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For most buyers, Apify is the best starting point: its Actors cover varied scraping jobs, and the platform supports custom data workflows and AI agents. Firecrawl and Oxylabs are strong alternatives for API-focused teams; Browse AI fits recurring no-code monitoring. But the cheapest listed price is not a reliable cost comparison: several tools flag credits, compute, proxies, page caps, or usage limits as factors to check. We rank these tools by overall fit, stated use cases, scores, and listed entry prices—not by a claim that one product wins every workload.
Quick picksThe shortlist
ApifyApifyBest overall · $19/mo
FirecrawlFirecrawlBest for AI apps · $16/mo
OxylabsOxylabsBest for scraping APIs · $15/mo
Browse AIBrowse AIBest for no-code monitoring · $19/mo
ZyteZyteBest for Scrapy teams · $0.13/mo
ScraperAPIScraperAPIBest for low-code scraping · $44.10/mo
ZenRowsZenRowsBest for dynamic pages · $16/mo
Bright DataBright DataBest for proxy options · $499/mo
OutscraperOutscraperBest for local leads · $1/mo- OctoparseOctoparseBest for no-code builders · $69/mo
ThunderbitThunderbitBest for spreadsheet monitoring · $9/mo
Data MinerData MinerBest for CSV exports · $19.99/mo
ScrapingBeeScrapingBeeBest for managed proxies · $19/mo
PhantomBusterPhantomBusterBest for prospecting workflows · $56/mo
SOAXSOAXBest for request controls · $200/mo
Captain DataCaptain DataBest for people enrichment · Custom
01Compared at a glance
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ApifyApify | 7.4 | $19/mo | Yes | — |
| FirecrawlFirecrawl | 7.4 | $16/mo | Yes | — |
| OxylabsOxylabs | 7.5 | $15/mo | Yes | — |
| Browse AIBrowse AI | 7.2 | $19/mo | Yes | — |
| ZyteZyte | 7.4 | $0.13/mo | No | 30 days |
| ScraperAPIScraperAPI | 7.2 | $44.10/mo | Yes | 7 days |
| ZenRowsZenRows | 7.2 | $16/mo | Yes | — |
| Bright DataBright Data | 7.1 | $499/mo | Yes | 7 days |
| OutscraperOutscraper | 7.0 | $1/mo | Yes | — |
| OctoparseOctoparse | 7.4 | $69/mo | Yes | — |
| ThunderbitThunderbit | 7.0 | $9/mo | Yes | — |
| Data MinerData Miner | 6.8 | $19.99/mo | Yes | — |
| ScrapingBeeScrapingBee | 6.5 | $19/mo | Yes | — |
| PhantomBusterPhantomBuster | 6.8 | $56/mo | Yes | 14 days |
| SOAXSOAX | 6.5 | $200/mo | Yes | — |
| Captain DataCaptain Data | 5.5 | Custom | No | — |
02The picks, in detail
- Best overallApifyApify
Apify earns the top spot for buyers who need more than one narrow scraping workflow. Its stated strengths include varied Actors, custom data workflows, and web data for AI agents, with a listed starting price of $19 and a free plan. Before scaling, price out compute and proxies; the entry price alone does not show what a larger workload will cost.
What works
- Ready-made Actors cover websites, social media, maps, and e-commerce
- Users can build and deploy custom Actors
- Connect agents through MCP, CLI, or Skills
What doesn't
- Starter compute costs $0.20 per unit beyond prepaid usage
- Unused prepaid credits expire at each billing cycle's end
- Proxy and capacity add-ons can raise the bill
- Best for AI appsFirecrawlFirecrawl
Firecrawl is a good fit for AI apps that need web search or structured page content, and its listed $16 starting price with a free plan makes it accessible for small projects testing web data APIs. It ranks below Apify because its use cases are more focused. The published guidance flags rising usage costs and mixed self-hosting reports as reasons to check fit carefully.
