camofox-browser vs SeleniumBase
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 headless browser server for AI agents that aims to avoid bot detection, built on Camoufox.
Open source · MIT
Python framework for browser automation, testing, and scraping, with optional stealth browser features.
The short answer
Choose camofox-browser if you need…
- Developers building AI agents that need to read or interact with websites
- Teams scraping sites that block standard headless Chrome or Playwright
- People who want a self-hosted browser API they can call over HTTP
- Users who want to run the browser on small machines like a Raspberry Pi or low-cost VPS, per the README
Choose SeleniumBase if you need…
- Python developers writing automated browser tests for websites
- People who already use Selenium or pytest and want a higher-level API
- Developers building scrapers for sites that block standard automated browsers
- Teams wanting an MCP server so AI agents can drive a browser
Side-by-side
| camofox-browser | SeleniumBase | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 12.1k | 13.2k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | Python |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 8 days ago |
What each one is
camofox-browser
camofox-browser is a server that runs a modified Firefox browser (via the Camoufox project) and exposes it through a REST API so AI agents can load and interact with web pages. The project says its browser changes are made at the C++ level to reduce detection by anti-bot systems. It returns simplified accessibility snapshots instead of raw HTML and gives page elements stable reference IDs for clicking.
SeleniumBase
SeleniumBase is a Python framework for controlling web browsers. It is used to automate browser tasks, write end-to-end tests of websites, and scrape web pages. Its README says it includes a CDP Mode that launches a browser meant to get past bot-detection and CAPTCHAs, and that it can add stealth features to Playwright.
Best for
camofox-browser
- Developers building AI agents that need to read or interact with websites
- Teams scraping sites that block standard headless Chrome or Playwright
- People who want a self-hosted browser API they can call over HTTP
- Users who want to run the browser on small machines like a Raspberry Pi or low-cost VPS, per the README
SeleniumBase
- Python developers writing automated browser tests for websites
- People who already use Selenium or pytest and want a higher-level API
- Developers building scrapers for sites that block standard automated browsers
- Teams wanting an MCP server so AI agents can drive a browser
Strengths
camofox-browser
- Accessibility snapshots and element refs are designed to keep agent input compact and reliable
- Exposes an OpenAPI spec and interactive docs at /docs
- MIT licensed and actively pushed to, with a large star count
SeleniumBase
- Built on Python and pytest, so it fits into common Python testing workflows
- Includes many features in one package, such as a recorder, dashboard, and reports, per the README keywords
- Uses the MIT license, which permits free use and modification
Not ideal for
camofox-browser
- People who only need a simple, unprotected page fetch; a plain HTTP client is lighter
- Anyone needing guaranteed access to protected sites, since the README claims bypass for some detection but gives no success guarantees
- Users who want a no-code tool; it requires running a Node.js server and calling its API
SeleniumBase
- Non-programmers looking for a no-code tool, since it requires writing Python
- Anyone needing a guaranteed way around bot-detection or CAPTCHAs, since the README makes claims about bypassing them without guarantees and sites change their defenses
- Projects requiring a non-Python language, since the primary language is Python
Trade-offs
camofox-browser
- Anti-detection claims are the project's own and are not independently verified in the README; results on specific sites will vary
- First run downloads a Camoufox binary of about 300MB, and Docker or Windows setups add extra steps
- Telemetry is enabled by default and sends anonymized crash reports to GitHub Issues; it can be disabled with CAMOFOX_CRASH_REPORT_ENABLED=false
SeleniumBase
- Bypass claims for bot-detection and CAPTCHAs are stated by the project and are not independently verified in this README
- Stealth and anti-bot features depend on ongoing maintenance as target sites change
- The README is long and links out to many separate docs, so the full scope takes effort to learn
Getting started
camofox-browser
Clone the repository and enter the folder
git clone https://github.com/jo-inc/camofox-browser && cd camofox-browserInstall dependencies and start the server
npm install && npm startFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between camofox-browser and SeleniumBase?
camofox-browser: A headless browser server for AI agents that aims to avoid bot detection, built on Camoufox. SeleniumBase: Python framework for browser automation, testing, and scraping, with optional stealth browser features. camofox-browser suits developers building ai agents that need to read or interact with websites, while SeleniumBase suits python developers writing automated browser tests for websites.
Are camofox-browser and SeleniumBase free?
camofox-browser: Free and open source. SeleniumBase: Free and open source.
Is camofox-browser or SeleniumBase more popular?
SeleniumBase has more GitHub stars (13.2k) than camofox-browser (12.1k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to camofox-browser and SeleniumBase?
Other options people compare them with include ego lite, CrowdSec, Browser Use Web UI, ai-goofish-monitor, FlareSolverr.
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.