Comparison of BQL, BaaS v2, and REST APIs
To choose the right Browserless offering, it helps to understand their differences. The table below summarizes key features and capabilities of BrowserQL (BQL) vs Browserless BaaS v2 vs RESTful APIs:
| Feature/Capability | BrowserQL (BQL) | Browsers as a Service (v2) | REST APIs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usage Paradigm | GraphQL queries (run via a cloud IDE or GraphQL endpoint) | Connect via WebSocket using Puppeteer/Playwright libraries | HTTP/HTTPS requests to specific endpoints |
| Primary Use-Case | Stealth web automation, bypassing bot detection and CAPTCHAs | Running custom automation scripts with familiar libraries | One-off tasks (PDF, screenshot, data extraction) via simple calls |
| Stealth Capabilities | Advanced (human-like behavior, CAPTCHA solving) | Basic (stealth mode parameter) | Basic (stealth parameter) |
| Flexibility | Highest (specialized automation language) | High (full browser control) | Limited (predefined endpoints) |
| Ease of Use | Medium (requires learning BQL) | Medium (requires knowledge of browser automation libraries) | Simplest (HTTP requests only) |
| Connection Method | WebSocket or HTTP API | WebSocket | HTTP/HTTPS only |
| Proxy Support | Advanced (built-in residential) | Yes (via parameters) | Yes (via parameters) |
| Session Management | Yes (reconnect capability) | Yes (with proper setup) | No (stateless) |
When to Use Each API
BrowserQL
Best for scenarios requiring advanced bot detection bypass, such as:
- Sites with sophisticated bot detection systems
- When CAPTCHA solving is required
- When you need human-like browser behavior
- For stealth-first web automation
BaaS v2
Ideal for general-purpose browser automation:
- When you have existing Puppeteer or Playwright code
- For scenarios where you need full browser control
- For complex multi-step workflows
- When you're comfortable with browser automation libraries
REST APIs
Perfect for simple, stateless operations:
- Taking screenshots
- Generating PDFs
- Basic content extraction
- When integration simplicity is the priority
- For one-off tasks that don't require maintaining state