--- title: "Scrape.ly vs Firecrawl: Firecrawl alternative compared" description: "A Firecrawl alternative for AI data: run Apify-compatible Actors, expose them to agents over MCP, and pay $2–$4/GB for residential proxies. Pricing and features compared." url: https://scrape.ly/compare/firecrawl markdown: https://scrape.ly/compare/firecrawl.md --- 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](https://my.scrape.ly/register) [See the comparison](https://scrape.ly/compare/firecrawl.md#at-a-glance) Competitor facts and prices as listed on Oct 14, 2026. [Sources](https://scrape.ly/compare/firecrawl.md#sources) 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](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-node.md). ### $2–$4/GB residential, $0.75–$1/GB datacenter Managed [proxies](https://scrape.ly/proxies.md) 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](https://scrape.ly/monetize.md). 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. | 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](https://scrape.ly/pricing.md). ### 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 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 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. Features ## Feature by feature Where Scrape.ly and Firecrawl overlap, and where they take different approaches. ### Endpoints vs Actors Scrape.ly An Actor is a full program running in its own container. It can follow site-specific logic, paginate, log in, and write results to a dataset. Use one from the Store or push your own with the scrapely CLI. Firecrawl Firecrawl exposes fixed endpoints: /scrape, /crawl, /map, /search, /interact, /agent, and monitoring, each returning LLM-ready output. ### Output for LLMs Scrape.ly Actors write structured items to datasets, exported as JSON, JSONL, CSV, Excel, and more, or read directly by agents through MCP. Firecrawl Pages come back as Markdown, JSON, and other formats designed for LLMs; structured formats cost 4 extra credits per page. ### AI agents and MCP Scrape.ly A hosted MCP server lets Claude, Cursor, VS Code, and other clients search the Store, run Actors, and read results, signed in with OAuth or an API token. Firecrawl Firecrawl offers agent access through its API and an agent endpoint. ### Proxies and blocking Scrape.ly Managed residential ($2–$4 per GB) and datacenter ($0.75–$1 per GB) proxies on every run, plus the Scrapely browser with anti-bot fingerprints and Cloudflare Turnstile solving. Firecrawl Firecrawl has no standalone proxy product; proxies are bundled into credit pricing. ### Open source and hosting Scrape.ly 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. 1. 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 →](https://scrape.ly/docs/store.md) [Quick start →](https://scrape.ly/docs/quickstart.md) 2. 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 →](https://scrape.ly/docs/mcp.md) 3. 03 ### Or call it from your code Start runs and fetch dataset items with the JavaScript or Python API client. [JavaScript client →](https://scrape.ly/docs/client-js.md) 4. 04 ### Handle hard sites Use the managed residential proxy, and turn on the Scrapely browser for sites that block headless browsers. [Proxy docs →](https://scrape.ly/docs/proxy.md) [Scrapely browser →](https://scrape.ly/docs/browser.md) 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](mailto:support@scrape.ly?subject=Coming%20from%20Firecrawl\&body=I%27m%20moving%20from%20Firecrawl%20to%20Scrape.ly%20and%20have%20a%20question.). FAQ ## Scrape.ly vs Firecrawl, answered Short answers to common questions. The [quick start](https://scrape.ly/docs/quickstart.md) and [MCP docs](https://scrape.ly/docs/mcp.md) go deeper. ### 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](mailto:support@scrape.ly?subject=Correction%3A%20Scrape.ly%20vs%20Firecrawl\&body=I%27d%20like%20to%20suggest%20a%20correction%20to%20the%20Scrape.ly%20vs%20Firecrawl%20comparison.) and we will fix it. ### Firecrawl (accessed Oct 14, 2026) - [firecrawl.dev/pricing](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing) - [github.com/firecrawl/firecrawl](https://github.com/firecrawl/firecrawl) ### Scrape.ly - [Proxy groups and per-GB prices](https://scrape.ly/docs/proxy.md#groups-and-countries) - [Plans, prepaid credits, and billing](https://scrape.ly/docs/account.md#plans-and-credits) - [Creator earnings (80%) and payouts](https://scrape.ly/docs/publishing.md#earnings) - [Maximum charge per run](https://scrape.ly/docs/run-actors.md#run-options) - [JavaScript SDK (API-compatible with the Apify SDK)](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-node.md) - [Python SDK](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-python.md) - [Migrating from apify-client (JavaScript)](https://scrape.ly/docs/client-js.md#migrating-from-apify-client) - [Migrating from apify-client (Python)](https://scrape.ly/docs/client-python.md#migrating-from-apify-client) - [Scrapely browser](https://scrape.ly/docs/browser.md) - [MCP server](https://scrape.ly/docs/mcp.md) - [CLI reference](https://scrape.ly/docs/cli.md) - [Store](https://scrape.ly/docs/store.md) - [Pricing](https://scrape.ly/pricing.md) Firecrawl is a trademark of its owner, used here only to identify their product. Scrape.ly is not affiliated with Firecrawl. More comparisons ## Compare Scrape.ly with other tools See every comparison on the [compare page](https://scrape.ly/compare.md), or explore the [Store](https://scrape.ly/store.md), [proxies](https://scrape.ly/proxies.md), and [anti-blocking](https://scrape.ly/anti-blocking.md). - [Actor platform](https://scrape.ly/compare/apify.md) ### [Scrape.ly vs Apify](https://scrape.ly/compare/apify.md) [Cloud platform and marketplace (Apify Store) for serverless scraping and automation programs called Actors, with its own proxy, SDKs, CLI, API client, and hosted MCP server.](https://scrape.ly/compare/apify.md) [Read the comparison](https://scrape.ly/compare/apify.md) - [Browser infrastructure](https://scrape.ly/compare/browserless.md) ### [Scrape.ly vs Browserless](https://scrape.ly/compare/browserless.md) [Hosted headless browsers (Chrome, Firefox, WebKit) for Puppeteer, Playwright, and Selenium, plus BrowserQL and REST endpoints for screenshots, PDFs, and scraping.](https://scrape.ly/compare/browserless.md) [Read the comparison](https://scrape.ly/compare/browserless.md) - [Scraping API](https://scrape.ly/compare/scrapfly.md) ### [Scrape.ly vs Scrapfly](https://scrape.ly/compare/scrapfly.md) [Web scraping API platform with proxy rotation, JavaScript rendering, and anti-bot bypass, plus Extraction, Screenshot, Crawler, and Cloud Browser APIs.](https://scrape.ly/compare/scrapfly.md) [Read the comparison](https://scrape.ly/compare/scrapfly.md) ## The internet is full of data. Start owning yours. Scrape.ly gives you the infrastructure, the tooling, and the team to extract, process, and operationalize web data at any scale. Setup takes minutes. The advantage lasts forever. [Get Started Free](https://my.scrape.ly/register) [Book a Demo](mailto:support@scrape.ly?subject=Book%20a%20demo\&body=I%27d%20like%20to%20book%20a%20demo.) No credit card. No setup calls.