AI Agent Browser / Computer Use Cost Estimator
Estimate browser-infrastructure, LLM, screenshot, proxy, and retry costs for browser agents and computer-use agents. Add margin pricing to see what to charge per task.
Task volume
Browser stack
Pay-as-you-go free tier + $0.12/browser hr overage; proxy bandwidth $12/GB.
Strong vision + reasoning; image tokens dominate cost.
Pricing assumptions
LLM cost is dominated by screenshot image tokens. Each screenshot adds ~1,100 tokens.
Total steps / month
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Cost per task
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Cost per step
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Total monthly cost
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Browser compute
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LLM tokens
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Proxy
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Retry overhead
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Pricing to hit margin
Price per task
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includes overhead
Price per step
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Required monthly revenue
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Cost by browser provider
Same task volume and LLM; swapping only browser infrastructure. LLM and proxy costs are included.
| Provider | Browser/mo | LLM/mo | Proxy/mo | Total/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browserbase Pay-as-you-go free tier + $0.12/browser hr overage; proxy bandwidth $12/GB. | — | — | — | — |
| Browser Use Cloud Managed browser from $0.02/hr; LLM and proxies billed separately. | — | — | — | — |
| Skyvern $0.05 per step, AI + browser infrastructure bundled. | — | — | — | — |
| TinyFish Credits: Web Agent 1/step, Browser 1/4 min (~$0.00375/min); PAYG credits $0.015. | — | — | — | — |
| Steel.dev $49/mo base + per-session usage; proxy extra on higher tiers. | — | — | — | — |
| Self-hosted (Playwright/Docker) Open-source; pay only for VPS, residential proxy ($4/GB), and LLM. | — | — | — | — |
Cost by LLM / vision model
Same task volume and browser provider; swapping only the LLM.
| Model | LLM/mo | Total/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Computer Use) Strong vision + reasoning; image tokens dominate cost. | — | — |
| Claude 3 Haiku Cheap and fast; best for simple, deterministic UI steps. | — | — |
| OpenAI GPT-4o Good visual understanding; price sits between Haiku and Sonnet. | — | — |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro Computer Use Competitive image-input pricing; strong for long-context browser sessions. | — | — |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash Cheapest fast vision model for high-volume browser work. | — | — |
| Local vision model (Qwen-VL / Llama) Self-hosted; GPU and power cost separate. | — | — |
How the estimate works
- Browser compute = task minutes × provider rate + per-step / per-session fees + base plan.
- LLM cost = steps × (screenshots × screenshot tokens + system text) × input price + output tokens × output price.
- Proxy = data transferred × GB rate when enabled.
- Retry overhead = failed-task share ÷ success rate; 85% success means ~17.6% extra cost.
- Margin pricing = cost per task × (1 + overhead%) ÷ (1 − margin%).
When to use each approach
- • Browserbase / Steel for robust CDP sessions and stealth when you already manage the agent logic.
- • Skyvern when you want AI + browser bundled and priced per step.
- • TinyFish for high-volume, credit-based web agents and browser sessions.
- • Browser Use Cloud for the cheapest managed browser minutes.
- • Self-hosted Playwright when you control the stack and can absorb infra labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI browser agent cost per task?▼
A typical managed browser-agent task with 6–12 steps costs $0.05–$0.40 in LLM + browser compute, depending on model choice, screenshot resolution, and retries. Self-hosted stacks can cut compute cost but add infrastructure labor.
Which is the cheapest browser infrastructure provider?▼
Browser Use Cloud advertises browsers from $0.02/hr, the cheapest metered option. Skyvern bundles AI + browser at $0.05 per step. TinyFish starts at $0.015 per step or ~$0.00375 per minute. Self-hosted is variable but can be cheapest at scale if you already run the servers.
How much does Computer Use cost with Claude vs Gemini?▼
Computer use is billed by LLM tokens, and each screenshot adds 1,000–2,000 image tokens. A 10-step task with 720p screenshots usually costs $0.05–$0.15 with Claude Sonnet and $0.02–$0.08 with Gemini Flash. OpenAI Operator is a flat $200/month subscription.
How do retries affect cost?▼
Retries multiply cost. If your success rate is 85%, roughly 15% of tasks fail and need a retry, raising effective cost by 15% or more. Use shorter tasks, lower screenshot resolution, and simpler UIs to reduce failure-driven retries.
What resolution should I use for screenshots?▼
1280×720 is a good default: detailed enough for most UI elements but cheaper than 1920×1080. Lower resolutions reduce image tokens but can miss small buttons or dense dashboards.
Prices are directional estimates based on public list pricing as of 2026. Confirm current rates with each provider before committing to a cost model. Last updated: 2026-08-07.