Browserless Pricing for Screenshot Automation: What Does It Cost?
Browserless screenshot calls use shared browser-time units, not a fixed per-image price. Here are the listed plans, metering rules, and ways to estimate your bill.
Short answer: Browserless does not publish a separate price for each screenshot endpoint call. Screenshot requests draw from the same Browserless Cloud unit balance as its other REST endpoints, browser connections, and BrowserQL. A screenshot that finishes within 30 seconds uses one browser-time unit; partial intervals round up. Proxy traffic and successful CAPTCHA solves can add units.
The pricing page displayed these prices on October 3, 2026: Free at $0/month, Prototyping at $25/month, Starter at $140/month, and Scale at $350/month. Paid figures are shown as billed annually. The reviewed material does not state the month-to-month prices, so check the live Browserless pricing page before budgeting or purchasing.
1. Browserless plan prices and allowances
| Plan | Displayed price | Monthly units | Concurrent browsers | Overage per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | 1,000 | Up to 2 | Not listed in the researched figures |
| Prototyping | $25/month, billed annually | 20,000 | Up to 10 | $0.0020 |
| Starter | $140/month, billed annually | 180,000 | Up to 40 | $0.0017 |
| Scale | $350/month, billed annually | 500,000 | Up to 100 | $0.0015 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Confirm with Browserless | Confirm with Browserless | Custom terms |
The pricing page also describes plan-specific session caps, support, and persistence features. Check the live plan details for those limits. The table’s annual-billed prices should not be read as month-to-month rates.
2. How screenshot usage is metered
Browserless measures browser connection time in 30-second units, rounding any partial unit up. The same time-metering model applies to REST APIs, BaaS connections, and BrowserQL. A browser session that remains open while idle continues to consume time.
- Up to 30 seconds: 1 time unit.
- 31 to 60 seconds: 2 time units.
- A 45-second session: 2 time units.
- A session left open after the screenshot is complete: continued browser-time usage until it closes.
Additional metered usage can include:
- Residential proxy traffic: 6 units per MB.
- Datacenter proxy traffic: 2 units per MB.
- Successful CAPTCHA solve: 10 units. Unsuccessful attempts are not charged under the documented model.
For example, a 30-second session that transfers 2 MB through a residential proxy uses 1 time unit plus 12 proxy units, for 13 total. A screenshot completed in under 30 seconds uses one browser-time unit before proxy or CAPTCHA usage.
3. Estimate units for your screenshot workload
There is no reliable universal dollar cost per screenshot: session duration, proxy traffic, successful CAPTCHA solves, and plan overages affect the total. Estimate units first, then compare the total with plan allowances and overage rates.
- Measure representative browser session durations, including navigation, waits, lazy-content loading, and capture.
- Convert each session to time units by rounding up each 30-second interval.
- Add expected proxy units using the traffic volume and proxy type.
- Add 10 units for each successful CAPTCHA solve you expect.
- Multiply by monthly capture volume and compare the result with the plan allowance, concurrency limit, and overage rate.
time_units_per_capture = ceil(session_seconds / 30)
proxy_units_per_capture = proxy_mb * (6 if proxy_type == "residential" else 2)
captcha_units_per_capture = 10 * successful_captcha_solves
units_per_capture = time_units_per_capture + proxy_units_per_capture + captcha_units_per_capture
monthly_units = units_per_capture * captures_per_monthThis is a planning formula, not a quote. It assumes the given proxy data is metered traffic in MB and treats each successful solve as one event. Use actual usage records to refine the estimate, especially for pages with variable load time or large assets.
4. Make a screenshot request with the current REST API
The current REST screenshot endpoint is POST /screenshot. Authenticate with an API token from your Browserless account dashboard and send a URL or HTML with screenshot options. The endpoint can return PNG, JPEG, or WebP. Browser time, rather than a distinct endpoint tariff, determines the time units used.
For example, using cURL with a URL and PNG output:
curl -X POST "https://production-sfo.browserless.io/screenshot?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"url": "https://example.com",
"options": {
"fullPage": true,
"type": "png"
}
}' \
--output screenshot.pngKeep the token private. Do not commit a real token to source control or expose it in client-side code.
Commonly useful screenshot settings include full-page capture, viewport dimensions, output format and quality, clipping, selector capture, waits, and injected scripts or styles. The scrollPage: true option can scroll the page to trigger lazy-loaded content before full-page capture. Consult the official screenshot API documentation for the current request schema and supported options.
5. What can change the actual bill?
Session duration and waits
Long waits and slow pages can push a capture into another 30-second unit. Keep waits tied to a meaningful page condition where possible, and close the browser session as soon as the capture work is done.
Proxy traffic
Proxy bandwidth is added to browser-time usage. Residential proxy traffic costs more units per MB than datacenter proxy traffic in the documented rates. Include the traffic type and expected transferred data when estimating a workload.
