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ScrapingBee vs ScraperAPI
ScrapingBee and ScraperAPI are both credit-based scraping APIs aimed at developers. ScrapingBee leans toward a clean, well-documented experience with more entry-level credits, PDF output, and an MCP server. ScraperAPI leans toward high-volume reliability with automatic CAPTCHA solving and a generous free tier.
Key differences.
Cost, side by side.
| Pricing model | ScrapingBee | ScraperAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1,000 credits | 5,000 credits |
| Entry | $49/mo (250K credits) | $49/mo (100K credits) |
| Mid | $99/mo (1M credits) | $149/mo (1M credits) |
| Business | $249/mo (3M credits) | $299/mo (3M credits) |
Both charge in credits. ScrapingBee prices are exclusive of VAT. ScraperAPI offers pay-as-you-go overage on Scaling and above plans and annual billing discounts across all plans; credits reset monthly and do not roll over on either side. JS rendering, residential proxies, and geotargeting consume extra credits on each side. Compare on your real workload, since headline credit counts do not reflect per-request multipliers.
Feature by feature.
| Feature | ScrapingBee | ScraperAPI |
|---|---|---|
| JavaScript rendering | Yes | Yes |
| Residential proxies | Yes | Yes |
| Geotargeting | Yes | Yes |
| CAPTCHA solving | Unknown | Yes (automatic) |
| Google SERP API | Yes | Yes |
| AI extraction | Yes | Yes |
| Screenshots | Yes | Yes |
| PDF output | Yes | Unknown |
| MCP server | Yes | No |
| Per-success billing | Unknown | Unknown |
| Pay-as-you-go option | No | Yes (Scaling tier and above) |
An honest look at each.
- More credits at the entry tier (250K vs 100K) for the same $49/mo price
- PDF output supported
- Built-in AI extraction
- Google SERP API and screenshots included
- Ships an MCP server for agent workflows
- CAPTCHA solving status is unknown
- Smaller free tier (1,000 credits vs 5,000)
- No pay-as-you-go overage option on any plan
- Prices are exclusive of VAT
- Automatic CAPTCHA solving included
- Larger free tier (5,000 credits, no card required)
- AI extraction supported
- Pay-as-you-go overage available on Scaling plans and above
- Annual billing discounts available across all paid plans
- High-volume plans up to 21.5M credits per month before enterprise
- Fewer credits at the entry tier (100K vs 250K) for the same $49/mo price
- No MCP server
- PDF output status is unknown
- Per-success billing not confirmed
- Credit costs multiply for JS rendering and geotargeting
We do our best to keep this comparison accurate and up-to-date. If you notice any discrepancies, please let us know.
Our take: ScrapingBee for developer experience and PDF output, ScraperAPI for hard targets and high volume
Both tools cover the same core ground. ScrapingBee is the smoother developer experience, with more entry-level credits, confirmed PDF output, built-in AI extraction, and an MCP server. ScraperAPI counters with a larger free tier, automatic CAPTCHA solving, annual billing discounts, and a pay-as-you-go overage option that kicks in at the Scaling tier. If your targets are protected by CAPTCHAs or you need flexible billing at scale, ScraperAPI has the edge. If you want PDF output, a clean API with extraction built in, and more credits at the entry price point, ScrapingBee fits better.