h4ckf0r0day/obscura

The headless browser for AI agents and web scraping

What it solves

Obscura is a lightweight, high-performance headless browser engine designed to replace resource-heavy tools like headless Chrome for web scraping and AI agent automation. It addresses the high memory usage, slow startup times, and lack of built-in anti-detection capabilities found in traditional headless browsers.

How it works

Written in Rust, Obscura embeds the V8 JavaScript engine to execute real JavaScript without requiring a full Chromium installation. It implements the Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP), allowing it to act as a drop-in replacement for Puppeteer and Playwright. It includes its own native rendering engine for screenshots, screencasting, and PDF export, as well as a "stealth mode" that randomizes fingerprints and blocks trackers to avoid detection.

Who it’s for

It is built for developers creating AI agents, web scrapers, and automation tools who need a fast, stealthy, and resource-efficient way to interact with the web.

Highlights

  • Extreme Efficiency: Uses significantly less memory (~30 MB vs 200+ MB) and has near-instant startup compared to headless Chrome.
  • Native Rendering: Supports CSS layout, paint, and PDF/PNG export without needing Chromium.
  • CDP Compatibility: Fully compatible with Puppeteer and Playwright via the Chrome DevTools Protocol.
  • Built-in Stealth: Features per-session fingerprint randomization and a built-in tracker blocker for 3,500+ domains.
  • Parallel Scraping: Includes a scrape command for high-concurrency data extraction.

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