pinchtab
pinchtab
Self-hosted browser-control server that lets multiple agents drive Chrome via accessibility refs, not screenshots.
What is pinchtab?
A standalone local HTTP server (a small Go binary) that gives AI agents control over Chrome via a REST API plus an MCP server, using accessibility-first element references and text extraction instead of screenshots and coordinates. It orchestrates multiple isolated headed or headless Chrome instances with persistent profiles, and binds to localhost by default.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Maintainer | pinchtab |
| GitHub stars | 9,342 (as of 2026-06-26) |
| Forks | 697 |
| License | MIT |
| License type | OSI-open |
| Category | Computer-use and autonomous agents |
| Status | Rising |
| Edition | 2026-07 |
| Last verified | 2026-06-26 |
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Token-efficient accessibility and text extraction over screenshots, lowering cost per step
- A single self-contained Go binary with no external dependencies, local-first by default
- Multi-instance isolated profiles with persistent sessions, plus a REST API and MCP server
Cons
- Pre-1.0 (v0.13.x), so the API and behaviour may still change
- The cost and speed advantages are unverified project benchmarks
- It ships an optional fingerprint-evasion mode, which raises dual-use and ToS concerns and needs careful hardening if exposed
License
MIT (OSI-open)
When it is interesting
A fast, low-token, self-hosted browser control plane that several local agents can share without per-step screenshot costs.
When it is too early
If you need a frozen 1.0 API or first-class Windows support.
Commercial alternative & related
- Commercial counterpart: Browserbase
This repo featured in the 2026-07 edition of the Open-Source AI Radar.
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