Scrape.ly vs Scrapfly: an Actor platform next to a scraping API
Scrapfly is a family of APIs you call per page or per job, billed in credits. Scrape.ly runs complete scrapers (Actors) with managed proxies, a hosted browser, and storage, billed by usage. Here is how they compare.
Competitor facts and prices as listed on Oct 14, 2026. Sources
The short answer
Scrapfly is a capable credit-based API suite: scraping with anti-bot bypass, extraction, screenshots, crawling, and a cloud browser, with SDKs in four languages. Scrape.ly fits when you want your scraper itself to run in the cloud, reuse Apify code, or pick ready-made Actors from a Store. Proxy traffic is billed per GB ($2 residential, $1 datacenter) instead of credits per request.
Apify-compatible
$2–$4/GB residential, $0.75–$1/GB datacenter
Creators keep 80% of paid fees
Scrape.ly vs Scrapfly, side by side
Scrapfly: Web scraping API platform with proxy rotation, JavaScript rendering, and anti-bot bypass, plus Extraction, Screenshot, Crawler, and Cloud Browser APIs.
| Feature | Scrape.ly | Scrapfly |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Apify-compatible platform that runs scrapers (Actors) | Scraping API platform with related extraction, screenshot, crawler, and browser APIs |
| Pricing model | Plans raise limits; usage from a prepaid USD balance | Monthly plans with API credits; overage on Pro and above |
| Free tier | Monthly usage credit, no credit card to start | 1,000 credits on signup, 5 concurrent requests |
| Entry paid plan | See the pricing page | $30/mo for 200,000 credits |
| Residential proxy | $2–$4 per GB | 25 credits per base scrape (+5 for JS rendering) |
| Datacenter proxy | $0.75–$1 per GB | 1 credit per base scrape |
| Hosted browser | Scrapely browser: anti-bot fingerprints, Turnstile solving | Cloud Browser: hosted Chromium over CDP |
| MCP server | Hosted, OAuth or API token | Yes |
| SDKs | JavaScript and Python SDKs and API clients, CLI | Python, TypeScript, Go, Rust; Scrapy extension |
| Runs Apify Actors | Yes, most run unchanged | No |
| Marketplace | Scrape.ly Store, 80% to creators | None found |
Pricing compared
Scrapfly 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
Scrapfly
- Pricing model
- Monthly plans with API credits; requests cost credits by proxy type and options, with pay-as-you-go overage on Pro and above.
- Free tier
- 1,000 API credits on signup, 5 concurrent requests, no credit card.
Scrapfly plans
| Scrapfly plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 credits on signup, 5 concurrency |
| Discovery | $30/mo (monthly billing) | 200,000 credits, 5 concurrency, extra $5.00 per 10k |
| Pro | $100/mo (monthly billing) | 1,000,000 credits, 20 concurrency, extra $3.50 per 10k |
| Startup | $250/mo (monthly billing) | 2,500,000 credits, 50 concurrency, extra $2.00 per 10k |
| Enterprise | $500/mo (monthly billing) | 5,500,000 credits, 100 concurrency, extra $1.20 per 10k |
| Custom | $1,200 to $30,000+/mo | Negotiated |
Scrapfly usage and proxy pricing
| Scrapfly product | Price as listed on Oct 14, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Datacenter (via API) | 1 credit per base scrape |
| Residential (via API) | 25 credits per base scrape; JS rendering +5 credits |
- Scrapfly bills each request in credits: 1 for a datacenter base scrape, 25 for residential, plus 5 for JS rendering. Extra credits beyond a plan cost $5.00 to $1.20 per 10k depending on the plan.
- Scrape.ly bills what a run uses: compute, storage, and proxy traffic per GB, so a residential request costs the bandwidth it transfers at $2–$4 per GB.
Feature by feature
Where Scrape.ly and Scrapfly overlap, and where they take different approaches.
APIs vs Actors
An Actor is a full program running in its own container: it can crawl, paginate, and write results to a dataset you export as JSON, CSV, Excel, and more. Use one from the Store or push your own with the scrapely CLI.
Scrapfly offers a Web Scraping API (HTML, Markdown, or JSON output), plus Extraction, Screenshot, and Crawler APIs that you call from your own code.
