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Side-by-side comparison · AI Browsers & Agents

Browser Use vs Google Chrome vs Microsoft Edge

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Browser Use

3.8

From From $0.02/hour per browser

Best overall

Google Chrome

4.1

From $19.99/mo

Microsoft Edge

3.9

From $19.99/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Pick it if: Developers, technical marketers and agencies who want to automate website jobs at scale or give their own agents a browser.

Best overall

Pick it if: Anyone already using Chrome and Google's apps who wants AI help reading, comparing and researching without switching browsers.

Pick it if: Windows and Microsoft 365 users who want AI help with reading, comparing and researching in the browser they already have.

Overview

AttributeBrowser UseGoogle ChromeMicrosoft Edge
In one lineOpen-source AI agent that uses websites for you, with a pay-as-you-go cloud version.The world's most used browser, now with Gemini built in to read pages and do tasks.Microsoft's free browser with Copilot built in to read pages, compare tabs and do tasks.
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemiumFreemium
Starting priceFrom $0.02/hour per browser$19.99/mo$19.99/mo
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code Yes No No

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeBrowser UseGoogle ChromeMicrosoft Edge
Overall rating3.84.1Winner3.9
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
2.5
4.5
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.5
4.0
3.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.0
3.5
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.5
4.5
4.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
3.5
4.0
4.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeBrowser UseGoogle ChromeMicrosoft Edge
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Mobile app No Yes Yes
Desktop app No Yes Yes
Browser extension No Yes Yes
API access Yes No No
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes Yes Yes
Connects to other apps Yes Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted Yes No No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes Yes
Understands images Yes Yes Yes
Makes images No Yes Yes
Makes video No No No
Writes code No No No
Runs agents or automations Yes Yes Yes
Learns your brand or style– No No
Works in many languages Yes Yes Yes
Capabilities score10/ 1712/ 1712/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeBrowser UseGoogle ChromeMicrosoft Edge
Plans

Open source

Free

Developers who want to run it on their own computer.

FreeOur pick

Free

Most people: summaries, tab comparisons and AI search.

FreeOur pick

Free

Most people: summaries, tab comparisons and Journeys.

Pay as you goOur pick

From $0.02/hour per browser, plus model costs

Anyone who wants agents and browsers run for them.

Google AI Pro

$19.99/mo

US users who want Gemini to do tasks on websites for them.

Microsoft 365 Premium

$19.99/mo, or $199.99/yr

US households and sole traders who want the agent and Office apps in one bill.

Enterprise

Custom

Companies with security and volume needs.

Google AI Ultra

From $99.99/mo

Heavy users who hit Pro's limits.

Microsoft 365 Copilot (business)

See website

Companies on Microsoft 365 business plans.

Which plan to pickStart with the $1 free cloud credit to see if it handles your sites, then top up as you go. There's no subscription, and credits don't expire. Run the free open-source version only if you're comfortable in a terminal and want to pay your AI provider directly.Use it free. The side panel is what most business owners will actually use, and it's free in Australia. Only pay for AI Pro if you're in the US or India and want auto browse, or you want Gemini's better models anyway. Nobody needs Ultra for the browser.Stay on free. The side panel, tab comparisons and Journeys cover what most business owners need, and they cost nothing. Microsoft 365 Premium is only worth it if you're in the US and already want Office for the household; don't buy it just for the browser agent, which Microsoft still calls experimental.

Key features

AttributeBrowser UseGoogle ChromeMicrosoft Edge
Standout features
  • Web agents
  • Cloud browsers
  • Pick your AI model
  • Open source
  • Works with coding agents
  • Run many at once
  • Gemini side panel
  • Auto browse
  • Works with Google apps
  • AI Mode in the address bar
  • Skills
  • Scam protection
  • Copilot side panel
  • Journeys
  • Browse with Copilot
  • Memory and history
  • Study, write, listen
  • Voice and Vision on mobile

Pros and cons

AttributeBrowser UseGoogle ChromeMicrosoft Edge
Pros
  • Free and open source, with one of the biggest communities in AI agents
  • Cheap cloud browsers that get past most bot checks
  • Pay as you go with no subscription, and credits never expire
  • Works with almost any AI model
  • Plugs into Claude Code, Codex and Cursor
  • Most people already use it, so there's nothing to switch
  • Free Gemini side panel, available in Australia
  • Works with Gmail, Calendar and YouTube
  • Huge extension library
  • Asks before sign-ins and purchases during auto browse
  • Already installed on Windows, nothing new to learn
  • Free Copilot reads pages and compares open tabs well
  • Journeys makes it easy to pick research back up
  • Chrome extensions and bookmarks work
  • Strong admin controls for businesses on Microsoft 365
Cons
  • Needs technical skills to set up and use well
  • Costs vary with the model and task length, so big jobs are hard to predict
  • Long jobs on live websites still fail fairly often
  • Automating logged-in sites can break their terms of use
  • Auto browse is paid, US and India only, and not on iPhone
  • Early reviews found auto browse unreliable and prone to claiming tasks it hadn't done
  • Page content you share with Gemini is sent to Google
  • Not yet available in the EU
  • Gemini prompts are increasingly pushed into the browser whether you want them or not
  • The agent is US only and needs Microsoft 365 Premium
  • Several features are US or English-language only, so Australian users get less
  • Microsoft calls the agent experimental and warns it can misread instructions
  • Copilot prompts are pushed into many corners of the browser, which some find cluttered
  • Screenshots from agent sessions are kept with the chat for up to 30 days

Who each one is for

AttributeBrowser UseGoogle ChromeMicrosoft Edge
Best for
  • Collecting data from websites with no export
  • Filling in the same online form many times
  • Giving Claude Code or your own agent a browser
  • Monitoring competitor prices on a schedule
  • Summarising pages and YouTube videos
  • Comparing products or suppliers across tabs
  • Adding events to Google Calendar from a page
  • Google Workspace users who don't want a new browser
  • Summarising long pages and PDFs
  • Comparing products or quotes across open tabs
  • Picking research back up days later with Journeys
  • Businesses already paying for Microsoft 365
You'll find it used by
  • Developers
  • Agencies
  • Technical marketers
  • Data teams
  • Small business owners
  • Marketers
  • Students
  • Google Workspace users
  • Office workers
  • Small business owners
  • Students
  • Windows users

Questions people ask

Which is better, Browser Use, Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge?

Google Chrome scores highest overall in our ratings (Browser Use 3.8/5, Google Chrome 4.1/5 and Microsoft Edge 3.9/5). Browser Use is best for collecting data from websites with no export and filling in the same online form many times. Google Chrome is best for summarising pages and YouTube videos and comparing products or suppliers across tabs. Microsoft Edge is best for summarising long pages and PDFs and comparing products or quotes across open tabs.

Which is cheaper, Browser Use, Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge?

Browser Use: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at From $0.02/hour per browser. Google Chrome: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $19.99/mo. Microsoft Edge: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $19.99/mo.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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