CAPTCHA solving
A successful solve adds 10 units. Do not assume every protected site will be captured successfully: Browserless documents that blocked sites may return a blank capture, a CAPTCHA page, or an access-denied page. Its separate /unblock API is documented for bot detection, but that does not mean every screenshot plan guarantees access to every protected site.
Concurrency and plan limits
Choose a plan whose concurrent browser limit and session caps match peak workload, not only monthly average volume. A plan with enough monthly units may still constrain a burst of simultaneous work. The pricing page includes plan-specific limits and features; confirm the live details.
Overages
The researched annual-billed Prototyping, Starter, and Scale plans list overages of $0.0020, $0.0017, and $0.0015 per unit respectively. Calculate possible overage from the plan-specific rate rather than converting the base subscription into a guessed per-screenshot figure.
6. Reliability and cost controls
- Close browser sessions promptly to avoid paying for idle connection time.
- Use representative measurements from both fast and slow pages; a small duration increase can cross a 30-second billing boundary.
- Track session duration, proxy bytes, successful CAPTCHA solves, and unit consumption separately. They explain why two screenshots can have different usage.
- Set workload concurrency to fit the selected plan and avoid assuming monthly allowance alone determines throughput.
- Test protected target sites early. A syntactically valid request can still capture a challenge or access-denied page.
- Recheck pricing and usage documentation before committing to a plan, since commercial prices and limits may change.
7. Troubleshooting Browserless screenshot costs and captures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Usage is higher than the number of screenshots | Sessions exceeded 30 seconds, used metered proxies, solved CAPTCHAs, or remained open after capture. | Inspect duration and usage records, close sessions promptly, and include proxy and CAPTCHA units in estimates. |
| A capture uses two time units despite taking only slightly over 30 seconds | Partial 30-second intervals round up. | Reduce navigation and wait time if safe, or budget two units for that duration. |
| The returned image is blank | The target may block automated browsers or fail to render before capture. | Check the page in a browser, review waits and navigation behavior, and determine whether the site returned a block page. Browserless documents its separate /unblock capability; verify its requirements independently. |
| The image shows a CAPTCHA or access-denied page | The target applied bot checks or denied access. | Do not treat the screenshot endpoint as a guarantee of bypass. Review the target’s access rules and the relevant Browserless documentation. |
| The request is rejected or does not authenticate | The token is missing, invalid, or sent in the wrong place, or the JSON does not match the current API schema. | Use the account token, verify the request URL and JSON content type, and compare parameters with the current REST documentation. |
| Full-page output omits lazy-loaded content | The page loads images or sections only after scrolling. | Enable documented scrollPage behavior and allow enough time for the content to load. |
| Monthly spend is hard to predict | Session durations or proxy traffic vary, or the estimate uses a fixed cost per image. | Model low, typical, and high session durations, include proxy and CAPTCHA usage, and use observed unit totals to update the forecast. |
8. Browserless versus a direct screenshot API
Browserless is useful when you need managed browser sessions, its REST screenshot endpoint, browser automation connections, or its broader browser capabilities. Its cost follows shared units, so teams should estimate time and add-on usage rather than expect a fixed image price.
ScreenshotNeo is an alternative to try first when you want a one-request screenshot API with clean captures: it accepts cookie and consent banners like a visitor and removes 60+ known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture. Only clean shots are billed; bot checks, CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, with the verdict and billing state returned in response headers. ScreenshotNeo also offers an MCP server for AI agents, and its paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots.
9. Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo takes a URL in one GET request and returns an image or PDF. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for options and setup.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpimport requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);- Cookie banners, popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot.
- Bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed.
- An MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots.
- 1,000 screenshots a month are free with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.
Sign up free for 1,000 screenshots a month, with no card required.
10. Frequently asked questions
Does Browserless charge a separate fee for the screenshot endpoint?
The documented model uses shared units across REST endpoints, browser connections, and BrowserQL rather than a separate screenshot endpoint price.
Is a 45-second screenshot session one or two units?
Two browser-time units, because any partial 30-second interval rounds up.
Are the listed paid plan prices monthly-billed rates?
No. The researched paid figures are displayed as billed annually. The reviewed source did not provide the month-to-month amounts.
Can I calculate an exact dollar price for one screenshot?
Only with workload assumptions and the applicable plan. Session time, proxy traffic, successful CAPTCHA solving, included units, and overages all affect cost.
Does a screenshot request guarantee a usable capture of a protected site?
No. Browserless warns that blocked sites can produce blank, CAPTCHA, or access-denied captures. Evaluate the target behavior and relevant API options before relying on it.
Sources
- Browserless pricing — plan prices, allowances, concurrency, and overages as reviewed October 3, 2026.
- Browserless unit consumption documentation — browser-time rounding, shared endpoint metering, proxies, and CAPTCHA usage.
- Browserless REST screenshot documentation — request method, options, output formats, lazy loading, and blocked-site caveats.
