Scrape.ly vs ScraperAPI: a ScraperAPI alternative for full scrapers
ScraperAPI handles proxies, rendering, and anti-bot measures behind one request, billed in credits that vary by site. Scrape.ly runs complete scrapers with managed proxies billed per GB, a hosted anti-bot browser, and a Store of ready-made Actors. Here is how they compare.
Competitor facts and prices as listed on Oct 14, 2026. Sources
The short answer
ScraperAPI suits teams that want to send a URL and get the page back, with structured endpoints for popular sites, credits charged only on success, and a discount for paying annually. Scrape.ly suits jobs that need a real program: crawling, pagination, storage, schedules, and reuse. You run your own or Store Actors (including existing Apify Actors) and pay for compute plus proxy traffic at $2–$4 per GB residential or $0.75–$1 per GB datacenter.
Apify-compatible
$2–$4/GB residential, $0.75–$1/GB datacenter
Creators keep 80% of paid fees
Scrape.ly vs ScraperAPI, side by side
ScraperAPI: Web scraping API that handles proxies, JavaScript rendering, and anti-bot bypassing per request, billed in API credits, with structured data endpoints and a DataPipeline scheduler.
| Feature | Scrape.ly | ScraperAPI |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Platform to run, build, and sell scrapers (Actors), with a Store | Per-request scraping API with structured endpoints and DataPipeline |
| Pricing model | Plans raise limits; usage from a prepaid USD balance | Monthly or annual plans with API credit allowances |
| Free to try | Free plan with a monthly usage credit, no credit card to start | 7-day trial with 5,000 credits, no credit card required |
| Proxy pricing | Residential $2–$4 per GB, datacenter $0.75–$1 per GB | Bundled into credits; premium and ultra premium cost more per request |
| Cost per page | Compute, proxy GB, and browser credits the run uses | 1 credit standard; 25 for Google; up to 75 with ultra_premium + render |
| Anti-bot | Scrapely browser: anti-bot fingerprints and Cloudflare Turnstile solving | CAPTCHA and anti-bot handling; +10 credits on protected sites |
| Scheduling | Tasks, schedules, and webhooks | DataPipeline, included on all plans |
| Custom code | Yes: JavaScript and Python Actors, Apify-compatible | Request parameters and custom headers |
| Marketplace | Scrape.ly Store; creators keep 80% of event fees | None found |
Pricing compared
ScraperAPI 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
ScraperAPI
- Pricing model
- Monthly or annual subscription plans with API credit allowances. Credits per successful request vary by domain and parameters (render, premium, ultra_premium). Pay as you go on higher plans.
- Free tier
- The pricing page offers a 7-day trial with 5,000 API credits and no credit card required.
ScraperAPI plans
| ScraperAPI plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby | $49/mo monthly, or $44.10/mo billed annually | 100,000 API credits, 20 concurrent threads, US & EU geotargeting |
| Startup | $149/mo monthly, or $134.10/mo billed annually | 1,000,000 API credits, 50 concurrent threads, US & EU geotargeting |
| Business | $299/mo monthly, or $269.10/mo billed annually | 3,000,000 API credits, 100 concurrent threads |
| Scaling | $475/mo monthly, or $427.50/mo billed annually | 5,000,000 API credits, 200 concurrent threads |
| Professional | $975/mo monthly, or $877.50/mo billed annually | 10,500,000 API credits, 300 concurrent threads, priority support |
| Advanced | $1,975/mo monthly, or $1,777.50/mo billed annually | 21,500,000 API credits, 500 concurrent threads, priority routing |
| Enterprise | Custom | 22,000,000+ API credits, 500+ concurrent threads, dedicated and Slack support |
ScraperAPI usage and proxy pricing
| ScraperAPI product | Price as listed on Oct 14, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Standard page | 1 credit |
| Amazon | 5 credits |
| Google and Bing | 25 credits |
| 30 credits | |
| Bot-protected sites (Cloudflare, DataDome, PerimeterX), when bypassed | +10 credits |
| premium=true or render=true | 10 credits |
| premium + render | 25 credits |
| ultra_premium=true (paid plans only) | 30 credits |
| ultra_premium + render (paid plans only) | 75 credits |
- ScraperAPI's credit cost depends on the target and options: a standard page costs 1 credit, Google and Bing 25, and ultra_premium with rendering 75, so the same plan buys very different page counts.
- Scrape.ly charges what a run uses: compute (memory × duration), proxy traffic per GB, and browser credits, from a prepaid balance with an optional maximum charge per run.
Feature by feature
Where Scrape.ly and ScraperAPI overlap, and where they take different approaches.
