List of the Top 8 Headless Browsers for Playwright in 2025

Connect with the worldwide community using Google’s web browser. Google develops powerful tools aimed at promoting connectivity, entertainment, productivity, and efficient task management, all of which are effortlessly integrated into Chrome. By leveraging Google applications like Gmail, Google Pay, and Google Assistant, Chrome not only boosts your efficiency but also elevates your overall browsing experience. Furthermore, it accommodates a range of extensions that can significantly enhance your productivity and streamline your online activities.

Mozilla Firefox is an open-source web browser that is offered for free and developed by the non-profit Mozilla Foundation, prioritizing user privacy and security. The browser features Total Cookie Protection to enhance data safety and provides integrated tools for managing tabs on various devices, as well as for editing PDFs directly in the interface. It is compatible with multiple operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, delivering a consistent user experience across all platforms. Renowned for its dedication to transparency and prioritizing user needs, Firefox ensures a browsing experience that is both secure and efficient. Its focus on privacy, along with extensive customization options, attracts users who are seeking alternatives to more conventional browsers. Additionally, Firefox's regular updates and community-driven approach contribute to its ongoing improvement and innovation in web browsing.

Chromium is an initiative focused on collaboration that aims to develop a more secure, efficient, and dependable browsing experience for users as they explore the Internet. This project prioritizes improving the overall online experience for all individuals who engage with web content. Additionally, it fosters a community-driven approach to innovation in web technologies.

Bright Data stands at the forefront of data acquisition, empowering companies to collect essential structured and unstructured data from countless websites through innovative technology. Our advanced proxy networks facilitate access to complex target sites by allowing for accurate geo-targeting. Additionally, our suite of tools is designed to circumvent challenging target sites, execute SERP-specific data gathering activities, and enhance proxy performance management and optimization. This comprehensive approach ensures that businesses can effectively harness the power of data for their strategic needs.

Steel is an adaptable open-source browser API designed for managing a variety of cloud-based browsers. It streamlines the process of browser automation, catering to needs that range from large-scale scraping tasks to fully autonomous web agents, allowing users to start browser sessions on demand via simple API calls. With built-in CAPTCHA solving capabilities, Steel guarantees that automation processes run smoothly without interruptions. Its intuitive controls are designed to reduce the chances of being flagged as automated traffic. Typically, a session can be initiated in under one second if the client is within the same geographic area. Each session is flexible, capable of lasting anywhere from one minute to a full 24 hours. Users can effortlessly save and inject cookies and local storage, allowing them to resume their activities seamlessly. Furthermore, Steel facilitates the execution of Puppeteer, Playwright, or Selenium in the cloud with remarkable ease. The Session Viewer feature stands out by enabling users to monitor and troubleshoot both live and previously recorded sessions, greatly enhancing the overall user interface. This extensive toolkit not only makes Steel a crucial asset for developers but also empowers them to effectively leverage the capabilities of browser automation in a cloud setting. By combining efficiency with user convenience, Steel significantly enhances the automation experience.

Headless browsers that operate consistently across all environments are now at your fingertips. You can manage a fleet of stealth browsers to ensure dependable automation processes. Concentrate on your coding efforts with autoscaled browser instances and top-tier stealth functionalities. Deploy numerous browsers utilizing robust resources for extended sessions without interruption. With real-time access, the ability to replay actions, and comprehensive tools including logs and network insights, you can engage with headless browsers as seamlessly as you would with traditional ones. Construct and execute undetectable automated systems featuring customizable fingerprinting and automated captcha resolution. Browserbase stands out as the premier solution for developing AI agents capable of navigating the most intricate web pages without detection. With minimal coding, your AI agent can interact with any website discreetly and efficiently at scale. Furthermore, you can utilize the live session feature whenever necessary to involve human assistance for more complex tasks. This infrastructure provided by Browserbase serves not only web scraping and automation needs but also supports various applications related to LLMs, making it an invaluable resource for developers. As technology evolves, the potential for Browserbase to adapt and enhance automation practices will only grow.

Stagehand is a groundbreaking web automation framework that utilizes artificial intelligence to expand the capabilities of Playwright, enabling developers to operate web browsers with straightforward natural language instructions. Created by Browserbase, it includes three intuitive APIs—act, extract, and observe—that enhance Playwright's core page class, thus making web automation tasks more user-friendly. For instance, developers can navigate to desired websites, identify elements like input fields, gather specific data such as product prices, and perform actions like adding items to shopping carts, all through conversational commands. This approach simplifies the process of developing resilient, autonomous, and repeatable web automation workflows, reducing the difficulties and risks typically associated with traditional methods. Additionally, Stagehand integrates smoothly with existing Playwright code, allowing for easy incorporation into current projects. By leveraging AI capabilities, it not only makes browser automation management simpler but also boosts overall efficiency, ultimately resulting in greater productivity for developers. This unique blend of simplicity and effectiveness establishes Stagehand as an essential asset in the field of web automation, offering a modern solution to the challenges faced by developers. With its innovative features, Stagehand is poised to transform the way web automation tasks are approached and executed.

Surfsky.io emerges as the leading choice for web scraping, data gathering, and automation, meticulously crafted to tackle even the most advanced anti-bot defenses. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, it promises seamless and discreet browsing while offering extensive data extraction capabilities that cater to businesses of all sizes. Our groundbreaking platform outshines competitors like Browserbase, Undetect, and ZenRows by providing unparalleled features for bypassing CAPTCHA systems, WAFs, and other bot detection mechanisms. With Surfsky, professionals—including developers, analysts, and organizations focused on data—can effortlessly gather structured data, automate their tasks, and engage in web activities without interruptions. Tailored specifically for developers, Surfsky adopts an API-first design, ensuring straightforward integration with popular automation tools while offering highly customizable browser automation features. Furthermore, its cloud-based infrastructure guarantees superior scalability and reliability, allowing users to implement scraping solutions effectively, irrespective of the scale of their needs. This commitment to innovation makes Surfsky a formidable option in the fast-evolving world of data extraction technologies, poised to adapt to future demands as well.