What works
- Search returns full content from results
- Scrapes to Markdown, JSON, screenshots, and more
- Supports prompts or code for page interaction
What doesn't
- Hobby is $19 monthly, or $16 billed annually
- Free tier has low rate limits and 2 concurrent requests
- Higher-volume plans rise to $399 or $749 monthly
- Best for scraping APIsOxylabsOxylabs
Oxylabs covers search and scraping APIs, multiple proxy types, and agent tools, so it suits teams that want several data-collection options in one stack. The listed starting price is $15 with a free plan. Its score is the highest in this group, but buyers should still check usage caps and target-site risks before committing to a workload.
What works
- Welcome credits include $5 toward any product
- Starter plan is listed at $15/month
- Search, scraping, proxies, and browser tools in one offering
What doesn't
- Starter search allowance is capped at 5.6K searches
- Starter scraping allowance is capped at 10K results
- Annual billing prices are not published
- Best for no-code monitoringBrowse AIBrowse AI
Browse AI fits recurring no-code scraping and website change tracking, with spreadsheet delivery among its stated use cases. The listed starting price is $19 and there is a free plan. It is a practical shortlist choice for teams that want monitoring without building a custom workflow, but credit and website caps may shape whether the price works for ongoing use.
What works
- Free plan includes 50 monthly credits
- Unlimited robots across listed plans
- Supports Google Sheets and Airtable exports
What doesn't
- Personal costs $48 monthly without annual billing
- Free plan is limited to 2 websites
- Personal is capped at 5 websites
- Best for Scrapy teamsZyteZyte
Zyte is a strong fit for teams already using Scrapy, e-commerce collection, or scraping across sites with different difficulty levels. Its listed starting figure is $0.13, but the published material does not specify the unit, so do not treat it as a comparable monthly plan price. Price a representative mix of sites before estimating volume costs.
What works
- One API selects an access strategy for each URL
- Structured product fields include price and availability
- Pay-as-you-go has no subscription
What doesn't
- Five website pricing tiers complicate estimates
- Browser-rendered pay-as-you-go reaches $16.08 per 1,000
- Committed plans require at least $100 monthly
- Best for low-code scrapingScraperAPIScraperAPI
ScraperAPI targets teams collecting from multiple public websites, with low-code collection and structured retailer data among its stated uses. The listed starting price is $44.10 with a free plan. That entry point is higher than several alternatives here, and the published guidance specifically flags credit economics and overage behavior for scrutiny before you move a live workload.
What works
- Free account includes 1,000 API credits
- Handles proxy rotation, CAPTCHA, and browser handling
- Structured endpoints cover Amazon, Google, and Walmart
What doesn't
- Pay-as-you-go per-credit rate is not published
- Enterprise pricing is not published
- Concurrency overages return 429 errors
- Best for dynamic pagesZenRowsZenRows
ZenRows is aimed at teams scraping protected or dynamic pages, and also lists crawl and batch APIs among its workflow options. Its listed starting price is $16 with a free plan, which makes it worth comparing with other API-led tools. Check credit costs and annual pricing before committing; the entry figure alone does not establish the cost of your workload.
What works
- Free plan includes 5,000 credits monthly
- Fetch, extract, crawl and batch in one platform
- Browser automation is available
What doesn't
- Paid monthly rates are not published
- Listed paid-rate billing toggle is unclear
- Top-up prices are not published
- Best for proxy optionsBright DataBright Data
Bright Data is a data-collection suite for teams working across multiple sites and considering proxy and API options. It has a listed free plan and a starting price of $0, but that does not mean a scaled project will be free. The published guidance calls out usage costs and data-access rules, so check both before choosing it for variable-volume work.
