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The open-source CloakBrowser alternative

CloakBrowser is a capable engine-level stealth Chromium — but the patched binary is closed-source and the current engine sits behind a subscription. Clearcote takes the same engine-level approach fully in the open: readable patches, reproducible builds, and free on the current Chromium.

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What is CloakBrowser?

CloakBrowser (by CloakHQ) is an anti-detect Chromium: a modified Chromium binary with a thin Playwright/Puppeteer SDK you run yourself. Like Clearcote, its stealth lives in compiled C++ patches rather than injected JavaScript; it's self-hostable (local or Docker), supports proxy and WebRTC coherence and deterministic --fingerprint seeds, and offers a humanized-input mode. It's a serious, engine-level project — the common ground is real, and worth being fair about.

The differences are openness and cost. CloakBrowser's SDK wrapper is MIT-licensed and on GitHub, but the actual stealth binary and its patches are closed-source — you download a prebuilt binary you can't inspect, rebuild, or independently verify. Its free tier ships the previous Chromium major; staying on the current engine and newest patches requires an ongoing subscription. Clearcote is engine-level too, but every patch is readable, every build reproducible, and the current Chromium is free.

Clearcote vs CloakBrowser

FeatureClearcoteCloakBrowser
Approach Engine-level C++/Blink patches Engine-level C++ patches
Stealth patches Open & readable — inspect every change Closed binary (only the wrapper is MIT)
Reproducible builds Yes — verify the binary matches the source No — opaque prebuilt download
Current Chromium engine Free Subscription (free tier ships the previous major)
Automation API Playwright & Puppeteer (Python + Node), CDP Playwright & Puppeteer (Python + JS), CDP
Self-host / Docker Yes — CDP endpoint + official image Yes — self-run binary + Docker
TLS / network coherence TLS ClientHello follows the claimed Chrome version Claims Chrome-identical TLS (vendor-reported)
Verification Open method; CreepJS-audited each release Self-reported benchmarks; no published CreepJS
Cost Free & open; optional Pro for the maintained build Subscription for the current engine (from ~$19/mo)

Comparison compiled July 2026. CloakBrowser is wrapper mit; stealth binary closed / paid; details change — check its project for the latest.

Why teams pick Clearcote

Open and auditable

Every stealth patch is readable — you can see exactly what changes your browser's identity, instead of trusting a closed binary you can't inspect.

Reproducible builds

Rebuild from source and confirm the binary matches, byte for byte. No opaque prebuilt download to take on faith.

Free on the current engine

The latest Chromium is free and open. You're not subscription-gated to the previous major to stay current.

Verifiable, not just asserted

Coherence is checked against open tests (including CreepJS) on every release — a method you can reproduce, not a number in a README.

When CloakBrowser might be the better pick

  • You want a turnkey commercial product with paid support and don't need to audit the binary yourself.
  • You're comfortable subscribing to stay on the current Chromium engine.
  • CloakBrowser is a legitimate engine-level option — if a closed-source, subscription model fits your team, it's a capable tool.

FAQ

Is CloakBrowser open source?

Partly. Its SDK/wrapper is MIT-licensed on GitHub, but the actual stealth Chromium binary and its patches are closed-source — you can't inspect, rebuild, or redistribute them. Clearcote's patches are fully open and its builds reproducible.

Is CloakBrowser free?

It has a free tier, but that ships the previous Chromium major; the current engine and newest patches sit behind a subscription (their site lists tiers starting around $19/month — check their pricing for current numbers). Clearcote is free on the current Chromium.

Are Clearcote and CloakBrowser both engine-level?

Yes — both compile stealth into Chromium as C++ patches rather than injecting JavaScript, and both are self-hostable and Playwright/Puppeteer-compatible. The difference is openness: readable, reproducible, and free on the current engine (Clearcote) versus a closed, subscription-gated binary (CloakBrowser).

Related reading

ResearchPatches, not black boxes: how a stealth browser is built and verifiedHow an anti-detect Chromium is assembled from readable patches, built reproducibly, and verified end-to-end — so you can trust the binary matches the source.DocsVerify Clearcote releasesVerify Clearcote release archives with SHA-256 checksums, GPG signatures, and the pinned Clearcote signing-key fingerprint.Q&AWhat is an anti-detect browser?An anti-detect browser presents a consistent, controllable browser identity so automation or multi-account work isn't flagged as a bot or as one shared device.CompareClearcote vs CamoufoxCamoufox is a well-built open-source anti-detect browser — on Firefox. Clearcote takes the same engine-level, open-source philosophy to a de-Googled Chromium, so your automation blends in with the ~65% of the web that runs Chrome.CompareClearcote vs undetected-chromedriverundetected-chromedriver is a great zero-config way to hide the Selenium/ChromeDriver seam — but it drives a stock Chrome and never touches the network layer. Clearcote changes the fingerprint inside the engine and keeps the TLS/HTTP-2 stack coherent, so there's no seam to hide.CompareClearcote vs nodrivernodriver is the modern successor to undetected-chromedriver — fast, async, no Selenium, straight CDP. But it still drives a stock Chrome and doesn't touch the network layer. Clearcote pairs the same CDP-first ergonomics with an engine that actually changes the fingerprint and a coherent TLS/HTTP-2 persona.

Try the open-source Chromium alternative

Free and open source, a drop-in for Playwright & Puppeteer, coherent down to the TLS handshake.

Read the docsHow detection works