//Compare · AI crawler\\

Scrape.ly vs Firecrawl: web data for AI, two approaches

Firecrawl turns websites into LLM-ready Markdown and JSON through fixed endpoints billed in credits. Scrape.ly runs full scrapers (Actors) and gives AI agents access to them through a hosted MCP server. Here is how they compare.

Start free See the comparison

Competitor facts and prices as listed on Oct 14, 2026. Sources

firecrawl crawl

# Example page Some article text thatbecomes clean markdown - [Link](https://…)

page → data

scrape.ly · mcp

Agent tools›Search the Store›Run an Actor›Read results

//TL;DR\\

The short answer

For turning pages into Markdown or JSON for an LLM with one API call, Firecrawl is purpose-built, and its open-source core can be self-hosted. Scrape.ly fits when you need scrapers that do more than a fixed endpoint can, such as site-specific logic, logins, or scheduled jobs, when you want ready-made Store Actors, or when you already run Apify code. Agents reach all of it through MCP, and usage is billed from a prepaid balance rather than credits per page.

Apify-compatible

Run existing Actors, SDK code, and apify-client calls with few or no changes. See the SDK docs.

$2–$4/GB residential, $0.75–$1/GB datacenter

Managed proxies on every run, paid from a prepaid balance. No surprise bills.

Creators keep 80% of paid fees

Sell Actors in the Store with pay-per-event pricing and request a payout once your available balance reaches the minimum. How it works.

//At a glance\\

Scrape.ly vs Firecrawl, side by side

Firecrawl: API that turns websites into LLM-ready data (Markdown, JSON) with scrape, crawl, map, search, interact, and agent endpoints, billed in credits; the core is open source under AGPL-3.0.

Scrape.ly and Firecrawl compared
Feature	Scrape.ly	Firecrawl
What it is	Apify-compatible platform that runs scrapers (Actors)	API that turns websites into LLM-ready Markdown and JSON
Pricing model	Plans raise limits; usage from a prepaid USD balance	Monthly or yearly plans with credits; 1 credit per page
Free tier	Monthly usage credit, no credit card to start	1,000 credits, 2 concurrent browsers
Entry paid plan	See the pricing page	$19/mo (or $16/mo yearly) for 5,000 credits
Proxies	Residential $2–$4/GB, datacenter $0.75–$1/GB	No standalone proxy product; bundled into credits
Output	Datasets exported as JSON, CSV, Excel, and more	Markdown, JSON, and other LLM-ready formats
Custom scraper code	Yes: any Actor, including Apify Actors	Fixed endpoints: scrape, crawl, map, search, interact, agent
AI agent access	Hosted MCP server	API and agent endpoint
Open source	SDKs built on Crawlee	Core under AGPL-3.0
Marketplace	Scrape.ly Store, 80% to creators	None found

//Pricing\\

Pricing compared

Firecrawl prices as listed on Oct 14, 2026 on their public pricing pages; check their site for current figures. Scrape.ly's current plans are on the pricing page.

Scrape.ly

Free plan: Monthly usage credit, no credit card to start
Paid plans: Raise concurrency, memory, and other limits, and can add a Store discount
Usage: Compute, storage, transfer, proxy, and browser usage from a prepaid USD balance
Residential proxy: $2–$4 per GB
Datacenter proxy: $0.75–$1 per GB
Spending control: Optional maximum charge per run; the run stops when it is reached

Firecrawl

Pricing model: Monthly or yearly plans with a monthly credit allowance: 1 credit per page for scrape, crawl, and map, with extra credits for structured formats, search, and browser interaction. Paid plans can add credit packs in $5 increments.
Free tier: Free plan: $0, 1,000 credits (500 searches or 1,000 pages), 2 concurrent browsers, community support.

Firecrawl plans

Firecrawl plans as listed on Oct 14, 2026
Firecrawl plan	Price	Includes
Free	$0	1,000 credits/mo, 2 concurrent browsers, 10 req/min scrape
Hobby	$19/mo billed monthly, or $16/mo billed yearly	5,000 credits/mo, 5 concurrent browsers, 100 req/min scrape
Standard	$83/mo billed yearly	100,000 credits/mo, 25 concurrent browsers, 500 req/min scrape
Growth	$333/mo billed yearly	500,000 credits/mo, 50 concurrent browsers, 5,000 req/min scrape, priority support
Scale	$599/mo billed yearly	1,000,000 credits/mo, 100 concurrent browsers, 10,000 req/min scrape, priority support
Enterprise	Custom	Custom limits, dedicated support with SLA

