Skyvern: Open Source Alternative to Selenium

Skyvern is a browser automation agent with 14k+ GitHub stars — a Selenium alternative using computer vision for no-code web automation.

Compare Skyvern with Puppeteer and Browserbase before you choose your stack.

Key features

Visual automation

• Natural language task descriptions
• Computer vision for understanding
• No CSS selectors required
• Screenshot-based interaction

Anti-detection

• CAPTCHA solving
• Bot detection bypass
• Human-like interactions
• Proxy rotation support

Workflow builder

• Multi-step automation flows
• Conditional logic
• Data extraction pipelines
• API and webhook integration

Skyvern vs Selenium

	Skyvern	Selenium
License	AGPL-3.0 (open source)	Proprietary
Models	Bring your own keys / local models	Vendor-locked models
Deployment	Self-hosted or cloud	SaaS only
Privacy	Data stays on your infrastructure	Processed by vendor
Cost	Free software + API usage	Subscription pricing

Choose Skyvern if you want open-source code, self-hosting options, and full control over your data and deployment.

Choose Selenium if you prefer a managed proprietary product with vendor support and minimal setup.

Browse more open-source alternatives to Selenium, or explore other tools in Developer Tools.

At a glance

License	AGPL-3.0
Stack	Python
Self-hosted	Yes
Cloud	skyvern.com
LLM Support	GPT-4, Claude, Gemini

Self-hosting

git clone https://github.com/Skyvern-AI/skyvern.git
cd skyvern
docker compose up -d

Includes Playwright browser automation stack.

FAQ

Is Skyvern a free alternative to Selenium?

Yes. Skyvern is open source under AGPL-3.0. You can self-host it at no software cost — you only pay for infrastructure or optional managed services.

How does Skyvern compare to Selenium?

Skyvern gives you source code access, self-hosting, and data ownership. Selenium is a proprietary product focused on managed convenience. See the comparison table above for a side-by-side breakdown.

Can I self-host Skyvern?

Yes. Skyvern supports self-hosted deployment, which is a core reason teams choose it over Selenium. Check the Getting started or Self-hosting section for install commands.

Is Skyvern suitable for production?

Skyvern is actively maintained with a strong open-source community. Many teams run it in production as a Developer Tools alternative to Selenium. Review the At a glance table for license and stack details.

What are alternatives to Skyvern and Selenium?

Browse alternatives to Selenium for more open-source options, including tools compared to Puppeteer. Explore the full Developer Tools category for related projects.