antidetect browser
ShardBrowser — antidetect browser: rating and member reviews
Free antidetect launcher from proxy seller ProxyShard on a closed Chromium 156 engine, updated 2 days after Chrome: free local API, SDKs, MCP server, no-code automation and synchronized windows; no team mode, unsigned builds.
| Type | Antidetect browser |
|---|
| Website | github.com |
|---|---|
| In our catalog since | Oct 23, 2026 |
About ShardBrowser
ShardBrowser is a free antidetect browser launcher for Windows, Apple Silicon Macs and Linux from the team behind ProxyShard, a proxy service run by WYOCORE TECHNOLOGIES LLC in Wyoming. Until version 2.1.0 of October 22, 2026, it was called ShardX Launcher. The launcher is open source under MIT; the engine is a closed, patched Chromium that the launcher downloads and updates on its own. It moved to Chromium 156 on October 22, 2 days after Chrome, after a 5-week gap in September and October.
There are no plans or profile limits: the browser costs nothing, and ProxyShard earns on proxies, from $2 per GB for residential to $4 a day for mobile, which can be bought inside the launcher. The README says QUIC, HTTP/3 and WebRTC work end to end only through proxies with SOCKS5 UDP relay, which ProxyShard supports, and that ProxyShard matches the TCP fingerprint at the proxy exit to the profile. ProxyShard's own guide calls the launcher a free tool for personal use.
A local API with a token, SDKs for Python, Node.js and Rust, an MCP server, no-code projects with action recording and synchronized windows are all included. There are no seats, roles or shared profiles, and no support desk: bugs go to GitHub issues. The macOS and Windows builds aren't signed or notarized, and the launcher sends usage statistics to Google Analytics unless you switch it off.
aliencpa review
ShardBrowser Review 2026: A Free Antidetect From a Proxy Seller, Now on Chrome 156
ShardBrowser is a free antidetect launcher from proxy seller ProxyShard, with a free API, MCP server and no-code automation. Its closed engine moved to Chromium 156 on October 22, 2 days after Chrome. The catches: no teams, unsigned builds and analytics on by default.
ShardBrowser costs nothing: no plans, no profile limit, and a free API, MCP server and no-code automation that rivals charge for. It's made by ProxyShard, a proxy seller, and it exists to make ProxyShard's proxies look good. On October 22, 2026, its closed engine jumped to Chromium 156, 2 days after Chrome, which puts it level with the best paid browsers. What it doesn't have is a team mode, signed builds or a track record.
This review is built on what ShardBrowser and ProxyShard publish: the GitHub repository with its README, releases, engine manifest, source code and issues, ProxyShard's site, terms and documentation, all checked on October 22 and 23, 2026. For how other browsers' kernels compare, see Antidetect Browsers for Media Buyers 2026: Real Differences.
What is ShardBrowser, and who makes it?
A free desktop antidetect browser launcher for Windows, macOS and Linux. It runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 with Microsoft's WebView2 runtime, on Apple Silicon Macs and on Linux as AppImage, deb or rpm packages. Intel Macs aren't supported. Until version 2.1.0 on October 22, 2026, it was called ShardX Launcher, and the engine still carries the ShardX name.
It's built by the team behind ProxyShard, a proxy service. ProxyShard's terms name the company as WYOCORE TECHNOLOGIES LLC, registered in Wyoming, with an address in Casper. The GitHub repository was created on May 30, 2026, has about 1,300 stars, and almost all of its commits come from 1 developer.
2 parts, 2 licenses. The launcher's code is open under the MIT license. The engine, a patched Chromium, is a closed binary the launcher downloads on first run, and its license bans reverse engineering, redistributing it and using it in a commercial antidetect product. It permits "personal projects, web scraping, multi-accounting and integration with the launcher's automation API." ProxyShard's own guide calls the launcher "a free tool for personal use"; the README is the more permissive of the 2.
Free, and how ProxyShard earns
There's nothing to buy in the browser itself. ProxyShard makes money on proxies: residential from $2 per GB, datacenter from $1.20 per IP, static ISP from $2 per IP and mobile from $4 a day, according to its home page. You can enter a ProxyShard key in the launcher and buy from inside it.
