Page Agent vs Stagehand
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library that adds a natural-language AI agent to any web page you load it on.
Open source · MIT
TypeScript, Python and Go SDK for letting AI control a web browser to act on and extract data from sites.
The short answer
Choose Page Agent if you need…
- Developers adding an AI copilot to their own web app
- Teams wanting to automate repetitive form filling in internal ERP, CRM, or admin tools
- Developers who want the agent to run client-side without a headless browser or backend
- Projects that need to connect their own LLM, including locally deployed models
Choose Stagehand if you need…
- Developers building browser agents that must work on sites they do not control
- Teams extracting structured data from web pages that lack an API
- Engineers who already know Playwright and want AI-assisted steps
- Projects needing TypeScript, Python or Go bindings of the same workflow
Side-by-side
| Page Agent | Stagehand | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 29.6k | 25.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 6 days ago | 6 days ago |
What each one is
Page Agent
PageAgent is a JavaScript library that runs inside a web page and lets an AI agent operate that page's interface from a plain-language instruction, such as clicking a login button. It works by reading the page's text-based DOM rather than screenshots, and you connect it to your own language model or a free demo model. It is aimed at developers who want to add an in-page assistant to their own web application.
Stagehand
Stagehand is an SDK that lets code drive a real web browser using plain-language instructions alongside Playwright-style methods. You can ask it to observe elements, act on a page (such as clicking a button), or extract data into a schema you define. Sessions such as login cookies can persist between runs.
Best for
Page Agent
- Developers adding an AI copilot to their own web app
- Teams wanting to automate repetitive form filling in internal ERP, CRM, or admin tools
- Developers who want the agent to run client-side without a headless browser or backend
- Projects that need to connect their own LLM, including locally deployed models
Stagehand
- Developers building browser agents that must work on sites they do not control
- Teams extracting structured data from web pages that lack an API
- Engineers who already know Playwright and want AI-assisted steps
- Projects needing TypeScript, Python or Go bindings of the same workflow
Strengths
Page Agent
- Runs entirely in the page as JavaScript, with no browser extension or Python needed for basic use
- Works with bring-your-own LLMs, including locally deployed models, per the README
- MIT licensed and actively maintained, with a published npm package
Stagehand
- Familiar Playwright-style API for developers already using it
- Returns schema-validated data from extract() calls
- Available in TypeScript, Python and Go with MIT license
Not ideal for
Page Agent
- People who want to automate websites they do not control, since the README says it is designed for client-side web enhancement, not server-side automation
- Teams that need multi-modal or screenshot-based understanding, since the README says it uses text-based DOM and no screenshots
- Anyone needing a production-grade LLM without setup, since the demo model is for technical evaluation only
Stagehand
- People who only need fixed scripted browser tests with no AI, since the README centers on model-driven steps
- Non-programmers, because the examples require writing code and an API key for a model provider
- Users without Chrome installed for local runs, since the README says local runs need it
Trade-offs
Page Agent
- The README says the demo CDN is for technical evaluation only and uses a free testing API with its own terms
- The MCP server is marked Beta, and multi-page support depends on the optional Chrome extension
- The README does not describe security or privacy implications of giving an agent control over page content in detail
Stagehand
- Relies on a third-party model provider and its API key, so usage has external cost and data flow
- README is truncated, so full feature and configuration details could not be verified here
- Model-driven actions can behave differently across sites and runs
Getting started
Stagehand
Install TypeScript package
pnpm add @browserbasehq/stagehand 'zod@~4.4.3'Install Python package
pip install stagehandFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Page Agent and Stagehand?
Page Agent: A JavaScript library that adds a natural-language AI agent to any web page you load it on. Stagehand: TypeScript, Python and Go SDK for letting AI control a web browser to act on and extract data from sites. Page Agent suits developers adding an ai copilot to their own web app, while Stagehand suits developers building browser agents that must work on sites they do not control.
Are Page Agent and Stagehand free?
Page Agent: Free and open source. Stagehand: Free and open source.
Is Page Agent or Stagehand more popular?
Page Agent has more GitHub stars (29.6k) than Stagehand (25.9k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Page Agent and Stagehand?
Other options people compare them with include Browser Use, CloakBrowser, CopilotKit, Tambo, FastAPI-MCP.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.