Key Concepts
| Feature | Scrapybara | Kernel |
|---|---|---|
| Start Browser | client.start_browser() | client.browsers.create() |
| Standby Mode | instance.pause() / instance.resume() | Automatic standby mode |
| CDP URL | instance.get_cdp_url().cdp_url | Returns cdp_ws_url in create response |
| Live View | instance.get_stream_url().stream_url | Returns browser_live_view_url in create response |
| Stealth Mode | ❌ Not available | Create browser with stealth: true |
| Replays | ❌ Not available | client.browsers.replays.start() and client.browsers.replays.stop() |
| Save Auth | instance.browser.save_auth(name="default") | Create Profile. Then create browser with kernel.browsers.create(profile={"name": "profile1", "save_changes": True}) |
How to migrate
Basic Browser Creation
Scrapybarafrom scrapybara import Scrapybara
from playwright.async_api import async_playwright
client = Scrapybara(api_key="your_api_key")
instance = client.start_browser(timeout_hours=1)
cdp_url = instance.get_cdp_url().cdp_url
async with async_playwright() as p:
browser = await p.chromium.connect_over_cdp(cdp_url)
page = browser.contexts[0].pages[0]
await page.goto("https://example.com")
await browser.close()
instance.stop()
from kernel import Kernel
from playwright.async_api import async_playwright
client = Kernel(api_key="your_api_key")
kernel_browser = client.browsers.create(timeout_seconds=3600)
cdp_url = kernel_browser.cdp_ws_url
async with async_playwright() as p:
browser = await p.chromium.connect_over_cdp(cdp_url)
page = browser.contexts[0].pages[0]
await page.goto("https://example.com")
await browser.close()
await client.browsers.delete_by_id(kernel_browser.session_id)
Save & Reuse Authentication
Scrapybara# First session - save auth
instance = client.start_browser()
# ... login to website via Playwright ...
auth_state = instance.browser.save_auth(name="my-login")
instance.stop()
# Second session - load auth
instance2 = client.start_browser()
instance2.browser.authenticate(auth_state_id=auth_state.auth_state_id)
# ... browser now has saved cookies ...
# First session - save auth
profile = await client.profiles.create(name="my-login")
browser1 = await client.browsers.create(
profile={"name": "my-login", "save_changes": True}
)
# ... login to website via Playwright ...
await client.browsers.delete_by_id(browser1.session_id)
# Second session - load auth
browser2 = await client.browsers.create(
profile={"name": "my-login"}
)
# ... browser now has saved cookies ...
File Download
Scrapybarainstance = client.start_browser()
# ... trigger download in browser ...
# Then use file operations
downloaded_file = instance.file(command="read", path="/download/path")
browser = await client.browsers.create()
# ... trigger download in browser via Playwright ...
# Then read from filesystem
file_response = await client.browsers.fs.read_file(
browser.session_id,
path="/tmp/downloads/file.pdf"
)
await file_response.write_to_file("local-file.pdf")
Long-Running Sessions
Scrapybara# Pause/resume for long-running sessions
instance = client.start_browser(timeout_hours=24)
# ... do some work ...
instance.pause() # Pause to save costs
# ... later ...
instance.resume() # Resume work
# Automatic standby mode + persistence
browser = await client.browsers.create(
persistence={"id": "my-long-session"}
)
# ... do some work ...
# Browser enters standby mode between connections
# Later - reuse the exact browser instance with full state
browser2 = await client.browsers.create(
persistence={"id": "my-long-session"}
)
Full API Comparison
| Feature | Scrapybara | Kernel |
|---|---|---|
| Create Browser | client.start_browser() | client.browsers.create() |
| Get CDP URL | instance.get_cdp_url().cdp_url | Returns cdp_ws_url in create response |
| Get Live View | instance.get_stream_url().stream_url | Returns browser_live_view_url in create response |
| Delete Browser | instance.stop() | client.browsers.delete_by_id(session_id) |
| List Browsers | client.get_instances() | client.browsers.list() |
| Save Auth State | instance.browser.save_auth(name="default") | Create Profile. Then create browser with kernel.browsers.create(profile={"name": "profile1", "save_changes": True}) |
| Load Auth State | instance.browser.authenticate(auth_state_id="xyz") | kernel.browsers.create(profile={"name": "profile1"}) |
| Pause/Resume | instance.pause() / instance.resume() | Automatic standby mode |
| Screenshot | instance.screenshot() | Use Playwright or Puppeteer |
| Timeout Config | timeout_hours parameter | timeout_seconds parameter |
| Stealth Mode | ❌ Not available | Create browser with stealth: true |
| Headless Mode | ❌ Not available | Create browser with headless: true |
| Session Persistence | Auth state only | Full browser state via creating browser with persistence={"id": "persist-id"} |
| Video Replays | ❌ Not available | client.browsers.replays.start() and client.browsers.replays.stop() |
| File Upload | instance.upload() | client.browsers.fs.upload() or Playwright |
| File Download | Via browser, then instance.file() | client.browsers.fs.read_file() |
| Process Control | instance.bash() | client.browsers.process.* |
| Proxy Support | ❌ Not available | Create Proxy. Then create browser with client.browsers.create(proxy_id=proxy.id) |