What works
- Free tier includes 5,000 monthly credits or requests
- Scraper APIs, proxies, datasets and archives in one platform
- Proxy targeting includes country, city, carrier and ASN
What doesn't
- Scale starts at a listed $499 per month
- Annual-billing prices are not published
- Usage rates vary by product and data type
- Best for local leadsOutscraperOutscraper
Outscraper is the clearest fit here for local lead generation from Google Maps, with pay-as-you-go collection and API access also listed. Its starting price is $1 with a free plan, making it an appealing option to evaluate for variable data needs. The caveat is reliability: the published summary flags service complaints as a question mark.
What works
- First 500 Google Maps businesses are free
- Medium Maps tier costs $3 per 1,000
- Business Maps tier drops to $1 per 1,000 after 100,000
What doesn't
- Reddit users report slow scraping
- Reddit users report periods of nonfunctionality
- Rates and quotas vary by tool
- Best for no-code builders
OctoparseOctoparse
Octoparse suits small teams building scrapers without code, especially when template-based collection or cloud runs match the job. It has a free plan and a listed starting price of $69, higher than several tools in this ranking. Check annual pricing and run limits, and confirm the free plan covers enough of your project before switching.
What works
- Free plan includes 10 tasks and 50,000 monthly export rows
- Templates cover sources including Amazon, Google Maps and TikTok
- No-code task building includes an AI Assistant
What doesn't
- Standard's $69 monthly rate is published for annual billing only
- Standard caps concurrent cloud processes at three
- Professional costs $249 per month with annual billing
- Best for spreadsheet monitoringThunderbitThunderbit
Thunderbit is built for no-code extraction, competitor and price monitoring, and sending results to familiar spreadsheets. Its listed starting price is $9 with a free plan, which gives smaller teams a low entry point to consider. The published guidance warns buyers to check the credit math before committing, particularly if recurring monitoring will consume credits.
What works
- One-click extraction avoids manual record copying
- Templates use no AI credits
- AI can summarize, categorize, translate and format data
What doesn't
- Free plan covers only 6 pages per month
- Starter has up to 5 scheduled scrapers
- Yearly credits are published upfront
- Best for CSV exportsData MinerData Miner
Data Miner is a fit for marketers collecting smaller web datasets who want CSV or Excel exports, with multi-page browser scraping also listed. It has a free plan and a $19.99 starting price. That makes it worth considering for browser-based jobs, but check the page cap and domain restrictions before paying or planning a larger collection.
What works
- Exports scraped results to CSV or Excel
- Includes pre-made and custom extraction rules
- Supports multi-page crawls and automatic pagination
What doesn't
- Free Starter is restricted on some domains
- Solo costs $19.99/month for 500 pages
- Business starts at $49/month for 1,000 pages
- Best for managed proxiesScrapingBeeScrapingBee
ScrapingBee is positioned for teams replacing self-managed proxy infrastructure, JavaScript-rendered workloads, and scrapers using supported dedicated APIs. Its listed starting price is $19 with a free plan. The published guidance flags credit costs and results on target sites, so verify both against your actual destinations before moving production work.
What works
- Starts at $19/month for 75,000 API credits
- JavaScript rendering included on entry plans
- Premium proxies and geotargeting included on entry plans
What doesn't
- JavaScript rendering costs five credits per successful request
- Premium proxies cost 10 or 25 credits per successful request
- Monthly credits expire without rollover
- Best for prospecting workflowsPhantomBusterPhantomBuster
PhantomBuster offers breadth for teams chaining prospecting workflows, extracting public web data, or adding email enrichment to sales work. It has a free plan and a listed starting price of $56, putting it above many options here. Usage caps can make smaller workflows expensive, so compare the plan limits with the steps you actually need.
What works
- Prebuilt Phantoms handle individual automation tasks
- Flows chain tasks into multi-step workflows
- Exports data as CSV or JSON
What doesn't
- Start is $69 monthly without annual billing
- Free plan allows one automation slot
- Free downloads are capped at 10 rows
- Best for request controlsSOAXSOAX
SOAX is aimed at technical teams that need request-level controls, varied location targets, or custom data pipelines. Its listed starting price is $200 with a free plan, a high paid entry point compared with most tools in this guide. The published summary also notes limited public sentiment evidence, so buyers have less reported feedback to weigh.
