puppeteer/puppeteerGitHub
Modern Chromium/Firefox automation via CDP; choose for active maintenance and up-to-date browser support.
JavaScript API for Chrome and Firefox
- 95.6k
- TypeScript
- Apache-2.0
active17d ago
segment-boneyard/nightmare Alternatives
browser automation / headless browsing
A high-level browser automation library for Node.js, used to script and interact with web pages for testing and scraping.
Same job, different approach
Solves the same problem with a different architecture or at a different layer. Expect to rewrite the integration.
rubycdp/ferrumGitHub
Ruby library for Chrome automation; pick in a Ruby codebase needing headless browsing.
Headless Chrome Ruby API
- 2.0k
- Ruby
- MIT
active1mo ago
rust-headless-chrome/rust-headless-chromeGitHub
Rust library using CDP; for Rust projects needing browser automation.
A high-level API to control headless Chrome or Chromium over the DevTools Protocol. It is the Rust equivalent of Puppeteer, a Node library maintained by the Chrome DevTools team.
- 3.0k
- Rust
- MIT
active4mo ago
Older generation, or narrower
An earlier or more limited way to do the job. Still the right call when you need something small, proven, or CPU-only.
johntitus/node-horsemanGitHub
Older PhantomJS wrapper for Node; use only for legacy PhantomJS workflows.
Run PhantomJS from Node
- 1.5k
- JavaScript
- MIT
dormant6.3y ago
jiahaog/RevenantGitHub
PhantomJS automation for Node; stale but useful if locked into PhantomJS.
A high level PhantomJS headless browser in Node.js ideal for task automation
- 277
- JavaScript
- MIT
dormant10.4y ago
phantombuster/nickjsGitHub
Deprecated scraping library; not a current choice for new automation.
Web scraping library made by the Phantombuster team. Modern, simple & works on all websites. (Deprecated)
- 495
- JavaScript
- ISC
archived6.3y ago
OnetapInc/chromyGitHub
Unmaintained Chrome automation library; lighter than Puppeteer but no recent fixes.
Chromy is a library for operating headless chrome. 🍺🍺🍺
- 599
- JavaScript
- MIT
dormant3.8y ago
schnerd/chrome-headless-screenshotsGitHub
Screenshot-only headless Chrome tool; use if you just need screen captures without full automation.
Using headless Chrome as an automated screenshot tool (alternative to PhantomJS)
- 456
- JavaScript
- none
dormant8.4y ago
ariya/phantomjsGitHub
Standalone scriptable headless browser; predecessor, lower-level and obsolete.
Scriptable Headless Browser
- 29.4k
- C++
- BSD-3-Clause
archived3.9y ago
joelgriffith/navaliaGitHub
Archived browser automation API; unmaintained, not advised for new projects.
A bullet-proof, fast, and reliable headless browser API
- 976
- TypeScript
- GPL-3.0
archived8.2y ago
schickling/chromelessGitHub
Archived Chrome automation library; no longer maintained.
🖥 Chrome automation made simple. Runs locally or headless on AWS Lambda.
- 13.2k
- TypeScript
- MIT
archived7.9y ago
zhuyingda/websterGitHub
Scraping framework for Node; more opinionated and narrower than general automation.
a reliable high-level web crawling & scraping framework for Node.js.
- 559
- JavaScript
- GPL-3.0
slowing1.6y ago
rubycdp/cupriteGitHub
Capybara driver for headless Chrome; limited to Ruby testing stack.
Headless Chrome/Chromium driver for Capybara
- 1.4k
- Ruby
- MIT
active1mo ago
Listed as an alternative to
These projects were analysed and named nightmare among their alternatives. The relationship is not symmetric — how nightmare rates them is a separate judgement, made when nightmare is analysed in its own right.
puppeteer/puppeteerGitHub
calls nightmare “Legacy Electron-based automation library for simpler scenarios and older codebases.”
JavaScript API for Chrome and Firefox
95.6kTypeScriptactive
vercel-labs/agent-browserGitHub
calls nightmare “choose only if you must use an unmaintained legacy Node.js library for browser automation.”
Browser automation CLI for AI agents
41.3kRustactive
hangwin/mcp-chromeGitHub
calls nightmare “When you need a simple high-level browser automation library and accept an unmaintained project.”
Chrome MCP Server is a Chrome extension-based Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes your Chrome browser functionality to AI assistants like Claude, enabling complex browser automation, content analysis, and semantic search.
12.4kTypeScriptslowing
go-rod/rodGitHub
calls nightmare “Choose it over Rod only for maintaining legacy Electron-based browser automation; unmaintained and outdated.”
A Chrome DevTools Protocol driver for web automation and scraping.
7.1kGoactive
phantombuster/nickjsGitHub
calls nightmare “Choose for an Electron-backed Node automation API, but it has not been updated in over two years.”
Web scraping library made by the Phantombuster team. Modern, simple & works on all websites. (Deprecated)
495JavaScriptarchived