E2B vs Browserbase vs Scrapybara vs SpineOS

E2B vs Browserbase vs Scrapybara vs SpineOS: which one do you actually need?

Where should your AI agent run? These four platforms give very different answers.

E2B is a code sandbox. Browserbase is a headless browser. Scrapybara is a browser viewport you pay per use. SpineOS is a full cloud desktop. We built SpineOS, so factor that in, but we have tried to be fair about all four.

Quick comparison

What each platform actually does

E2B: code execution sandboxes

E2B ($32M raised, used by 88% of Fortune 100) runs Firecracker microVMs. They boot in about 5 seconds, execute code in any language, and tear down. The open-source core gives you JS and Python SDKs to spin up isolated environments programmatically.

E2B is LLM tool-use infrastructure: code interpreters, data analysis, CI-like workflows. Send code in, get results out, the environment disappears.

from e2b_code_interpreter import Sandbox

sandbox = Sandbox()
execution = sandbox.run_code("print('hello')")
print(execution.text)  # "hello"
sandbox.close()

E2B boots fast and the SDK is clean. The isolation model is solid, the core is open-source, and 88% of Fortune 100 is a real number. But there is no GUI, no persistence, no browser, no desktop applications. Everything is ephemeral.

Browserbase: cloud headless browsers

Browserbase ($67.5M raised, $300M valuation, 1,000+ customers including Perplexity and Vercel) runs cloud Chromium instances optimized for web automation. Each session spins up an isolated browser with full JavaScript rendering, stealth mode to dodge bot detection, and built-in CAPTCHA solving.

Their open-source framework Stagehand (500K+ weekly npm downloads) has three primitives: act (perform action), extract (get data), observe (list elements). Their no-code product Director lets non-developers describe tasks in plain English.

import Stagehand from "@browserbasehq/stagehand";

const stagehand = new Stagehand({ env: "BROWSERBASE" });
await stagehand.init();
await stagehand.page.goto("https://example.com");
const data = await stagehand.extract({
  instruction: "extract the pricing table",
  schema: pricingSchema,
});

If your agent lives in the browser, Browserbase is hard to beat. But that is all you get. No terminal, no file system, no desktop apps, no persistence beyond cookies. You cannot run CLI commands or install software.

Scrapybara: pay-per-use browser automation

Scrapybara (YC F24) offers virtual desktop instances for browser automation and web scraping. No subscription, you pay per use. Integrated with OpenAI's Computer Use Agent API.

Good fit if you want browser automation without committing to a monthly plan. Less mature than E2B or Browserbase, smaller ecosystem.

SpineOS: full cloud desktops

SpineOS runs persistent cloud desktops as dedicated cloud VMs. Each desktop is a complete environment with a graphical interface, Chrome, terminal, file system, and Claude Code + OpenClaw pre-installed. You can watch the agent work in real time in your browser, and Mission Control lets you monitor all your agents from one place.

curl -X POST https://www.spinestudio.dev/api/desktops \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
  -d '{"name": "my-agent", "workspaceId": "ws_..."}'

## Desktop stays running. Agent picks up where it left off.

Full OS access, persistent storage, GUI desktop, terminal, browser, IDE, standard desktop software. It boots slower (~30-60s), uses more resources, and is overkill if all you need is code execution.

Architecture

The four platforms span a wide range of weight:

Lighter -------------------------------------------------> Heavier

Browserbase    Scrapybara    E2B           SpineOS
(browser)      (browser+)    (microVM)     (full VM)

Browserbase runs custom Chromium instances. A browser session, nothing else. No OS, no terminal, no file system. Fastest to spin up, cheapest per session for browser-only work.

Scrapybara sits slightly higher, with virtual desktop instances that include browser access. Between a pure browser service and a full sandbox.

E2B runs Firecracker microVMs. Stripped-down Linux with a shell and file system, but no GUI. Heavier than a browser instance, lighter than a full VM. Built for code execution where you need a real OS but not a desktop.

SpineOS runs full VMs with a desktop environment. Heaviest to boot, but once running, the agent has everything: browser, terminal, file manager, IDE, any installable software, and persistent storage that survives reboots.

Rough guide:

• Run JavaScript on web pages -> Browserbase
• Scrape websites at scale -> Browserbase or Scrapybara
• Execute code and return results -> E2B
• Work on a multi-day project with multiple tools -> SpineOS

Feature comparison

Pricing

Which plan makes sense depends on workload:

• Thousands of short tasks -> E2B wins on per-execution cost
• Hours of browser scraping -> Browserbase, optimized for browser-hours
• Occasional browser tasks -> Scrapybara, no subscription needed
• 24/7 persistent agents -> SpineOS, flat rate keeps costs predictable

When to choose each

E2B when the agent executes code snippets and returns results. Ephemeral, stateless, boots in under 5 seconds. The open-source core means you can self-host.

Browserbase when the agent scrapes the web or automates browsers at scale. Stealth mode, CAPTCHA solving, and Stagehand's SDK handle the hard parts. Works best when workflows stay entirely in the browser.

Scrapybara for pay-per-use browser automation without a subscription. Good fit with OpenAI CUA and for occasional sessions rather than a permanent fleet.

SpineOS when the agent needs a persistent workspace across sessions and uses browser, terminal, IDE, and desktop apps together. Real-time observation, system package installation, and fleet-wide monitoring for long-running autonomous agents.

Migrating from E2B or Scrapybara

From E2B: The mental model changes. E2B is "spin up sandbox, execute, destroy." SpineOS is "create desktop once, send commands over time." You refactor synchronous sandbox calls into persistent interactions via REST API, but you stop managing sandbox lifecycle and state transfer between runs.

From Scrapybara: If everything you do is browser-based, SpineOS is heavier than you need. If you are starting to need CLI tools, file management, or desktop apps alongside browser work, SpineOS handles that without extra plumbing.

Hybrid: Some teams use E2B for quick code execution and SpineOS for sustained agent work. The two are complementary.

The gap between these tools

A code interpreter evaluating Python expressions does not need a desktop. A scraping agent pulling pricing data from 500 websites does not need a terminal. But a development agent that clones a repo, writes code, runs tests, and iterates over three days needs all of it.

These platforms cover different kinds of agent work more than they compete with each other. They are starting to encroach on each other's territory, though. E2B recently added Desktop Sandbox with GUI support. Browserbase added session persistence via Contexts. A year from now this comparison might look different, but today the differences still matter.

Hybrid setups

A few patterns we have seen:

• E2B for code execution, Browserbase for web research. The agent reasons in E2B and gathers data through Browserbase.
• Browserbase for scraping, SpineOS for processing. Scrape at scale, then crunch the results on a persistent desktop.
• E2B for prototyping, SpineOS for production. Fast iteration in sandboxes, then deploy to a persistent desktop when the agent is ready.

All four expose APIs and MCP servers, so combining them is straightforward.

Getting started

SpineOS is free during beta: full cloud desktop, 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 20 GB persistent storage, no credit card. Sign up at www.spinestudio.dev, create a workspace, and launch a desktop.

Related reading: cloud desktops for AI agents, why sandboxes are not enough.

---

Got questions? contact@spinestudio.dev