antidetect browser
ShardBrowser
ShardBrowser Review 2026: A Free Antidetect From a Proxy Seller, Now on Chrome 156
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. QUIC, HTTP/3 and WebRTC work end to end through any SOCKS5 proxy with UDP relay, from ProxyShard or another provider; if a proxy has no UDP relay, the launcher switches QUIC off. ProxyShard also matches the TCP fingerprint at the exit of its own proxies 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.
ShardBrowser: our review
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 need a proxy with UDP support. QUIC, HTTP/3 and WebRTC run end to end through any SOCKS5 proxy with UDP relay, ProxyShard's or another provider's. Before each launch, the launcher tests the proxy itself, whoever sells it: if the proxy relays UDP, QUIC stays on; if it doesn't, QUIC is switched off and WebRTC, in its default mode, falls back to TCP-only. HTTP proxies can't carry UDP at all. ProxyShard's guide says TCP-only mode doesn't leak your IP, but the traffic "may look suspicious to advanced anti-fraud systems." One extra does depend on the seller: ProxyShard spoofs the TCP fingerprint that reveals the operating system at the exit of its own proxies, so the network signature matches the profile.
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 any SOCKS5 proxy with UDP relay
- Open-source launcher under the MIT license
Cons
- Made to sell ProxyShard proxies; TCP fingerprint spoofing works only on 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 any SOCKS5 proxy with UDP relay, whoever sells it. Only TCP fingerprint spoofing needs ProxyShard's 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
- Average rating 5.0
- Average rating 4.8
- Average rating 4.8
- Average rating 4.7
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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ShardBrowser reviews around the web
Public reviews from Trustpilot. Their ratings count toward the users’ score with less weight than member reviews.
V.hUnresponsive service after dispearing credits openai
- P. Version Music
Our Account suspended without warning, work inaccessible, support unresponsive Our account was suspended without warning, leaving us unable to access our work. We contacted support, explained that we hadn't done anything wrong, and simply requested a download link so we could retrieve our files. Despite our attempts to resolve the situation, we received no meaningful response. Fair warning to anyone considering using this platform for important projects: our experience has shown that access to your work can disappear without warning, and you may be left without any assistance in retrieving it. I would not trust this service with anything I couldn't afford to lose.
- Ulrich
GitHub Support Is Completely Useless GitHub's customer support is an absolute joke, especially for a platform that businesses rely on to operate. When you're dealing with a business-critical issue, you expect a company of GitHub's size to provide actual assistance, clear communication, and some sense of urgency. Instead, you're left feeling completely helpless. We're dealing with a situation where access to essential source code is critical to keeping our business running, yet getting meaningful help from GitHub has been incredibly frustrating. It's unbelievable that a company offering Enterprise solutions can make customers feel so unsupported when they need assistance the most. Businesses depend on GitHub to protect and manage some of their most valuable assets. When something goes wrong, support should be there to help resolve the situation, not make an already stressful experience even worse. Completely useless support, a deeply disappointing experience, and absolutely unacceptable for an Enterprise-level service.
- Maggakos
they blocked my account (made it invisible for others and i opened an ticket with them and they did nothing) i meant they didnt respond or see any of my messages and there are 2 weeks passed and they still dont reply.All of that for no reason.
- Tommy Trash
My account was blocked without any alert and notification. I was logged in yesterday to do have some work but unfortuntly my account was blocked. I had a 4 years old account and my account health was great. Can't recommend to anyone try something eles.
- Ran Hassan Nawaz
Account suspended without a clear explanation I have been using GitHub for my development work, and recently my account was unexpectedly suspended. As a result, I lost access to my GitHub account, repositories, and the development work associated with them. I contacted GitHub Support and submitted a reinstatement request, but the process has been difficult and I have not received a clear explanation of what caused the suspension. I understand that GitHub needs to enforce its policies and protect the platform, but when an account contains important development work, users should receive a clear explanation and a reasonable opportunity to resolve the issue. I am currently waiting for GitHub to review my case and reinstate my account.
- William Ashford
Suspended without explanation My GitHub account was suspended without any concrete explanation of what activity was considered problematic. I use GitHub for my job. I submitted a reinstatement request and explained my use case, but I still have no specific reason for the suspension (and honestly there is none) and no access to my repositories I need for work. The main problem is the lack of transparency and the fact that I cannot even retrieve my own files!
- Jaba
Worst Interface I have ever seen Whoever designed this website should be fired and never hired in any company. Its interface is so confusing that you need to ask AI where to find a download button or what to download. Seriously, this website has most confusing, most stupid and horrible design that I have ever seen.
- Yiğit
Account wrongfully suspended without notice I have been an active developer on GitHub, using the platform strictly for personal software projects, open-source work, and learning. Recently, my account was suddenly flagged and made inaccessible without any prior warning, explanation, or notification email. All my repositories, issues, and contributions disappeared overnight. I haven't received a response from the support team in a long time, and thousands of my subscribers are waiting for updates on my projects. Frankly, even if my account is reactivated, I'm hesitant to use it. I've completely lost faith in GitHub; it's definitely not a place where I'll be hosting serious projects anymore.
- customer
They silently flagged my entire account and there is no single notification on my profile about that. As a result, people cannot access my public repos and pages anymore, and I cannot fork projects to contribute to the open source community. I've contacted their support (which forced me to give my phone number) and I'm getting no response.
- Sergi
Horrible customer experience My account sergieth became restricted for absolutely no reason one day and it is impossible to get in touch with their support (SMS verification never works). Do not use Github, you won't be able to work properly.
- Codes Studios
Support problems etc Account suspended for no reason and then i said to myself why is everything is connected to github? Now i couldnt work on my apps and website, couldnt login to some platforms that i used github account to login. support is still pending (third day today)
- Rohan
GitHub account suspended for almost 3 months with no meaningful response My GitHub account was suspended on June 26, 2026. I submitted an appeal and later a reinstatement request through GitHub's official support process. Original appeal: #4515112 Reinstatement request: #4563022 I have contacted GitHub from the email address associated with my account and have followed up multiple times, but as of September 13, 2026, I still have not received a substantive response or a decision. This account contains legitimate software/web development projects that I have worked on for years, and the suspension has significantly affected my ability to access my development work. I am not asking for special treatment. I am simply requesting that GitHub manually review the account and provide a clear decision or let me know if additional verification/information is required. GitHub username: rohanmishra30
- Timmy Jones
On multiple occasions On multiple occasions, GitHub attempted to charge me $800+ on a $29 account and I was able to stop that one. Next, They charged me $120 immediately after cancelling my account due to not being able to get work completed due to being cut off. JetBrain Rider is a more stable platform in billing and it is cheaper. I like VS dev window, but I cannot work with uncertainty of whether I will be cut off or not.
About these reviews. We gather them from public pages so you can see how ShardBrowser is rated outside aliencpa. We take the latest reviews from each source, without picking them by tone. Each is quoted in full, word for word, and translated into English where marked; the source icon links to the original. We don’t verify them, and our editorial policy doesn’t cover them. Their ratings count toward the users’ score, but member reviews from aliencpa readers always weigh more and come first. Worked with ShardBrowser? Write a member review.
ShardBrowser is listed in our antidetect browser catalog. Paid packages can pin a card and extend it; they never buy a rating, a review or a verdict.
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