Browser platforms / Bright Data Browser API alternative

A Bright Data Browser API alternative

Bright Data Browser API supplies remotely controlled browsers with managed proxies and website-access tooling. The key cost unit is bandwidth, not a Linux resource-hour. Compare that managed browsing bundle with an execution environment you can retain and grow for the agent’s broader tools and files.

Start buildingCompare capabilities ↓

Reviewed 2026-10-18 · Published by the Sandbox0 team

When Bright Data Browser API fits

Bright Data fits authorized web automation that needs its managed browser infrastructure, proxy management and website-compatibility features with Playwright, Puppeteer or Selenium. Keeping that browser API alongside a persistent runtime can be simpler than rebuilding its service bundle.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 for compatible Linux tools, system settings and user files on a durable whole RootFS with online growth. Browser operation, outbound networking, proxy supply and application-level web automation remain separate requirements.

Capabilities

Bright Data Browser API and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeBright Data Browser APIBrowser API sessions have a documented 60-minute maximum and five-minute idle timeout.View evidence ↗Sandbox0ttl and hard_ttl default to 0 (disabled). Configure idle pause and deletion policies for the same persistent sandbox identity; an idle running sandbox still accrues compute charges.Read documentation →
Persistent filesBright Data Browser APIThe reviewed browser configuration does not establish a customer-managed durable disk lifecycle.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSBright Data Browser APIRemote browser control does not establish complete writable Linux RootFS retention.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Persistence extends beyond /workspace to paths such as /usr/local, /etc, and /home. Runtime tmpfs and virtual filesystems are excluded.Read documentation →
Release compute, keep stateBright Data Browser APIBrowser session reuse is not proof of a compute-free arbitrary-machine checkpoint.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Pause compute between tasks; resume on available capacity. Default resume starts fresh processes from the saved filesystem.Read documentation →
Memory and process stateBright Data Browser APIArbitrary process-memory checkpoint/restore is not established.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Experimental memory checkpoints can preserve compatible process state. Use memory: true on both pause and resume on a compatible deployment. A filesystem checkpoint alone does not preserve running processes.Read documentation →

Online RootFS growth

On growth-enabled images, Sandbox0 automatically expands the writable RootFS as free space runs low, within a configured sparse logical ceiling up to 64 TiB. Agent processes keep running. Growth is enabled in the qualified Cloud region; confirm activation for other regions. Existing images and snapshots retain their captured storage geometry. The ceiling is logical capacity, not preallocated host disk.

The reviewed Browser API sources describe managed browser sessions and transferred data, without a whole writable Linux RootFS or automatic-growth contract. More browser traffic or concurrency is different from expanding one agent computer’s retained filesystem.

Files while compute is paused

Sandbox0's Files API reads persistent files without resuming compute. Filesystem-only pauses also permit edits; retained-memory pauses are read-only and reject mutations with 409. SSH, SFTP, file watching, and runtime-only mounts require running compute.

See paused file operations →

Bandwidth price includes a managed browser bundle

The dedicated price card lists pay-as-you-go Browser API with proxies and managed browser features, alongside a monthly bandwidth bundle. Navigation headlines such as “starts from” describe other packages or volume points; they should not override the concrete pay-as-you-go offer.

Source 1 ↗

Framework compatibility does not imply an indefinite session

The current configuration guide documents a five-minute idle timeout and a 60-minute maximum browser-session length. Reconnecting or launching another session is different from preserving arbitrary Linux process state. Design long agent jobs around repeatable steps and durable results.

Source 1 ↗

A remote browser is one tool in the agent system

The introduction describes browser control for JavaScript rendering, page interactions and screenshots. Your application still owns the surrounding reasoning, system tools and long-term artifacts. A hosted browser API and Sandbox0 can be complementary components with different billing units.

Source 1 ↗

Pricing

Compare billing models, then price your workload

CPU allocation, memory, billing minimums, disk, plan fees, and supported workload differ. These meters are not equal-performance machine quotes. Confirm region, resource units, and included allowances before estimating a total.

Bright Data Browser API

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-18

Browser API pay as you go
$8 per GB
No monthly commitment; browser/proxy bundle, not a CPU-hour rate.
Rate source ↗
Displayed Scale bundle
$499/month including 71 GB
This is the visible bundle selection, not every volume tier or an unlimited-data offer.
Rate source ↗
Published Free Tier
1 GB/month
The page also labels 5K credits/month; do not invent a fixed browser-hour conversion.
Rate source ↗

Use the dedicated Browser API price card rather than a generic “from $5/GB” navigation headline. USD pricing is binding according to the page; localized currency amounts are indicative. “Unlimited concurrent sessions” is an advertised plan feature, not unlimited bandwidth, a 60-minute-limit exception or a throughput guarantee.

Check current Bright Data Browser API pricing ↗

Sandbox0

$0.015/GiB-hour compute (billed by the second at approximately $0.000004167/GiB-second), plus $0.02/GiB-month of retained incremental RootFS and memory checkpoint data. Shared base images and platform recovery retention are excluded; paused sandboxes accrue storage charges only.

Compute / GiB-hour
$0.015
Retained data / GiB-month
$0.02
Paused compute
$0.00

A 4 GiB agent, 100 running hours

$6.00 compute

4 GiB × 100 hours, billed by the second. Keeping 20 GiB of billable incremental data for a full billing month adds $0.40. CPU is derived from memory by the platform; choose a tier that fits your workload.

Understand storage billing →

Before migrating from Bright Data Browser API

  1. Inventory browser/proxy configuration, allowed account workflows, current session deadlines and exported results; preserve important artifacts before browser timeout.
  2. Run compatible agent/tool code on Sandbox0 and retain or replace the remote browser/proxy service explicitly, checking actual site and framework behavior.
  3. Test repeatable sessions, system-tool persistence, RootFS growth, paused files and full bandwidth/browser plus runtime cost.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Bright Data Browser API replacement?

Evaluate API compatibility and product scope. These products serve different core workflows, so a change may require a different architecture.

Does keeping files also keep a running agent?

Filesystem state and volatile process state are separate. Sandbox0 requires explicit compatible memory checkpoints to preserve running processes; its default filesystem resume starts fresh processes.

Sources and review scope

The Boat team's Battleships directory is the discovery source. References below describe the product and plan discussed on this page. Check current availability, regional terms and billing units before migrating. Where the cited material does not establish a capability or price, the comparison identifies that uncertainty.

Battleships research record ↗brightdata.com/pricing/scraping-browser ↗docs.brightdata.com/products/scraping-browser/configuration ↗docs.brightdata.com/products/scraping-browser/introduction ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

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