What works
- Proxy network spans 195+ locations, according to SOAX.
- Rotation can be set by request, count, time or error.
- Sticky sessions and request rules support granular routing.
What doesn't
- Builder starts at $200/month; Sandbox includes zero credits.
- Builder credits expire after 60 days.
- Sandbox Tier 1 traffic is listed at $5/GB.
- Best for people enrichmentCaptain DataCaptain Data
Captain Data offers REST API endpoints and use cases around B2B SaaS people enrichment and employee-profile lookups. Its pricing is not published on the vendor's site, so it is difficult to compare value against tools with listed entry prices. Reported license losses are another reason to treat it as a cautious shortlist option rather than a default choice.
What works
- People search, find, and enrichment endpoints
- Company search and LinkedIn URL enrichment
- Employee lookup for a specific company
What doesn't
- USD prices and annual equivalents are not published
- Silver price appears only as a euro estimate
- Database export pricing is custom
03How we chose
We compare web scraping tools on the information buyers can verify before switching: published pricing, plan limits, documentation and user sentiment on Reddit. We look for details that affect fit and total cost, including what a plan includes and which restrictions buyers should check before committing. The published published material does not include current prices, specific plan caps, documentation excerpts or Reddit posts, so we do not assign tool-by-tool scores or repeat unverified claims here. We have not conducted hands-on tests, benchmarks or trials; this guide is a framework for comparing options using those sources.
04Start with the workflow you need
Choose a tool by the work it must do, not by a broad promise to scrape the web. First, write down the target sites, the data fields you need and how often you need them. Then decide whether your workflow needs browser tasks, structured data collection, or both. The category covers tools that automate browser tasks and collect website data, but the published material does not establish which individual product fits a particular workflow. Check each vendor’s documentation for supported use cases, setup requirements and limits before choosing. If your process depends on a specific site or repeated collection, verify that exact requirement with the vendor rather than assuming a general product description guarantees it. Keep a manual fallback in mind for changes to the site or workflow.
05Compare the full cost and the limits
Do not choose on a headline price alone. Compare published prices with the plan limits that matter to your workload, and check whether the pricing page explains what happens when you reach a cap. Review documentation for usage definitions, setup requirements and any restrictions relevant to your target sites. The published material includes no current prices or plan limits for Apify, Bright Data, Captain Data, Firecrawl, PhantomBuster, Oxylabs, Data Miner, Outscraper, Browse AI, Octoparse, ScrapingBee, SOAX, ScraperAPI, Zyte, Thunderbit or ZenRows, so we cannot rank them by cost. Before switching, put your expected usage beside each vendor’s current pricing page and ask about anything it does not publish. Reddit can add user context, but treat individual reports as anecdotal.
Questions people ask
What is a web scraping tool?
A web scraping tool automates browser tasks and collects data from websites. Products can differ in workflow and setup, so check the vendor’s documentation to see whether it covers the sites and data you need. The published material does not verify specific capabilities for individual tools.
How should I compare scraping tool prices?
Compare the current pricing pages alongside the plan limits that affect your expected usage. Check how each vendor defines usage and what happens at a cap. Current prices and limits for the tools in this guide were not included on the vendor's site, so we cannot give a verified cost ranking.
Should I trust Reddit reviews when choosing a tool?
Use Reddit posts as anecdotal context, not as a substitute for pricing pages or documentation. Look for reports that describe a similar workflow and note when they were posted. No Reddit posts were included in the published material, so we cannot summarize user sentiment for these products.
Can this guide identify the best tool for my project?
Not from the published information alone. A good fit depends on your target sites, data needs, workflow and budget. Confirm those requirements against each vendor’s current documentation and pricing page; product-specific capabilities, prices and plan limits were not provided here.