Comparison Cereal vs Browser Use
Cereal vs Browser Use: the free AI browser agent that runs on your machine.
Browser Use is a Python library for developers and a paid cloud. Cereal is a free desktop app: describe a goal and the AI browser agent drives your own Chrome with your model and your key. No code needed.
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Goal Notify me when the PS5 Pro on bol.com drops below €450
- ✓ Opened bol.com in your Chrome
- ✓ Rejected cookie banner
- ✓ Searched “PS5 Pro”, opened product
- ✓ Learned: price below €450
● Repeat · 0 model calls
[ 01 / compare ]
How they compare.
| Cereal (coming soon) | Browser Use | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Your machine, in the free Cereal desktop app. | An open-source Python library you run in your own code, or Browser Use’s cloud (hosted agents and remote browsers). checked 2026-10 · browser-use.com |
| Which browser | Your own Chrome, in a window you can watch, with a separate profile per task. No extension, no new browser. | The library launches its own browser; the cloud uses remote browsers. checked 2026-10 · browser-use.com |
| Model / BYOK | Bring your own model: Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenAI, OpenRouter, or any OpenAI-compatible server. Your API key goes only to the AI provider you pick. | Library: many providers plus any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Cloud: your own key is an option, and the 20% fee still applies. checked 2026-10 · browser-use.com |
| Local models | Yes: Ollama and LM Studio (best effort; tested on Claude, other models may vary). | Library: yes, Ollama. Cloud: not stated by vendor. checked 2026-10 · docs.browser-use.com |
| Repeats without the model | Yes, after the first run: Repeat replays what it learned without calling the AI. If the site changes, the AI picks up where replay stopped. | Not stated by vendor. checked 2026-10 · browser-use.com |
| Asks before buying/sending | Asks for your OK before it buys, pays, deletes or sends anything, including on repeat runs. | Not stated by vendor. Secrets: the model sees placeholders for values you pass as sensitive data. checked 2026-10 · docs.browser-use.com |
| Price | Free. You pay your AI provider directly, or nothing with a local model. | Library free (MIT). Cloud pay as you go: browsers $0.02/h, agents at model cost + 20%, $1 signup credit. checked 2026-10 · browser-use.com |
| Platforms | Tested on macOS and Linux · needs Google Chrome | Library: any OS with Python 3.11+. Cloud: an API. checked 2026-10 · github.com |
[ 02 / fit ]
When to pick Browser Use instead.
- You write Python and want a library you control from your own code.
- You want hosted agents and remote browsers behind an API.
[ faq ]Questions.
Questions.
Answered.
Q/01 Is it free?
Yes. Free, and free to run: use a free tier such as Gemini’s, a local model, or your own paid key. You pay your AI provider directly, typically cents to a few tens of cents per run (an estimate). Hard limits stop every run at $2 and every task at $5 by default, and you can change them. Free tiers may let the provider use your data; a paid key or local model keeps it private.
Q/02 Where do my pages and key go?
Nothing passes through Cereal: your key and pages go only to the model provider you pick, or stay on your machine with a local model. Your passwords are typed by Cereal, not the AI: the model only sees a placeholder, and secret values are removed from logs.
Q/03 What happens when the site changes?
After the first run, Repeat replays what it learned without calling the AI, so routine checks cost nothing. If the site changes, the AI picks up where replay stopped.
Q/04 Is Cereal a Browser Use alternative without Python?
Yes. Browser Use is a Python library plus a paid cloud API for developers. Cereal is a free desktop app: describe a goal and the AI browser agent drives your own Chrome, with no code. If you want to write code, Browser Use gives you more control.
Q/05 Can I use the same models?
Mostly. Both let you bring your own key and run local models through Ollama. In Cereal: Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenAI, OpenRouter, or any OpenAI-compatible server, including local ones like Ollama and LM Studio.
Q/06 Does Browser Use replay steps without the model?
Browser Use doesn’t state a replay mode (checked 2026-10). In Cereal, Repeat replays what the first run learned without calling the AI.