | Pause while a person takes control of the same browser, then return it | Not stated |
| `steel_session_replay` | Return a finished session's dashboard link | Not stated |
| `steel_batch` | Run known reversible steps in one call | Not stated |
| `steel_session_options` | Plan a non-default session and discover saved profile IDs | Not stated |
| `steel_session_live_view` | Feeds the inline viewer its connection details | Not stated |
Source [14]

### API
| Endpoint | What it does |
|---|---|
| `POST /v1/sessions` | Create a browser session |
| `GET /v1/sessions/{session_id}/hls` | Fetch the recording playlist of a session |
| `POST /v1/scrape` | Load a URL and return HTML, cleaned HTML, Markdown or Readability |
| `POST /v1/screenshot` | Load a URL and return a hosted PNG |
| `POST /v1/pdf` | Load a URL and return a hosted PDF |
| `wss://connect.steel.dev` | CDP WebSocket endpoint for a live session |
Source [7]

### Features
- Where the browser runs: Steel cloud, one region (`us-east`); self-hosting is possible [3]
- Browsers: Chrome (Chromium); headful by default, headless optional [14]
- Max session length: Launch 15 minutes, Scale 1 hour, Enterprise up to 24 hours; default `timeout` is 5 minutes [1]
- Concurrent sessions: Launch 10, Scale 100, Enterprise 1,000+ [1]
- Proxies: Off by default; managed residential proxies with country, state or city targeting, or bring your own [3]
- CAPTCHA solving: Off by default; auto-solves `recaptchaV2`, `recaptchaV3`, `turnstile`; DataDome, Imperva, Amazon WAF and FunCAPTCHA are detected but not solved [5]
- Session recording: Every session is recorded; MP4 playback via HLS playlist [11]
- Persistent logins: Profiles store cookies, auth and settings across sessions; deleted after 30 days unused; 300 MB limit [6]

## Authentication

### Methods
| Method | Used for | How |
|---|---|---|
| API key | REST API, SDKs, CLI | `steel-api-key` HTTP header or `STEEL_API_KEY` environment variable |
| API key in query | CDP browser connections | `apiKey` query parameter on `wss://connect.steel.dev` |
| x402 payment | Scrape, screenshot and PDF at `https://x402.steel.dev` | Signed USDC payment in the `X-PAYMENT` header; no key or account |
| Stripe CLI | Provisioning a project and key | `stripe projects add steel/browser` |
Source [2]

### Getting access
- Who creates the account: A person signs in at the dashboard to create a key; x402 needs no account; a key can also be provisioned from the Stripe CLI [8]
- Where to get a key: Dashboard: Settings, API Keys, Create API Key; shown once [2]
- Other requirements: Launch accounts need a $10 paid deposit for managed proxies and CAPTCHA solving [1]

## Setup

### Addresses
- REST API: `https://api.steel.dev` [13]
- MCP server: Local only: `npx -y github:steel-dev/steel-mcp-server`; `mcp.steel.dev` is not live [14]
- OpenAPI spec: Not published
- Docs for agents: `https://docs.steel.dev/llms.txt`; any docs page as Markdown by adding `.md` [13]
- Status page: `https://status.steel.dev` [16]

### Install
| What | Command |
|---|---|
| Node SDK | `npm install steel-sdk` |
| Python SDK | `pip install steel-sdk` |
| CLI | `curl -sSf https://setup.steel.dev \| sh` |
| MCP server for Claude Code | `claude mcp add steel -e STEEL_API_KEY=your-steel-api-key -- npx -y github:steel-dev/steel-mcp-server` |
| Browser skill for Claude Code | `npx skills add steel-dev/skills --skill steel-browser -a claude-code -g` |
Source [14]

## Limits

### Rate limits
From the plans table.
| Plan | Requests per minute |
|---|---|
| Launch | 60 |
| Scale | 600 |
| Enterprise | Custom |
Source [1]

### Other limits
- Session length and concurrency: See Features; Launch 15 minutes and 10 sessions [1]
- Default session timeout: 5 minutes (advertised Launch maximum is 15 minutes) [3]
- Profile size: 300 MB [6]
- Free credit validity: 90 days on Launch [1]
- Seats: Launch up to 3; Scale and Enterprise unlimited [1]

## Privacy

### Your data
- Data location: Browsers run in `us-east` [3]
- Retention: Launch 7 days, Scale 14 days, Enterprise custom [1]
- Used for training: Not published
- Zero data retention: Not published

### Compliance
- Certifications: Not published
- HIPAA: HIPAA-ready BAA on Scale and Enterprise [1]

## Sources

1. Pricing and limits: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/pricinglimits.md
2. Authentication: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/authentication.md
3. Configure a browser session: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/sessions-api/configuration.md
4. Proxies: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/stealth/proxies.md
5. CAPTCHA solving: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/stealth/captcha-solving.md
6. Profiles API: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/profiles-api/overview.md
7. Browser tools: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/browser-tools/overview.md
8. x402: https://docs.steel.dev/integrations/x402.md
9. Stripe Projects: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/stripe-projects.md
10. Steel Local vs Steel Cloud: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/self-hosting/steel-local-vs-steel-cloud.md
11. Past sessions: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/sessions-api/embed-sessions/past-sessions.md
12. Sessions quickstart: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/sessions-api/quickstart.md
13. Docs llms.txt: https://docs.steel.dev/llms.txt
14. steel-mcp-server README: https://github.com/steel-dev/steel-mcp-server/blob/main/README.md
15. Privacy policy: https://steel.dev/privacy
16. Status page: https://status.steel.dev
17. Claude Code integration: https://docs.steel.dev/integrations/claude-code.md
18. Session lifecycle: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/sessions-api/session-lifecycle.md
19. Dedicated IPs: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/sessions-api/dedicated-ips.md
20. Sessions overview: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/sessions-api/overview.md
21. Legal: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/legal.md
22. Files API: https://docs.steel.dev/overview/files-api/overview.md
23. Checked by supermarket.dev