Apify vs ScraperAPI
Apify fits teams that want ready-made or custom actors rather than raw proxy ops; ScraperAPI fits developers who want a managed scrape api without operating proxy pools.
Apify
Actor platform for web scraping — Free $0 ($5 usage); Starter $29/mo ($26 annual); Scale $199; Business $999.
Best for
- • Teams that want ready-made or custom Actors rather than raw proxy ops
- • Developers who need compute + storage + proxy in one platform
- • Projects that benefit from Apify Store scrapers
Starting from $29.00/user/mo
Free plan available
VS
Our verdict
There is no universal winner between Apify and ScraperAPI. Choose Apify when Teams that want ready-made or custom Actors rather than raw proxy ops. Choose ScraperAPI when Developers who want a managed scrape API without operating proxy pools. Criterion scores come from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments and first-party research — not hands-on lab testing.
Apify is better for
- ✓ Starting pricing
- ✓ Security & admin
Tie
- • Free plan
- • Integrations
Choose Apify if: Teams that want ready-made or custom Actors rather than raw proxy ops
Choose ScraperAPI if: Developers who want a managed scrape API without operating proxy pools
ScraperAPI
Managed scraping API — Free 1,000 credits; Hobby $49/mo ($44.10 annual); 7-day trial with 5,000 credits.
Best for
- • Developers who want a managed scrape API without operating proxy pools
- • Teams that need a free/trial path before commit
- • Moderate-volume production scraping with published credit tiers
Starting from $49.00/user/mo
Free plan available
Quick verdict
Start here — then dig into the evidence below.
Choose Apify if…
- Teams that want ready-made or custom Actors rather than raw proxy ops
- Developers who need compute + storage + proxy in one platform
- Projects that benefit from Apify Store scrapers
- You prioritize starting pricing
Choose ScraperAPI if…
- Developers who want a managed scrape API without operating proxy pools
- Teams that need a free/trial path before commit
- Moderate-volume production scraping with published credit tiers
Overall recommendation
There is no universal winner between Apify and ScraperAPI. Choose Apify when Teams that want ready-made or custom Actors rather than raw proxy ops. Choose ScraperAPI when Developers who want a managed scrape API without operating proxy pools. Criterion scores come from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments and first-party research — not hands-on lab testing.
Key trade-off
Apify's clearest edge is starting pricing.
Winner by category
Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.
| Dimension | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Starting pricing | Apify wins | Apify publishes a lower researched starting floor ($29/mo vs $49/mo for ScraperAPI). Confirm currency, renewals, and add-ons — not a total TCO winner. |
| Free plan | Tie | Apify researches a free plan; ScraperAPI researches a free plan. |
| Integrations | Tie | Apify and ScraperAPI are close on integrations (8/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Security & admin | Apify wins | Apify leads on security admin (7/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
Side-by-side feature matrix
Normalized availability from product research — empty rows are not shown.
Capabilities
| Feature | Apify | ScraperAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Incident management | Limited | Limited |
| Change & problem management | Limited | Limited |
| Service catalog | Limited | Limited |
| Infrastructure monitoring | Limited | Limited |
| APM & distributed tracing | Limited | Limited |
| Log management | Limited | Limited |
| Source control & repos | Limited | Limited |
| CI/CD & automation | Moderate | Moderate |
| Hosting control panel | Limited | Limited |
| Proxy / web data network | Strong | Strong |
| ITSM AI assistance | Limited | Limited |
| Developer AI assistance | Strong | Moderate |
| On-call & paging | Limited | Limited |
| Enterprise security & SSO | Moderate | Moderate |
| Analytics & reporting | Strong | Strong |
Pricing comparison
Pricing evidence last checked Sep 8, 2026.
Apify
From $29.00/user/mo
- Free$0.00/user/mo
- Starter$29.00/mo
- Scale$199.00/mo
- Business$999.00/mo
- EnterpriseCustom
ScraperAPI
From $49.00/user/mo
- Free$0.00/user/mo
- Hobby$49.00/mo
- Startup$149.00/mo
- Scaling$475.00/mo
- EnterpriseCustom
Seat-count estimates
Labeled estimates from verified starting per-seat pricing — not invoices.
| Seats | Apify | ScraperAPI |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | ~$145.00/mo (5 × starting seat) | ~$245.00/mo (5 × starting seat) |
| 10 | ~$290.00/mo (10 × starting seat) | ~$490.00/mo (10 × starting seat) |
| 25 | ~$725.00/mo (25 × starting seat) | ~$1,225.00/mo (25 × starting seat) |
| 50 | ~$1,450.00/mo (50 × starting seat) | ~$2,450.00/mo (50 × starting seat) |
Estimate from verified starting per-seat pricing — actual total depends on plan, annual discounts, and add-ons.