Some features work fully only with the right proxy. The README says QUIC, HTTP/3 and WebRTC run end to end only through proxies with SOCKS5 UDP relay, which ProxyShard supports; with other providers QUIC is switched off. ProxyShard also spoofs the TCP fingerprint that reveals the operating system at the proxy exit, so the network signature matches the profile. Other proxies work, but without those extras.
ProxyShard's proxy logs are short but real. Its terms say "the IP addresses and domains visited via our proxies can be logged" for up to 7 days, without the traffic itself.
Which kernel is ShardBrowser running?
Chromium 156.0.8078.48, according to the engine manifest the launcher reads, updated on October 22, 2026. Chrome 156 came out on October 20, so ShardBrowser is current, level with Octo Browser and Kameleo, the only paid browsers that ran 156 on October 22.
The history is jumpier than the latest number suggests. The engine ran Chromium 149 by June 21 and 152 by September 1. Then nothing shipped for 5 weeks while Chrome released 153, 154 and 155, and users asked in GitHub issues when the next version would come. On October 22 it went straight to 156.
The engine updates on its own. The launcher checks a version manifest on GitHub and downloads a new engine from a public cloud storage bucket when the manifest changes. It compares a file hash from that manifest; we found no cryptographic signature on the engine itself.
How ShardBrowser handles fingerprints
In the engine, per ProxyShard. The README says fingerprint changes are made "inside Chromium's C++ engine, including Blink, V8 and the network stack," without JavaScript injection, and that the TLS handshake matches Chrome 156. The launcher ships a starter library of 170 to 220 device profiles, depending on the page: Macs from M1 to M5, Windows PCs with various graphics cards, Linux machines and 50 Android phones.
The vendor's own results are perfect; outside testers found problems. The README lists 100% on a public authenticity checker and a 0.9 reCAPTCHA v3 score. Independent users testing the new engine on GitHub reported on October 22 that a public checker flagged "inconsistent browser fingerprint" on every profile with noise turned off, and that the audio noise "alters an AudioBuffer the page filled: detectable in one read." The first report was closed the same day; the second was still open on October 23. Earlier reports on canvas, WebGL and fonts were fixed in later releases.
Our reading: the engine is current and the team fixes things fast, but the first build of each new version is a test build. Wait for a second build before you trust it with expensive accounts.
Automation, all free
This is ShardBrowser's strongest card. Everything is included at no cost:
- A local API on port 40325 with a token, documented in an OpenAPI file, that creates, starts and stops profiles and returns a CDP endpoint for Playwright, Puppeteer or Selenium.
- SDKs for Python, Node.js and Rust.
- An MCP server for Claude Desktop, Cursor and other AI clients.
- No-code projects: steps for navigation, mouse, keyboard, waits and conditions, a recording mode that writes your actions down as steps, and a Fleet window that runs a project across many profiles.
- Synchronized windows, where your input in one window is repeated in the others, each with its own human-like motion.
What's missing
No team work. There are no seats, roles or shared profiles; profiles live on your computer, and sync is switched off in the current build. For a team, this is a tool for each person, not for the group.
No support desk. ProxyShard's guide says it doesn't offer live chat for the launcher and asks users to file bugs on GitHub. Issues are often answered in batches on release day, some after several weeks.
Trust: signing, analytics and terms
The builds aren't signed. The release notes say so plainly: the macOS build "isn't notarized," and on Windows "SmartScreen will warn" because "the build isn't signed with Authenticode." You have to override both systems' warnings to install it.
The launcher sends usage statistics to Google Analytics by default. Its settings describe it as "On unless you turn it off": the app version, operating system, screen size, language, how often you open it and a random install ID, from your computer's own IP address, never from a profile's proxy, the code says. You can switch it off in Settings, General.
There are no terms for the browser itself. ProxyShard's terms, under Wyoming law, cover its proxies and ban illegal use such as scams and attacks. For the launcher, the license section of the README is all there is.
Signing up
Download it from GitHub; there's no account or plan. We don't have a referral link for ShardBrowser or ProxyShard. Get it from the releases page, and bring your own proxies or buy ProxyShard's.
