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Also: Skyvern AI, Skyvern Cloud, Skyvern-AI/skyvern, Skyvern open source, Skyvern browser agent
Skyvern
Quick answer
Skyvern is an open-source (AGPL-3.0) AI agent that automates browser workflows by combining Playwright with language and vision models, so it can fill forms on sites it has not seen before. You can self-host it or pay for Skyvern Cloud; for a hosted, no-code comparison, see Autonoly vs Skyvern.
Skyvern is an open-source (AGPL-3.0) AI browser automation tool from a Y Combinator S23 company that uses LLMs and computer vision to complete web tasks and workflows without hand-written selectors, available self-hosted or as Skyvern Cloud.
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What people do with Skyvern
- Compare Autonoly vs Skyvern
Architecture, features, pricing and who each one suits.
- Compare Skyvern with Browser Use
Two open-source AI browser agents with different approaches.
- Find no-code Browser Use and Skyvern alternatives
Options that need no Python or self-hosting.
- Learn Playwright, the engine under Skyvern
What the agent is driving underneath.
- Automate government forms with an AI agent
A typical Skyvern-style use case without self-hosting.
- Automate job application forms
Fill varied application portals from one profile.
- Verify insurance eligibility on payer portals
Portal logins and lookups that have no API.
Key facts
| Made by | Skyvern (Y Combinator S23) |
|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 (open-source core) |
| Browser engine | Chromium via Playwright |
| Approach | Vision-capable LLM reads screenshots plus page elements |
| Deployment | Self-hosted (Docker) or Skyvern Cloud |
| Pricing model | Open source free; Skyvern Cloud is credit-based plans |
What is Skyvern?
Skyvern is an open-source tool for automating browser-based workflows with large language models and computer vision. Instead of a script that clicks #submit-btn, you describe the goal ("log in, download last month's invoice, return the total") and Skyvern works out which elements on the page to use by reading a screenshot and the page structure together. It is made by Skyvern, a company from Y Combinator's Summer 2023 batch, and is offered both as a self-hostable open-source project and as Skyvern Cloud, a hosted service.
The open-source code is licensed under AGPL-3.0. That is a copyleft license: you can use it commercially, but if you modify Skyvern and offer it to others as a network service, you have to publish your changes. The company states that the core logic is in the open-source repository, while some anti-bot measures are only in the managed cloud.
How Skyvern works
Skyvern runs a real browser through Playwright and layers an agent on top:
It exposes an API, Python and TypeScript SDKs, and can be run with your own LLM keys when self-hosted.
What people use it for
Skyvern's own examples lean toward repetitive form-heavy work: requesting quotes from insurance portals, filling job applications, downloading invoices from many vendor portals, entering data into government sites and procurement systems. The common thread is a task that is the same in intent across dozens of websites that each look different, where writing and maintaining one script per site is the expensive part.
Common problems
How it relates to automation
Skyvern belongs to the same generation as Browser Use: agents that replace hand-written selectors with model reasoning. Where Browser Use is mainly a library you embed, Skyvern is closer to a product, with a UI, workflows and a hosted offering. Both trade the determinism of Selenium or Playwright scripts for resilience to layout changes, and both work best when the AI's run is turned into something repeatable.
Skyvern and Autonoly
Autonoly overlaps with Skyvern on the core idea of an AI agent operating a real browser, and differs on how you work with it. Autonoly is hosted only: you give its AI agent a task in chat, watch it in a live cloud Chromium (Playwright with patchright), and take over when it needs a human. A session can be converted into a workflow in the visual builder. Autonoly's saved workflows currently have no loop blocks and cannot sign in with stored credentials, and it offers no proxies; Skyvern's workflows do have loops and it can be self-hosted. A fuller comparison is in Autonoly vs Skyvern.
Why It Matters
Skyvern is one of the best-known attempts to make browser automation survive layout changes by letting a model read the page like a person. Understanding its license, cost per step and self-hosting requirements helps you judge whether it fits a task better than a script or a hosted agent.
How Autonoly Solves It
Autonoly is a hosted alternative: its AI agent works in a live cloud Chromium browser you can watch and take over, and a working session can be converted into a visual workflow that runs on a schedule. Unlike Skyvern it is not self-hostable, its saved workflows have no loop blocks today, and it does not provide proxies.
Learn moreExamples
An insurance broker uses Skyvern workflows to request the same quote from several carrier portals that each use a different form layout
A finance team self-hosts Skyvern with Docker to download monthly invoices from a list of vendor portals
A developer calls the Skyvern Cloud API from a backend job to fill a government registration form with data from their CRM
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Skyvern open source?
Yes. The core is published on GitHub under the AGPL-3.0 license. The company says some anti-bot measures are only available in its managed Skyvern Cloud, so the self-hosted and hosted versions are not identical.
What license does Skyvern use and does it matter?
AGPL-3.0. You can use it commercially, but if you modify Skyvern and let others use it over a network, you must make your modified source available. Some companies' legal policies restrict AGPL software, so check before embedding it in a product.
How much does Skyvern cost?
Self-hosting is free apart from your servers and LLM API usage. Skyvern Cloud uses credit-based plans with a free tier, paid monthly tiers and enterprise pricing. The pricing unit has changed over time, so check skyvern.com/pricing for current figures.
Does Skyvern use Playwright?
Yes. Skyvern drives Chromium through Playwright and adds an LLM and computer-vision layer that decides which elements to interact with, so you describe goals instead of writing selectors.
What is the difference between Skyvern and Browser Use?
Both are open-source AI browser agents. Browser Use is an MIT-licensed Python library you embed in your own code. Skyvern is AGPL-3.0, comes with a UI and a workflow builder, and is aimed more at repeatable business workflows such as form filling across many portals.
Can Skyvern solve CAPTCHAs?
The company positions CAPTCHA and anti-bot handling as part of Skyvern Cloud rather than the open-source core. A self-hosted instance runs an ordinary automated browser and will be challenged like any other. Check the site's terms before automating it.
Further reading
Related terms, automations and guides
Where this concept shows up in practice.
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