Anti-blocking and browsers
Managed residential ($2–$4 per GB) and datacenter ($0.75–$1 per GB) proxies on every run, and the Scrapely browser: a hosted Chromium with anti-bot fingerprints and Cloudflare Turnstile solving that Playwright and Puppeteer code connects to unchanged.
Requests rotate proxies, with the Unblocker (formerly ASP) for anti-bot bypass. The Cloud Browser is a hosted Chromium over CDP, compatible with Playwright and Puppeteer.
AI agents
A hosted MCP server lets Claude, Cursor, VS Code, and other clients search the Store, run Actors, and read results.
Scrapfly has an MCP server and an AI Browser Agent compatible with Browser Use, Stagehand, and Vibium.
Store and ready-made scrapers
The Scrape.ly Store lists ready-made scrapers and automations. Developers set pay-per-event prices and keep 80% of what users pay with purchased credits.
No scraper marketplace was found.
How to switch from Scrapfly
Moving from a scraping API to Scrape.ly means running your scraping logic as an Actor, or picking one from the Store.
- 01
Find an Actor or start from a template
Search the Store for a scraper that handles your site, or create an Actor from a template with the scrapely CLI.
Find Actors →Quick start → - 02
Use the managed proxy
Pick the residential or datacenter group in your Actor code. Credentials are injected per run.
Proxy docs → - 03
Move browser code to the Scrapely browser
Turn it on per Actor and rebuild. Your Playwright or Puppeteer code connects without changes.
Scrapely browser → - 04
Run it from your backend or an agent
Start runs and read results with the API clients, or connect an AI agent through MCP.
Run Actors →MCP server →
When to choose which
Scrapfly is a good fit for: Developers who want a credit-based scraping API with anti-bot bypass and a set of related APIs (extraction, screenshots, browser).
Choose Scrape.ly if
- You want whole scrapers to run in the cloud, with storage, schedules, and webhooks.
- You have Apify Actors or apify-client code you want to keep using.
- You prefer paying for proxy bandwidth per GB over credits per request.
- You want ready-made Store Actors, or to sell your own and keep 80% of fees.
Choose Scrapfly if
- You want a credit-based scraping API with anti-bot bypass built in.
- You need related APIs from one vendor: extraction, screenshots, crawling, and a cloud browser.
- You work in Go or Rust, or with Scrapy, and want an official SDK or extension.
- You want to estimate a request’s cost up front with the cost=true parameter.
Worth knowing before you decide
- Scrapfly bills credits per request; Scrape.ly bills compute and proxy traffic per GB, plus any per-event price an Actor sets.
- Scrape.ly runs most Apify Actors, Apify SDK code, and apify-client code with few or no changes; Scrapfly uses its own API and SDKs.
- Scrape.ly has a Store of ready-made scrapers with an 80% creator share; no marketplace was found at Scrapfly.
- Both offer a hosted Chromium browser and an MCP server.
Need something custom, such as volume pricing or a managed scraper? Talk to us.
Scrape.ly vs Scrapfly, answered
Is Scrape.ly an alternative to Scrapfly?
Yes, for many jobs. Scrapfly is an API you call per page; Scrape.ly runs full scrapers (Apify-compatible Actors) with managed proxies, a hosted browser, and storage.
How much does Scrapfly cost?
As listed on Oct 14, 2026, paid plans start at $30 a month (monthly billing) for 200,000 credits, and new accounts get 1,000 free credits on signup.
Do both have a hosted browser?
Yes. Scrapfly has a Cloud Browser reached over CDP. Scrape.ly has the Scrapely browser, a hosted Chromium with anti-bot fingerprints, Cloudflare Turnstile solving, and its own residential proxy.
How is proxy usage billed?
Scrapfly charges credits per request: 1 for datacenter and 25 for residential, as listed on Oct 14, 2026. Scrape.ly charges proxy traffic per GB: $2 residential and $1 datacenter.
Who operates Scrape.ly?
Scrape.ly is operated by TeraShift GmbH, a Swiss company.
Sources and method
Every Scrapfly 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.
Scrapfly (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
Scrapfly is a trademark of its owner, used here only to identify their product. Scrape.ly is not affiliated with Scrapfly.
Compare Scrape.ly with other tools
See every comparison on the compare page, or explore the Store, proxies, and anti-blocking.
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