Firecrawl usage and proxy pricing

Firecrawl usage and proxy pricing as listed on Oct 14, 2026
Firecrawl product	Price as listed on Oct 14, 2026
Scrape, crawl, or map	1 credit per page
Search	2 credits per 10 results
Interact	2 credits per browser minute
JSON, Question, Highlight formats	+4 credits per page
Agent	5 free daily runs, then dynamic pricing

Firecrawl bills per page or action: 1 credit per page for scrape, crawl, and map, 4 more for JSON-style formats, and 2 per browser minute for interaction. Standard, Growth, and Scale are shown here at their yearly-billed monthly price.
Scrape.ly bills what a run uses (compute, storage, and proxy traffic per GB) plus any per-event price a Store Actor sets.

Scrape.ly is hosted. Its JavaScript and Python SDKs build on the open-source Crawlee library.

Firecrawl

The Firecrawl core is open source under AGPL-3.0.

//Switching\\

How to switch from Firecrawl

You can keep an AI pipeline and change where the data comes from: run Actors and hand the results to your model or agent.

01
Find an Actor for your sources
Search the Store for crawlers and scrapers that cover your sites, or build one from a template.
Find Actors →Quick start →
02
Connect your agent over MCP
Add the hosted MCP server to Claude, Cursor, or VS Code, so the agent can run Actors and read results itself.
MCP server →
03
Or call it from your code
Start runs and fetch dataset items with the JavaScript or Python API client.
JavaScript client →
04
Handle hard sites
Use the managed residential proxy, and turn on the Scrapely browser for sites that block headless browsers.
Proxy docs →Scrapely browser →

//Fit\\

When to choose which

Firecrawl is a good fit for: AI and LLM application builders who want pages, sites, or search results returned as Markdown or structured JSON through a simple API.

Choose Scrape.ly if

You need custom scraper logic, not just page-to-Markdown conversion.
You want ready-made Store Actors, or to sell your own and keep 80% of fees.
You want agents to search the Store, run Actors, and read results through MCP.
You have Apify Actors or apify-client code you want to keep using.

Choose Firecrawl if

You build AI or LLM apps and want pages or sites returned as Markdown or JSON from a simple API.
You want search, crawl, map, and browser interaction as ready endpoints.
You want to self-host an open-source (AGPL-3.0) core.
Per-page credits fit how you budget.

Worth knowing before you decide

Firecrawl bills credits per page or action (1 per page, +4 for JSON formats). Scrape.ly bills compute, proxy traffic per GB (residential $2, datacenter $1), and browser credits for the Actors you run, plus Store Actor event fees.
Firecrawl provides fixed endpoints; Scrape.ly runs any scraper code (Apify-compatible Actors) and offers ready-made Store scrapers.
Scrape.ly has a Store with an 80% creator share; none was found at Firecrawl.
Firecrawl's core is open source (AGPL-3.0) and can be self-hosted; Scrape.ly is a hosted platform whose SDKs build on open-source Crawlee.
Both offer AI-agent access: Firecrawl through its API and agent endpoint, Scrape.ly through a hosted MCP server.

Need something custom, such as volume pricing or a managed scraper? Talk to us.

Is Scrape.ly an alternative to Firecrawl?

They overlap for AI data collection. Firecrawl returns LLM-ready pages through fixed endpoints; Scrape.ly runs full scrapers, including Store Actors, and exposes them to AI agents through MCP.

How much does Firecrawl cost?

As listed on Oct 14, 2026, the free plan includes 1,000 credits, and Hobby costs $19 a month billed monthly ($16 billed yearly) for 5,000 credits. Scrape, crawl, and map cost 1 credit per page.

Can AI agents use Scrape.ly?

Yes. The hosted MCP server lets Claude, Cursor, VS Code, and other MCP clients search the Store, run Actors, check runs, and read results.

Is Firecrawl open source?

Its core is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license on GitHub. Scrape.ly is a hosted platform whose SDKs build on the open-source Crawlee library.

Who operates Scrape.ly?

Scrape.ly is operated by TeraShift GmbH, a Swiss company.

//Sources\\

Sources and method

Every Firecrawl fact on this page comes from their public website and docs, read on Oct 14, 2026. Prices change, so check the linked pages before you buy. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.

Firecrawl (accessed Oct 14, 2026)

Scrape.ly

Firecrawl is a trademark of its owner, used here only to identify their product. Scrape.ly is not affiliated with Firecrawl.

//More comparisons\\

See every comparison on the compare page, or explore the Store, proxies, and anti-blocking.

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