Pagerunner vs Computer Use
Computer Use sees pixels. Pagerunner reads the DOM. For browser-specific tasks, structured DOM access is 60x faster, cheaper, and more reliable.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Pagerunner | Computer Use |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Sub-second CDP | 30-60s per screenshot |
| Cost | Free | ~2000 tokens per screenshot |
| Reliability | DOM selectors | Pixel coordinates |
| Cloudflare/bot detection | Stealth mode | Often blocked |
| Desktop apps | Browser only | Any app |
| PII protection | Local stripping | Screenshots to Anthropic |
| Multi-client | Any MCP client | Claude Code only |
| Site intelligence | Learns from usage | Stateless |
| Persistent auth | Named profiles | None |
| Setup | cargo install / brew | Toggle in settings |
| Visual understanding | DOM-based | Screenshots |
Where Pagerunner wins
- 60x faster. CDP commands execute in sub-second vs 30-60 seconds per screenshot round-trip.
- Free. No token burn on screenshots. Every Computer Use action costs ~2000 tokens just to see the screen.
- More reliable. DOM selectors are deterministic. Pixel coordinates break when windows resize or fonts render differently.
- Cloudflare stealth. Stealth mode handles bot detection that blocks screenshot-based approaches.
- PII protection, site intelligence, persistent profiles. Architectural advantages that vision-based approaches cannot replicate.
Where Computer Use wins
- Desktop apps. Works with native apps, terminal, and system settings -- anything outside the browser.
- Visual understanding. Can interpret canvas elements, images, and visual layout that DOM does not capture.
When to use which
Use Pagerunner for
ALL browser-specific tasks. It's faster, cheaper, and more reliable on every axis. If the task is in a browser, Pagerunner is the right tool.
Use Computer Use for
Native desktop apps (Maps, Notes, Finder) or when you specifically need visual/pixel-level understanding that DOM doesn't capture.