Apify researched starting price from $29/mo; a free plan is researched. ScraperAPI researched starting price from $49/mo; a free plan is researched. Affiliate economics excluded.
Best for
Scenario picks from researched strengths — not a universal ranking.
- → Apify
Best for starting pricing
Apify publishes a lower researched starting floor ($29/mo vs $49/mo for ScraperAPI). Confirm currency, renewals, and add-ons — not a total TCO winner.
- → Apify
Best for security & admin
Apify leads on security admin (7/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
The differences that actually matter
Pair-specific analysis for Apify vs ScraperAPI — not generic category copy.
Starting pricing
Apify aheadOn starting pricing, Apify is ahead. Apify: Apify publishes a lower researched starting floor ($29/mo vs $49/mo for ScraperAPI). Confirm currency, renewals, and add-ons — not a total TCO winner.. ScraperAPI: Trails Apify on this criterion. Feature evidence also diverges on Developer AI assistance (Apify: Strong; ScraperAPI: Moderate).
Security & admin
Apify aheadOn security & admin, Apify is ahead. Apify: Apify leads on security admin (7/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.. ScraperAPI: Trails Apify on this criterion.
Pros and cons
Product-specific for this pair — derived from researched outcomes and editorial notes.
Apify
Pros
- Stronger on starting pricing
- Stronger on security & admin
ScraperAPI
Cons
- Trails on starting pricing
- Trails on security & admin
Who should not choose each product
Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.
Don't choose Apify if…
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Developers who want a managed scrape API without operating proxy pools
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Teams that need a free/trial path before commit
Don't choose ScraperAPI if…
- You need Apify's stronger starting pricing more than ScraperAPI's strengths
- You need Apify's stronger security & admin more than ScraperAPI's strengths
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Teams that want ready-made or custom Actors rather than raw proxy ops
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Developers who need compute + storage + proxy in one platform
Alternatives worth considering
When neither product is the right fit.
Web data / proxy platform — pay-as-you-go from ~$4/GB residential; starter commitments from ~$499/mo.
Enterprise proxy + Web Scraper API — Residential Starter 5GB $30/mo ($6/GB); Web Scraper API from $49/mo; ISO 27001.
Budget proxy + scraper tooling — Residential from $2/GB (1GB pack); Web Scraper API credit packs from ~$30.
Final verdict
Scenario-level close — not a repeat of the intro.
Apify wins when…
Teams that want ready-made or custom Actors rather than raw proxy ops
ScraperAPI wins when…
Developers who want a managed scrape API without operating proxy pools
- Best for starting pricingApify
- Best for security & adminApify
Which one should you choose?
Choose Apify if:
- Teams that want ready-made or custom Actors rather than raw proxy ops
- Developers who need compute + storage + proxy in one platform
- Projects that benefit from Apify Store scrapers
Choose ScraperAPI if:
- Developers who want a managed scrape API without operating proxy pools
- Teams that need a free/trial path before commit
- Moderate-volume production scraping with published credit tiers
Product screenshots
Real product UI from our media library — no placeholders.
Apify
ScraperAPI
FAQ
- Is Apify better than ScraperAPI?
- There is no universal winner between Apify and ScraperAPI. Choose Apify when Teams that want ready-made or custom Actors rather than raw proxy ops. Choose ScraperAPI when Developers who want a managed scrape API without operating proxy pools. Criterion scores come from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments and first-party research — not hands-on lab testing.
- Which It Development fits which team?
- Apify: Teams that want ready-made or custom Actors rather than raw proxy ops ScraperAPI: Developers who want a managed scrape API without operating proxy pools
- Does Apify or ScraperAPI have a free plan?
- Apify: Free plan available. ScraperAPI: Free plan available.
- How does Apify vs ScraperAPI pricing compare?
- Apify starts from $29.00/user/mo. ScraperAPI starts from $49.00/user/mo. Confirm live vendor pricing before purchasing.
- How did SoftwareGlimpse compare these products?
- We map both products to the same category criteria, then evaluate trade-offs using verified product, pricing and feature evidence. Affiliate relationships never change outcomes.
- reviewApify review
- reviewScraperAPI review
- pricingApify pricing
- pricingScraperAPI pricing
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Related comparisons
Alternatives to consider
Bright Data
Web data / proxy platform — pay-as-you-go from ~$4/GB residential; starter commitments from ~$499/mo.
Oxylabs
Enterprise proxy + Web Scraper API — Residential Starter 5GB $30/mo ($6/GB); Web Scraper API from $49/mo; ISO 27001.
ThorData
Budget proxy + scraper tooling — Residential from $2/GB (1GB pack); Web Scraper API credit packs from ~$30.
Still deciding between Apify and ScraperAPI?
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