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It's a split decision.
YepAPI is a hosted, usage-billed API for SEO, SERP, scraping, social and e-commerce data, plus 285 AI models. Browserless provides managed browsers and browser APIs, with a self-hosted option. Choose YepAPI when an application needs several kinds of data or model calls behind one key. Choose Browserless when it needs real browser sessions, existing Puppeteer or Playwright scripts, persistent authenticated profiles, or control over where browser workloads run.
01Side by side
| YepAPI | Browserless | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay per call; no monthly fees or minimums | Monthly unit plans; overages billed per unit |
| Free tier | $5 signup credit; no card required | 1k units monthly; two concurrent browsers |
| Self-hosting | Self-hosting option not published | Run on customer infrastructure |
| API and SDKs | HTTP endpoints; shared key; consistent JSON | Browser APIs; Puppeteer and Playwright support |
| CLI and docs | API docs, llms.txt, and agent skills | Docs, MCP server, and skill catalog |
| Integrations | Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and MCP | Puppeteer, Playwright, MCP, LangChain |
| Limits and scaling | No rate limits; usage billed by endpoint | Plan caps on units, concurrency, and session time |
| Lock-in and data export | One key; endpoint-specific schemas and prices | Browser libraries; same API for self-hosting |
YepAPI Choose YepAPI if
- Choose YepAPI if you need SEO, SERP, social, or commerce data.
- Choose YepAPI if one key for data and AI models simplifies integration.
- Choose YepAPI if you prefer per-call pricing without monthly minimums.
Browserless Choose Browserless if
- Choose Browserless if you need managed real-browser sessions.
- Choose Browserless if you already use Puppeteer or Playwright.
- Choose Browserless if self-hosting, proxies, or authenticated profiles matter.
02Pricing at real usage
YepAPI starts with $5 in signup credit, requires no card, and has no subscription or monthly minimum. The pricing page lists Google SERP calls from $0.01; other endpoints have their own listed prices, and failed calls are not charged. The bill grows with the calls or other metered usage your application makes.
Browserless’s free plan includes 1k units per month, two concurrent browsers, and a two-minute maximum session. Paid prices are monthly equivalents billed annually: Prototyping is $25 for 20k units, Starter is $140 for 180k, and Scale is $350 for 500k. Overages cost $0.0020, $0.0017, and $0.0015 per unit, respectively. Proxies and successful CAPTCHA solves also consume units. Monthly billing prices are not published, so compare expected unit use and billing term before estimating production cost.
03API, SDKs and integration
YepAPI exposes HTTP endpoints such as POST /v1/seo/keywords/overview, POST /v1/serp/google, and POST /v1/scrape. Calls use a shared API key and return JSON; developers can also request scraping output as markdown, HTML, or screenshots. Its site links API docs, llms.txt, an MCP server, and agent skills, and names Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex as agent integrations.
Browserless offers browser APIs over HTTP, an MCP server with search, scrape, and crawl tools, and managed browsers for existing Puppeteer or Playwright scripts. Its listed integrations include Claude, Cursor, LangChain, and Claude Computer Use. Both vendors document API and agent paths; the listed pages do not name language-specific SDKs or a CLI. If your application uses a particular language, check the docs for its supported client or plan to call the HTTP API directly.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Neither vendor publishes an open-source licence for these products. Browserless offers self-hosting on customer infrastructure, including a licensed self-hosting option for enterprise, and says self-hosted deployments use the same API. YepAPI is presented as a hosted API; a self-hosting option is not published.
The vendors do not publish data-export terms on the pages described here. Ask what request logs, saved browser sessions, profiles, and account data can be exported, and how deletion works. Migration differs by workload: YepAPI uses one key across endpoint families, so moving means replacing those calls and handling the new provider’s response formats and pricing. Browserless supports Puppeteer and Playwright, which can reduce browser-code changes, but proxy settings, authenticated profiles, and session behavior still need migration planning.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper for a small project?
It depends on the workload. YepAPI gives $5 in signup credit and charges by endpoint usage, with Google SERP from $0.01 per call. Browserless has a free plan with 1k units monthly; its listed paid plans start at $25 monthly equivalent, billed annually. Estimate calls or browser units before comparing.
Can YepAPI replace Browserless for web scraping?
For URL-based scraping, YepAPI returns content as markdown, HTML, or screenshots. Browserless is built around managed real browsers and also supports existing Puppeteer or Playwright scripts, proxies, and authenticated profiles. If scraping depends on browser interaction or persistent login state, compare those requirements rather than treating the APIs as interchangeable.
Can I self-host either product?
Browserless offers deployment on customer infrastructure, including licensed self-hosting for enterprise, and says it uses the same API. YepAPI is presented as a hosted API, and its pages do not publish a self-hosting option. Confirm deployment terms with each vendor if infrastructure location is a requirement.
Does Browserless charge by browser session?
Its plans are based on monthly units, with limits for concurrent browsers and maximum session time. The pricing page also lists unit consumption for proxies and successful CAPTCHA solves, plus per-unit overages on paid plans. Check the unit rules for your workflow before forecasting spend.