What ShardBrowser costs in October 2026
The browser is free; the proxies are where the money goes. Prices from ProxyShard's home page on October 23, 2026, in USD:
- ShardBrowser launcher and engine: free, no profile limit
- API, MCP, SDKs, no-code automation, synchronizer: free
- ProxyShard residential proxies: from $2 per GB
- ProxyShard datacenter proxies: from $1.20 per IP
- ProxyShard static ISP proxies: from $2 per IP
- ProxyShard mobile proxies: from $4 a day
ShardBrowser vs other antidetect browsers
How it compares, October 22 and 23, 2026:
- ShardBrowser. Price: free. API that launches profiles: free. Team: none. Chromium kernel: 156 (October 22).
- Donut Browser. Price: free for personal use, $29 for work. API that launches profiles: from $99. Team: from $199, 2 seats. Chromium kernel: Wayfern 155.
- ixBrowser. Price: free, or $3.99. API that launches profiles: from $3.99. Team: 20 seats for $3.99. Chromium kernel: 151.
- Kameleo. Price: free plan, 59 EUR for 10 browsers at once. API that launches profiles: every plan. Team: seats free. Chromium kernel: 156.
- Nstbrowser. Price: free up to 30 launches a day. API that launches profiles: every plan. Team: 3 seats free. Chromium kernel: 153 in Docker.
ShardBrowser vs Donut Browser are 2 versions of the same idea: an open launcher around a closed Chromium engine. ShardBrowser gives automation away and is paid for by proxies; Donut charges for automation and teams but has signed macOS builds and E2E-encrypted sync. See our Donut Browser review.
ShardBrowser vs Kameleo: both ran Chrome 156 on October 22 and both put automation first. Kameleo is a paid product with years of history, team seats and support; ShardBrowser is free, 5 months old and support-free. Our Kameleo review has the details.
If you sign up for one of the others, here are our referral links: ixBrowser and Nstbrowser.
Pros and cons of ShardBrowser
Pros
- Free, with no profile limit and nothing locked behind a plan
- Chromium 156, 2 days after Chrome
- Free API, SDKs for Python, Node.js and Rust, MCP server and no-code automation with recording
- Synchronized windows and 50 Android device profiles
- QUIC and WebRTC through the proxy with ProxyShard's UDP relay
- Open-source launcher under the MIT license
Cons
- Made to sell ProxyShard proxies; some network features work fully only with them
- The engine is a closed binary, updated from a public cloud bucket without a signature
- Unsigned Windows and macOS builds
- Google Analytics on by default in the launcher
- No team mode, no sync, no support desk
- The first Chromium 156 build drew detection reports from outside testers
- A 5-week update gap before the jump to 156; a project only 5 months old
Checklist: what to do
Questions about ShardBrowser
Is ShardBrowser free?
Yes. There are no plans or profile limits, and the API, MCP server, SDKs and automation are all free. ProxyShard earns from selling proxies.
Is ShardBrowser open source?
The launcher is, under the MIT license. The patched Chromium engine is a closed binary, and its license bans reverse engineering and use inside a commercial antidetect product.
Which Chrome version does ShardBrowser use?
Chromium 156.0.8078.48, according to the engine manifest updated on October 22, 2026, 2 days after Chrome 156 came out.
Do I need ProxyShard proxies?
No. Any SOCKS5 or HTTP proxy works. QUIC and WebRTC run fully over the proxy only with SOCKS5 UDP relay, which ProxyShard supports, and its TCP fingerprint spoofing happens on its own proxies.
Is ShardBrowser safe?
The launcher's code is public, but the builds aren't signed, the engine is closed and downloaded without a signature check, and the launcher sends Google Analytics data until you turn it off. We found no reported breaches.
Does ShardBrowser have team features?
No. Profiles are stored on your computer with no seats, roles or sharing, and sync is switched off in the current build.
Compare ShardBrowser with other antidetect browsers
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Our verdict on ShardBrowser
The best free antidetect for one person who scripts their work, as long as you can live with unsigned builds and a proxy seller's agenda.
ShardBrowser gives away what most vendors sell: a current Chromium engine, a full API, an MCP server, SDKs and no-code automation, with no limits. For a solo buyer or developer on no budget, nothing else comes close on features per dollar. The trade-offs are about trust and maturity: unsigned builds, an engine you can't inspect that updates itself from a public bucket, analytics on by default, no team mode, and a 5-month-old project whose first build of each Chrome version is still being debugged by its users.
My advice: install it from GitHub, turn analytics off, and use it for scraping, tests and cheap accounts with your own proxies. Move expensive ad accounts only after a couple of stable builds, and for team work pick a paid browser.
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