# ego lite review

> ego lite is a Chromium-based browser that lets AI agents like Claude Code or Codex run browser automation using your logged-in browser state.

Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026. Canonical page: https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/citrolabs-ego-lite/

## TL;DR

ego lite is a browser where you and your AI agents work in parallel, with each agent in its own isolated Space. ego lite is for developers using agent CLIs such as Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor. ego lite exposes browser actions as JavaScript functions the agent calls in one pass, instead of CLI commands.

## ego lite at a glance

- **Category:** [Browser and computer use](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/categories/browser-and-computer-use/)
- **Maintained by:** CitroLabs (organization, [@citrolabs](https://github.com/citrolabs) on GitHub)
- **License:** MIT
- **Language:** JavaScript, TypeScript, Shell
- **Repository:** [github.com/citrolabs/ego-lite](https://github.com/citrolabs/ego-lite)
- **Website:** [lite.ego.app](https://lite.ego.app)
- **Latest release:** [v2.1.0](https://github.com/citrolabs/ego-lite/releases/tag/v2.1.0) on GitHub, Oct 16, 2026
- **First published:** Apr 16, 2026

## What ego lite does

- ego lite gives each agent its own isolated Space inside the browser, so your tabs, mouse, and focus stay untouched.
- ego lite runs multiple agents or tasks at the same time in parallel Spaces.
- ego lite can migrate your Chrome logins, cookies, extensions, and bookmarks so the agent inherits your logged-in state.
- ego lite exposes in-page JavaScript tools: snapshot, fill, click, wait, navigate, and capture.
- ego lite lets you see which Space has an agent running and take it over or stop it.

### How it works

ego lite is a desktop browser built on Chromium. The ego-browser skill connects any agent CLI, such as Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor, to the browser. The agent writes a JavaScript snippet calling tools like snapshot, click, and fill, and ego-browser runs it on the page in one pass. No SDK or remote debugging setup is needed.

## How to install ego lite

**Add the skill with npx**

```
npx skills add citrolabs/ego-lite
```

### Requirements

- macOS or Windows; Linux is on the roadmap.
- An agent CLI that writes code, such as Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor.

### First steps

1. Install the ego lite app or add the ego-browser skill with npx.
2. On first launch, choose whether to migrate your Chrome data so the agent inherits your logins.
3. In your agent CLI, type /ego-browser followed by a space and describe the task in plain language.

## Who ego lite is for

- Developers who want Claude Code or Codex to automate sites where they are already logged in.
- Running several browser tasks in parallel while you keep using the same browser.
- Automating pages with nested iframes, shadow DOM, or third-party widgets.

### Limitations

- ego lite does not run on Linux yet; Linux support is on the roadmap.
- ego lite requires using its own Chromium-based browser rather than your existing Chrome install.
- The experience accumulation feature that reuses past successful actions is marked as coming soon.
- ego lite collects simple product signals, such as whether it is your default browser.

## Usage data (the week of Oct 25–31, 2026)

- Board rank: #16 overall, #1 in Browser and computer use, momentum score 92
- New GitHub stars per week (last 12 weeks): Aug 9: 1.8k; Aug 16: 1.6k; Aug 23: 1.5k; Aug 30: 783; Sep 6: 723; Sep 13: 456; Sep 20: 306; Sep 27: 301; Oct 4: 281; Oct 11: 538; Oct 18: 1.7k; Oct 25: 1.8k

## ego lite alternatives

| Rank | Tool | Stars | Downloads/wk |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2 | [Moli](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/lexmount-moli/) | 21.9k | – |
| #3 | [Cua](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/cua/) | 31.4k | – |
| #4 | [Browser Harness](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/browser-use-browser-harness/) | 18.8k | 3.3M |
| #5 | [Jev Ultrafast](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/browser-use-jev-ultrafast/) | 24k | – |
| #6 | [Stagehand](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/stagehand/) | 25.9k | 3M |
| #7 | [Steel Browser](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/steel/) | 7.9k | 158.7k |

## ego lite FAQ

### Is ego lite free and open source?

Yes. ego lite's source code is on GitHub (citrolabs/ego-lite) under the MIT license, so you can use it for free.

### How do I install ego lite?

Run `npx skills add citrolabs/ego-lite`. The install section above has the other options from the project's README.

### Is ego lite still maintained?

Yes. The citrolabs/ego-lite repository was last updated on Nov 1, 2026, and the latest release, v2.1.0 on GitHub, came out on Oct 16, 2026.

### How popular is ego lite?

ego lite has 21k GitHub stars as of Nov 1, 2026. It gained 1.8k new stars in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, against a 12-week average of 988 a week. That made it #1 among browser and computer-use agents on the Devtoolwatch Board.

### What are the best alternatives to ego lite?

Other browser and computer-use agents on the Devtoolwatch Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum: Moli (#2), Cua (#3), Browser Harness (#4), Jev Ultrafast (#5), Stagehand (#6). The alternatives table above has their numbers.

### What is ego lite?

ego lite is a Chromium-based browser built for sharing your logged-in browser state with AI agents. Agents run tasks in isolated Spaces while you keep browsing in your own window.

### Which agents work with ego lite?

ego lite works with any agent that writes code through the ego-browser skill. The sources name Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Kiro, Hermes Agent, and OpenClaw.

### Why does ego lite use JavaScript instead of CLI commands?

ego lite wraps browser capabilities as JavaScript functions so the agent can compose a multi-step task into one output. This avoids a loop of calling commands and checking results between each step.

### Does ego lite take over my browser while the agent works?

No. ego lite runs each agent in its own Space, so your tabs stay untouched unless you hand one over. The agent does not take your mouse or steal focus.

### Where does ego lite store my browsing data?

ego lite keeps browsing data, cookies, and other browser data on your device. Its data collection is limited to simple product signals.

## Sources

1. [citrolabs/ego-lite on GitHub](https://github.com/citrolabs/ego-lite)
2. [ego lite README](https://github.com/citrolabs/ego-lite/blob/main/README.md)
3. [ego lite website](https://lite.ego.app)
4. [Release v2.1.0 (Oct 16, 2026)](https://github.com/citrolabs/ego-lite/releases/tag/v2.1.0)
5. [Release v2.0.0 (Sep 10, 2026)](https://github.com/citrolabs/ego-lite/releases/tag/v2.0.0)
6. [Release v1.2.3 (Aug 11, 2026)](https://github.com/citrolabs/ego-lite/releases/tag/v1.2.3)
7. [Hacker News: Show HN: Ego lite – why our browser agent writes JavaScript not CLI commands](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48337671)
8. [Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/)
