How does Runtime compare to Comet for browser automation?

Runtime is faster and more reliable for predefined sites due to its skills-based approach, but Comet might be better for arbitrary websites with live DOM manipulation. Runtime's demo shows it's 3x faster than Comet.

How to create a custom skill for Runtime?

You can contribute by opening an issue or submitting a PR; the project welcomes skills generation for new websites, as mentioned in the contributing section. Skills are defined in JSON format with specific steps.

Does Runtime work with Firefox or only Chrome?

Currently, Runtime only supports Chromium-based browsers like Chrome and Edge; support for Firefox and others is planned for the future, as noted in the description.

Can Runtime automate any website or just a few?

It's limited to websites with hand-crafted skills, such as Amazon, Gmail, and Notion. For other sites, you'd need to develop or request new skills, which isn't scalable.

Is Runtime free to use and modify?

Yes, Runtime is open source under the MIT license, allowing free use and modification. However, some features may require external API keys like Gemini for AI capabilities.

How does Runtime handle security for my logged-in sessions?

Runtime operates locally within your browser session, so credentials stay on your device. But you must trust the local execution and avoid exposing sensitive data in skills.

Runtime

MITTypeScriptv0.1.1

A deterministic, skills-based browser agent that automates web interactions using predefined action recipes for popular sites.

GitHub

What is Runtime?

Runtime is a deterministic, skills-based browser agent that automates interactions with websites like Amazon, Gmail, and Google. It uses predefined "skills"—structured action recipes—to perform tasks such as searching products, reading emails, or summarizing content without relying on live DOM manipulation. This solves the problem of slow, unreliable AI browser agents by providing fast, consistent automation directly in your logged-in browser session.

Target Audience

Developers, researchers, and productivity enthusiasts who need to automate repetitive web tasks, conduct research, or integrate browser actions into workflows without vendor lock-in.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Runtime for its speed and reliability—it's up to 3x faster than alternatives by using predefined skills instead of runtime DOM manipulation. It runs locally in your own browser session, ensuring privacy and eliminating API dependencies.

Overview

Deterministic skills-based browser agent

Use Cases

Best For

Automating multi-step workflows on popular websites like Gmail or Amazon

Related Projects

Community-curated · Updated weekly · 100% open source

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200 stars5 forks0 contributors

Conducting research by gathering and citing sources across multiple tabs

Building deterministic browser automation without LLM reasoning overhead

Integrating web actions into personal productivity tools (e.g., sending to Apple Notes)

Avoiding vendor lock-in and API dependencies for browser automation

Performing reliable, hand-crafted actions in logged-in browser sessions

Not Ideal For

Automating tasks on websites without predefined skills (e.g., niche or custom web apps)
Projects requiring adaptive automation for dynamically changing or unknown websites
Environments where cloud-based or extension-based solutions are preferred over local setup
Users relying on non-Chromium browsers immediately (since support is limited initially)

Pros & Cons

Pros

Deterministic Automation

Uses hand-crafted skills for sites like Amazon and Gmail, ensuring consistent results without runtime DOM manipulation, as highlighted in the skills method.

Fast Performance

Claimed to be 3x faster than alternatives like Comet by avoiding live DOM manipulation, demonstrated in the demo GIF.

Session Persistence

Actions are performed in the user's own logged-in browser session, eliminating repeated logins, as noted in the key features.

No Vendor Lock-in

Runs locally without external API dependencies, providing full control and privacy, as emphasized in the description.

Cons

Limited Skill Coverage

Skills are only predefined for a handful of popular websites like Amazon and Gmail, making automation on most other sites impossible without contribution.

Scalability Issues

The README admits the skills method is not infinitely scalable, which could hinder automation on numerous or dynamically changing websites.

Setup Complexity

Requires local installation of Node and Rust, plus configuration of external API keys like Gemini, adding overhead despite claims of no dependencies.

Open Source Alternative To

Runtime is an open-source alternative to the following products:

b

browser-use

browser-use is an open-source library for browser automation and web scraping using natural language instructions, built on top of Playwright.

D

Dia

Dia is an open-source diagramming application for Linux, Windows, and macOS, similar to Microsoft Visio, used for creating flowcharts, network diagrams, and other technical drawings.

G

Genspark

An AI-powered platform that generates personalized learning content and educational materials based on user inputs and goals.

b

browserbase

Browserbase is a cloud platform that provides managed browser automation infrastructure, allowing developers to run headless browsers at scale for testing and scraping.

C

Comet

Comet is a real-time messaging platform for web applications that enables live updates and notifications through WebSocket connections.

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