Chromeless
Node.js library that scripts Chrome locally or remotely on AWS Lambda; now archived and deprecated.
- Stars
- 13.2k
- Forks
- 568
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 8.0 years ago
- Type
- Library
This repository is archived and no longer maintained.
What it is
Chromeless is a JavaScript/TypeScript library for controlling a Chrome browser from code, for example opening a page, typing into a form, clicking, and taking screenshots. It can drive Chrome on your own machine or run headless Chrome on AWS Lambda through a built-in proxy, which the project says can make parallel browser tests faster. The repository is archived, and the README says the project is deprecated in favor of Puppeteer.
- Run browser integration tests in parallel against a real Chrome instance
- Take screenshots of a web page from a script
- Extract data from search results into JSON
- Automate form filling and clicks in a real browser
Great for
- Developers maintaining existing projects that already use Chromeless
- Teams who want to study how a remote headless-Chrome proxy on AWS Lambda was structured
- Readers comparing older browser automation libraries
Not ideal for
- New projects, because the README says it is deprecated in favor of Puppeteer and the repository is archived with no recent pushes
- Anyone needing ongoing bug fixes or security updates, since the last push was in 2018
- Non-programmers, since usage requires writing Node.js code
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Node.js 8.2 or greater (per the development requirements in the README) · Chrome version 60 or greater for local use
Install the npm package
npm install chromeless - 2
Run it
- Install Chrome version 60 or greater on your machine.
- Run npm install chromeless in your project.
- Copy the usage example from the README into a file and run it with Node.js.
- Check the printed screenshot file path or S3 URL to confirm it worked.
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the remote option with endpointUrl and apiKey to run Chrome on AWS Lambda through the built-in proxy.
- Start Chrome yourself with --remote-debugging-port=9222 and set launchChrome: false if you want to control the browser instance.
- Use --headless and --disable-gpu flags when running Chrome without a display.
- Consult docs/api.md for the full list of methods and their options.
Downloads
Strengths
- Simple, readable API for common browser actions such as goto, click, type and screenshot
- Can run headless Chrome remotely on AWS Lambda with the same code used locally
- MIT licensed and widely starred
Trade-offs
- Archived and deprecated, so it will not receive updates; the README points to Puppeteer instead
- Last push was in November 2018 and some listed API methods are marked not implemented yet
- Requires a local Chrome install (version 60 or greater) for local use and an AWS setup for the remote proxy
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| chromeless (this) | 13.2k | Library | intermediate | 8.0 years ago | Developers maintaining existing projects that already use Chromeless |
| chromedp | 13.3k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Go developers who want to automate or test web pages in code |
| SeleniumBase | 13.2k | Library | intermediate | 8 days ago | Python developers writing automated browser tests for websites |
| nightwatch | 12k | Library | intermediate | 5 months ago | JavaScript or Node.js teams who want end-to-end browser tests |
| github-readme-stats | 79.9k | Dev tool | beginner | 1 months ago | People who want a generated stats card on their GitHub profile README |
| refine | 36k | Framework | intermediate | 2 months ago | Developers building internal admin panels or back-office tools in React |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.