Compare / ScraperAPI Alternative
ScraperAPI Alternative
ScraperAPI uses a credit system with multipliers that depend on which features you enable, which domain you're scraping, and which anti-bot protections the target site uses - some of which are charged automatically without you requesting them. Browser7 includes everything at a flat $0.01 per page, regardless of the domain or its protections.
How ScraperAPI's credit system works
ScraperAPI's credit costs depend on three things: the features you enable, the domain you're scraping, and what anti-bot protections the site has. These costs stack together, and the totals aren't always intuitive.
Feature costs (additive)
| Feature | Extra credits |
|---|---|
| Base request (datacenter proxy) | 1 |
| JavaScript rendering | +10 |
| Residential proxy | +10 |
| Residential proxy + JS rendering (combined) | +25 (not +20) |
| Ultra-premium + JS rendering (combined) | +75 (not +40) |
| Screenshot | +10 |
Domain-based pricing
On top of feature costs, certain domains have higher base costs:
| Domain category | Base credits |
|---|---|
| Normal websites | 1 |
| Amazon, Walmart (e-commerce) | 5 |
| Google (all subdomains) | 25 |
| 30 |
These costs stack. Scraping a normal website with residential proxies and JS rendering costs 1 + 25 = 26 credits per page. On ScraperAPI's Hobby plan ($49/month for 100,000 credits), that's only 3,846 pages - an effective cost of $0.013 per page.
Scraping Google with those same features would cost 25 + 25 = 50 credits per page, and LinkedIn would cost 30 + 25 = 55 credits per page.
Automatic charges you didn't ask for
ScraperAPI automatically detects and activates anti-bot bypass when scraping sites protected by Cloudflare, Datadome, or PerimeterX. Each bypass adds 10 credits to the request cost - and you're charged for it whether you requested it or not. You cannot opt out.
This means a request you expected to cost 11 credits (base + JS rendering) might actually cost 21 credits if the target site has Cloudflare protection. You won't know the cost until after the request completes.
| What you expected to scrape | Expected credits | Actual credits (with Cloudflare) |
|---|---|---|
| Normal site + JS rendering | 11 | 21 |
| Normal site + residential + JS | 26 | 36 |
| Amazon + JS rendering | 15 | 25 |
With Browser7, there are no hidden or automatic surcharges. Every page costs $0.01, regardless of what protections the target site has. If the page has Cloudflare, CAPTCHA, or any other protection, solving it is included in the price.
Browser7 vs ScraperAPI
A direct comparison of what you actually get and what you actually pay.
| Feature | Browser7 | ScraperAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat per-page | Credit-based |
| Advertised price | $0.01/page | From $0.000095/credit |
| Real cost per page (JS + residential) | $0.01 | Depends on domain and plan (26-55 credits/page) |
| JavaScript rendering | +10 credits | |
| Residential proxies | +10-25 credits | |
| CAPTCHA solving | ||
| Anti-bot bypass | +10 credits (automatic) | |
| Screenshots | +10 credits | |
| Full geo-targeting | Business plan ($299/mo) and above | |
| Domain-based pricing | Same price for all domains | 5-30x more for Amazon, Google, LinkedIn |
| Proxy type by default | Residential | Datacenter |
| Billing model | Prepaid, never expires | Monthly subscription |
| Unused credits | Never expire | Expire monthly |
| Hidden surcharges | None | Automatic anti-bot bypass charges |
| Free trial | 100 renders | 5,000 credits |
| Refund policy | Prepaid - use at your pace | 7-day money-back |
Things to watch out for with ScraperAPI
Credit multipliers don't add up the way you'd expect
You might expect residential proxies (+10) and JS rendering (+10) to cost 20 credits when combined. They actually cost 25. Similarly, ultra-premium (+30) and JS rendering (+10) cost 75 combined, not 40. The pricing documentation lists specific combined costs that are higher than the sum of their parts.
Anti-bot bypass charges are automatic and invisible
When ScraperAPI detects that a target site uses Cloudflare, Datadome, or PerimeterX protection, it automatically activates bypass mechanisms and charges you 10 extra credits per request. You cannot opt out, and you won't know the cost until after the request completes.
Different domains cost different amounts
ScraperAPI charges different base rates depending on the domain you're scraping. A normal website costs 1 credit, but Amazon costs 5, Google costs 25, and LinkedIn costs 30 - before any feature multipliers are applied. This makes cost prediction difficult if you scrape across multiple domains.
Credits expire every month
Unused credits on ScraperAPI do not roll over. If you pay $49/month and only use half your credits, the rest are lost when your subscription renews.
Full geo-targeting requires the $299/month plan
ScraperAPI's Hobby ($49/month) and Startup ($149/month) plans are limited to US and EU locations only. Full geo-targeting across all 69 supported countries requires the Business plan at $299/month or higher.
Cancelled requests are still charged
If you cancel a request before ScraperAPI's 70-second retry window completes, you are still charged credits. You must let the full retry cycle run to avoid being charged for a failed request.
404 pages still cost credits
ScraperAPI considers 404 responses as successful requests and charges credits for them. If you're scraping URLs that might not exist, you're paying for pages that return nothing useful.
How Browser7 is different
One price, every domain, every feature
Every Browser7 render costs $0.01. It doesn't matter which domain you're scraping, what protections the site has, or which features you need. Real Chrome browser, residential proxies, CAPTCHA solving, geo-targeting, and screenshots are all included. The price is the price.
No hidden or automatic charges
Browser7 never adds surprise charges based on what the target site does. If a site has Cloudflare, CAPTCHA challenges, or any other protection, handling it is included in the $0.01 per page price. You always know the cost before you make a request.
Your balance never expires
Browser7 uses a prepaid account balance model. Top up when you need to, use it whenever you want. There are no monthly subscriptions and no expiring credits. If you top up $10, you have 1,000 renders available - whether you use them this week or next year.
Residential proxies on every request
Browser7 only uses residential IPs - never datacenter. You don't need to enable a "premium" option or pay extra credits. Residential is the default and the only option, included in the $0.01 per page price.
Full geo-targeting on every plan
Browser7 does not limit geo-targeting by plan tier. Every account has access to all supported countries and cities, from the $10 starter bundle onwards.
Real-world cost example
Let's say you need to scrape 5,000 pages per month from a mix of normal websites and e-commerce sites, with JavaScript rendering and residential proxies.
| Scenario | Browser7 | ScraperAPI |
|---|---|---|
| 3,000 normal pages (JS + residential) | 3,000 renders | 78,000 credits (26 each) |
| 2,000 e-commerce pages (JS + residential) | 2,000 renders | 62,000 credits (31 each) |
| Total credits needed | 5,000 renders | 140,000 credits |
| Plan required | $50 top-up | Startup - $149/month |
| Monthly cost | $50 (one-time) | $149/month (recurring) |
| Unused balance | Carries over forever | 860,000 credits lost |
| Cost prediction | Exact - always $0.01 | Variable - anti-bot surcharges may apply |
With ScraperAPI, the Hobby plan ($49/month, 100,000 credits) wouldn't be enough for 140,000 credits, so you'd need the Startup plan at $149/month with 1,000,000 credits. You'd use only 14% of those credits, wasting 86% of what you paid for - and the cost could be even higher if some of those sites have Cloudflare protection. With Browser7, you top up $50 once and use exactly what you need.