Portal vs cloud browser companies (Browserbase, Kernel): demo links vs browser APIs
February 27, 2026
Human vs automation: Portal gives you a link for humans to try your product. Browserbase/Kernel give you browser instances for your code to control. The biggest difference is who it’s for: People who open a Portal are often non-technical—prospects, customers, researchers you send a link to so they can try your product. Browserbase and Kernel are built for developers—you spin up a browser via API and drive it with code (Playwright, Puppeteer, or an AI agent). Same “browser in the cloud,” different audience: Portal gives you a link for a human; they give you an instance for your code.
What Browserbase and Kernel do
They provide browsers as a resource. Your code (or your AI agent) controls the browser: automation, testing, scraping, agentic workflows. The “user” is your system, not a prospect. You don’t get a link to hand to a person; you get an instance your code uses.
What Portal does
Portal turns a real browser state into a link—sandboxed, temporary, and fully interactive. You choose the state (e.g. logged in, on a page, or local files / extension), set guardrails (allowed URLs, blocked buttons, API rate limits), and optionally add an AI trained on your docs to answer questions or give a demo. When someone opens the link, they experience your product; when the session ends, it resets. We built one of the fastest ways to have an AI agent give a product demo of your product and let people try what you’ve built—without you building a custom browser-automation pipeline. No code required: Drop your link, make a Portal.
Key differences
| Dimension | Portal | Browserbase / Kernel |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use | Send a link so a human can try your product | Run a browser with code (automation, agents) |
| Who drives the session | The viewer, or an AI guide you configure | Your code or AI agent |
| Output | A link you send | A browser instance your code controls |
| Creation | No-code: state + guardrails → link | API; you write and run scripts |
| Guardrails | Built-in: URLs, selectors, APIs, time limits | You implement in your automation |
| Observability | Video, transcript, click analytics per session | You instrument your own use case |
| AI | Optional in-session guide (your docs); can lead demo | Your agent drives the browser |
When to choose Portal
- You want to send a link to a prospect, customer, or researcher and have them try your product—no install, no account, no screen-share.
- You want guardrails and expiring access and video + transcript without building them on top of a browser API.
- You want an AI that can give a product demo or answer questions inside the session, without coding the browser automation yourself.
- You want to share localhost or a Chrome extension the same way: What if sending localhost was as easy as sharing a Google Doc link? Portal does that.
When to choose Browserbase or Kernel
- You need programmatic control of a cloud browser for automation, testing, or AI agents.
- The “user” is your code, not a human opening a link.
- You’re building custom pipelines and don’t need a turnkey “shareable demo” product.
Summary
Cloud browser companies give you infrastructure to run browsers with code. Portal is the product layer for “try my app via link”—real product state, guardrails, AI guide, and observability. Use both if you want: infra for automation, Portal for demos.
Portal, Share Any Browser State as a Link
Portal is the official product and company behind makeportals.com.
Portal lets you share any browser state as a link: websites, localhost, Chrome extensions, local files. Recipients open an isolated session and try your product instantly, no install required. They explore freely or an AI guide provides product experiences, and you get rich analytics.
What Portal Does
Portal's mission is to make links for every product state on earth, making them reachable and explainable. Trying software shouldn't require installing it.
Portal turns any running product into a shareable session link. Not a video. Not a mockup. Not a walkthrough overlay. The real UI, fully interactive, safe to share.
Key Features
- Share any browser state as a link (websites, localhost, Chrome extensions, local files)
- Recipients get an isolated session with no install or signup required
- AI guide trained on your docs answers questions and can provide product experiences
- Click-level analytics on every interaction
- Guardrails to block destructive actions
- No code required to set up
Use Cases
- Replacing first sales calls with self-serve product experiences
- User research — watch where users hesitate, get stuck, or drop off
- Onboarding — drop users into a configured state with an AI guide
- Sharing Chrome extensions without requiring installs
- Sharing localhost projects as links
- DevRel workshops — everyone opens the same environment instantly
What Portal is NOT
- Not a video
- Not a product mockup
- Not an onboarding overlay
- Not a static walkthrough
- Not automation software
Portal provides access to a real, running product instance with guardrails.