vs
Scrapfly
ScrapingBee vs Scrapfly
ScrapingBee and Scrapfly are both credit-based scraping APIs aimed at developers. ScrapingBee is the more established option with a Google SERP API, PDF output, and a broad range of enterprise tiers stretching up to 120M credits per month. Scrapfly is the modern, developer-experience-focused challenger with strong anti-bot bypass, pay-as-you-go overflow on higher plans, and its own SERP API.
Key differences.
Cost, side by side.
| Pricing model | ScrapingBee | Scrapfly |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1,000 credits | 1,000 credits |
| Hobby / Entry | $19/mo (75K credits, Hobby) | $30/mo (200K credits, Discovery) |
| Freelance / -- | $49/mo (250K credits, Freelance) | -- |
| Mid | $99/mo (1M credits, Startup) | $100/mo (1M credits, Pro) |
| Growth | $249/mo (3M credits, Business) | $250/mo (2.5M credits, Startup) |
| Business | $599/mo (8M credits, Business+) | $500/mo (5.5M credits, Enterprise) |
| Top tier | Enterprise tiers from $999/mo (14M credits) up to $5,799/mo (120M credits) | Custom from $1,200/mo and up, with negotiated unlimited credits |
Both bill in credits with JS rendering and premium proxies costing more per request. ScrapingBee offers fixed tiers up to $5,799/mo (120M credits) with no advertised overage. Scrapfly's Discovery plan caps at quota with no overflow; Pro and above include pay-as-you-go overflow credits at the plan's per-10k rate. Scrapfly's Custom tier starts at $1,200/mo and scales to $30,000/mo and beyond. Compare on your real workload.
Feature by feature.
| Feature | ScrapingBee | Scrapfly |
|---|---|---|
| JavaScript rendering | Yes | Yes |
| Residential proxies / geotargeting | Yes | Yes |
| CAPTCHA / anti-bot bypass | Not advertised | Yes |
| Google SERP API | Yes | Yes |
| AI extraction | Yes | Yes |
| Screenshots | Yes | Yes |
| PDF output | Yes | No |
| Pay-as-you-go overflow | Not advertised | Yes (Pro and above) |
| Failed request billing | Not advertised | Never charged for failed requests |
An honest look at each.
- PDF output included
- Full residential proxy and geotargeting support
- Google SERP API included
- AI extraction included
- Well-established with strong documentation
- Fixed tiers up to $5,799/mo (120M credits) for very high volume
- Hobby tier at $19/mo (75K credits) for very small workloads
- No advertised CAPTCHA or anti-bot bypass
- Lowest paid tier with meaningful credits ($49/mo, Freelance) costs more than Scrapfly's entry tier ($30/mo, Discovery)
- No advertised pay-as-you-go overflow credits
Scrapfly- Strong CAPTCHA and anti-bot bypass
- Google SERP API included
- AI extraction included
- Lower entry price at $30/mo (Discovery, 200K credits)
- Pay-as-you-go overflow auto-activated on Pro and above
- Failed requests are never charged
- Scalable custom pricing from $1,200/mo up to $30,000/mo and beyond
- No PDF output
- Discovery plan caps at quota with no overflow, which can interrupt high-burst workloads
- No fixed published tiers above $500/mo; high-volume pricing requires a custom contract negotiation
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 PDF output and predictable fixed-tier pricing, Scrapfly for anti-bot bypass and flexible overflow billing
ScrapingBee and Scrapfly are closely matched across the core feature set. Both offer a Google SERP API, geotargeting, AI extraction, screenshots, and JavaScript rendering. ScrapingBee stands out with PDF output and a clear ladder of fixed tiers stretching up to $5,799/mo for 120M credits, making capacity planning straightforward. Scrapfly counters with a lower entry price at $30/mo, advertised CAPTCHA and anti-bot bypass, pay-as-you-go overflow on Pro and above so you never hit a hard wall mid-project, and a policy of never charging for failed requests. Choose ScrapingBee if PDF output is a requirement or you prefer predictable fixed-tier pricing at any volume. Choose Scrapfly if you need strong anti-bot bypass, want overflow protection at higher volumes, or expect to grow into a negotiated custom contract.