Execution model
Actors are programs that crawl as many pages as needed and store results in datasets, key-value stores, and request queues. You run them from the dashboard, the API, the CLI, or MCP.
ScraperAPI returns one page per request, with JSON auto parsing and structured data APIs for popular sites, plus a Crawler and DataPipeline for recurring jobs.
Proxies and anti-blocking
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.
Rotating pools, premium residential and mobile IPs, and Ultra Premium, with CAPTCHA and anti-bot handling and automatic retries, all billed in request credits.
Scheduling and delivery
Save inputs as tasks, run them on schedules, and trigger webhooks when runs finish. Results are read through the API or the JavaScript and Python clients.
DataPipeline schedules scraping jobs and is included on all plans.
Ready-made scrapers and selling
The Store lists Actors from Scrape.ly and community developers. Publish your own with pay-per-event pricing and keep 80% of fees paid with purchased credits.
Structured data endpoints are provided by ScraperAPI; no marketplace was found.
How to switch from ScraperAPI
Swap per-URL calls for Actor runs: pick or build an Actor, add a proxy, and read results from its dataset.
- 01
Find or build an Actor
Start with a scraper from the Store, or create your own from a template with the scrapely CLI.
Browse the Store →Quick start → - 02
Add proxies and the browser
Use the managed proxy per GB, and turn on the Scrapely browser for sites with bot protection.
Proxy docs →Anti-blocking → - 03
Schedule and integrate
Save the input as a task, schedule it, and read results over the API or the client libraries.
Run Actors →JavaScript client →
When to choose which
ScraperAPI is a good fit for: Teams that want per-URL scraping with proxies and anti-bot handled, ready-made structured endpoints for popular sites, and annual billing discounts.
Choose Scrape.ly if
- You want to run crawlers with queues, storage, and schedules, not only single fetches.
- You prefer paying for proxy traffic per GB over per-domain credit costs.
- You have Apify Actors or Apify SDK code to bring along.
- You want a Store of ready-made scrapers, or to earn 80% of event fees from your own.
- You want a hosted MCP server so agents can run scrapers.
Choose ScraperAPI if
- You want per-URL scraping with proxies and anti-bot handled for you.
- You need its structured data endpoints for popular sites.
- You want annual billing at a lower monthly price.
- You only want to pay for successful requests on a credit plan.
Worth knowing before you decide
- ScraperAPI bills credits per successful request, varying by domain (for example 25 for Google) and parameters. Scrape.ly bills compute, proxy traffic per GB, and browser credits for the scrapers you run, plus event fees on paid Store Actors.
- ScraperAPI is a per-request API plus DataPipeline. Scrape.ly runs complete scraper programs (Actors) with datasets, request queues, schedules, and webhooks.
- Scrape.ly has a Store with an 80% creator share; no ScraperAPI marketplace was found.
- Scrape.ly runs Apify Actors and Apify SDK code; ScraperAPI uses its own API.
- ScraperAPI offers about 10% lower monthly prices with annual billing.
Need something custom, such as volume pricing or a managed scraper? Talk to us.
Scrape.ly vs ScraperAPI, answered
Is Scrape.ly an alternative to ScraperAPI?
Partly. ScraperAPI is a per-request scraping API billed in credits. Scrape.ly is a platform for running scrapers, with ready-made Store scrapers, proxies billed per GB, and a hosted anti-bot browser, and it runs Apify-compatible code.
How does pricing differ?
As listed on Oct 14, 2026, ScraperAPI plans start at $49 a month for 100,000 credits, and a request costs 1 to 75 credits depending on the site and options. Scrape.ly charges compute, proxy traffic ($2–$4 per GB residential, $0.75–$1 per GB datacenter), and browser credits from a prepaid balance.
Does ScraperAPI charge for failed requests?
Its docs say only successful requests (200 and 404) and requests cancelled before 70 seconds are charged.
Can I schedule scrapers on Scrape.ly?
Yes. Save an Actor input as a task, run it on a schedule, and use webhooks to react when runs finish.
Who operates Scrape.ly?
Scrape.ly is operated by TeraShift GmbH, a Swiss company.
Sources and method
Every ScraperAPI 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.
ScraperAPI (accessed Oct 14, 2026)
Scrape.ly
- Proxy groups and per-GB prices
- Plans, prepaid credits, and billing
- Creator earnings (80%) and payouts
- Maximum charge per run
- JavaScript SDK (API-compatible with the Apify SDK)
- Python SDK
- Migrating from apify-client (JavaScript)
- Migrating from apify-client (Python)
- Scrapely browser
- MCP server
- CLI reference
- Store
- Pricing
ScraperAPI is a trademark of its owner, used here only to identify their product. Scrape.ly is not affiliated with ScraperAPI.
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