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It's a split decision.
YepAPI is a metered data-and-model API: choose it when your code needs SEO/SERP, scraping, social or e-commerce data, or AI models behind one JSON interface. Steel is browser infrastructure: choose it when an agent must navigate sites in a real browser, preserve sessions, or use Playwright, Puppeteer, or Selenium. They overlap on scraping but solve different layers. For browser control, pick Steel; for consolidated API calls, pick YepAPI.
01Side by side
| YepAPI | Steel | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay per call or metered unit; no subscription. | Monthly plan plus usage-based charges. |
| Free tier | $5 signup credit; no card required. | $0 Launch plan with $30 one-time credits. |
| Open source and licence | Open-source status and licence terms are unstated. | Open source; confirm exact licence terms. |
| Self-hosting | Presented as a hosted API. | Can be self-hosted. |
| API and SDKs | One API key; endpoints return JSON. | REST API, Python and Node.js SDKs. |
| Integrations | MCP server, agent skills, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex. | Playwright, Puppeteer, Selenium, MCP, Claude, Codex, Cursor, Gemini. |
| Deployment model | Hosted API for data and model calls. | Managed cloud browsers or self-hosted. |
| Limits and scaling | No rate limits listed; pay per use. | Session, duration, and requests-per-minute caps by plan. |
YepAPI Choose YepAPI if
- Choose YepAPI if you need SEO, SERP, social, or e-commerce data.
- Choose YepAPI if one JSON API for data and AI models suits your stack.
- Choose YepAPI if you prefer per-call billing without a subscription.
Steel Choose Steel if
- Choose Steel if agents need to navigate and interact with websites.
- Choose Steel if you need browser sessions with persistent state.
- Choose Steel if you need Playwright, Puppeteer, or Selenium support.
02Pricing at real usage
YepAPI charges per call or metered unit, with no subscription or monthly minimum. Its pricing page lists Google SERP from $0.01 per call; the homepage lists scraping at $0.01, keyword overview from $0.03, image generation at $0.03, and Kling video from $0.192 per second. Signup includes $5 credit, no card required, and failed calls are not charged. There is no monthly free tier; estimate spend from endpoint prices and expected volume.
Steel has a $0 Launch plan with $30 in one-time usage credits, 10 concurrent sessions, 15-minute maximum sessions, three seats, and 60 requests per minute. Scale costs $250 monthly and includes $100 in monthly usage credits, 100 concurrent sessions, one-hour sessions, unlimited seats, and 600 requests per minute. Usage charges include browser hours ($0.10/$0.08), proxy bandwidth ($10/$6 per GB), CAPTCHA solves ($3/$1 per 1,000), and /scrape ($5 per 1,000) on Launch/Scale. Enterprise pricing is custom.
03API, SDKs and integration
YepAPI uses endpoint calls with a shared API key and JSON responses across SEO, SERP, scraping, social and e-commerce data, and AI models. Its homepage shows POST requests, including /v1/seo/keywords/overview, /v1/serp/google, and /v1/scrape. The docs include endpoint examples, while the homepage points developers to llms.txt, an MCP server, and agent skills. It names Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex integrations. The listed material does not identify a language-specific SDK, so teams can plan around HTTP calls unless they confirm an SDK with the vendor.
Steel exposes a REST API and Python and Node.js SDKs. You can also connect Playwright, Puppeteer, or Selenium directly to browser sessions. Its docs, cookbook, and MCP integration support browser-based agent workflows; the homepage names Claude, Codex, Cursor, and Gemini. Steel is the more direct fit when your application needs browser controls and session state. YepAPI fits when the integration should call data or model endpoints rather than operate a browser.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
YepAPI is presented as a hosted API. Its open-source status and self-hosting terms are not stated. Steel is described as open source and self-hostable, but its exact licence is not published; check the repository and terms before relying on a particular licence or deployment right.
The integration choices shape migration effort. With YepAPI, moving providers means replacing endpoint calls, API-key handling, and assumptions about its JSON responses. Steel can be self-hosted, and its direct Playwright, Puppeteer, and Selenium connections offer alternatives to depending only on its SDKs. However, session handling, proxies, and other provider-specific configuration may still need rework. Neither vendor publishes a data-export commitment in the cited product details. Before adopting either, ask how to export any stored session state, recordings, and usage records.
Questions people ask
Are YepAPI and Steel direct alternatives?
Only for some scraping workflows. YepAPI offers API endpoints for data retrieval and AI models. Steel provides browser infrastructure for agents that need to navigate and interact with websites. Choose based on whether your application needs structured API responses or browser control.
Which is cheaper for scraping?
It depends on the workflow and volume. YepAPI lists scraping at $0.01 per call. Steel lists /scrape at $5 per 1,000, alongside browser-hour and possible proxy charges. Compare the relevant endpoint, session, and add-on costs for your workload.
Can I self-host either product?
Steel says it can be self-hosted. YepAPI is presented as a hosted API, and its self-hosting terms are not stated. If self-hosting is a requirement, confirm Steel's licence and deployment terms and ask YepAPI whether it offers a self-hosted option.
Does Steel include browser automation libraries?
Steel offers Python and Node.js SDKs and supports direct connections with Playwright, Puppeteer, and Selenium. Those integrations let an application control browser sessions. YepAPI instead exposes data and model endpoints through its API.