Choose ScraperAPI if
- Existing HTTP scrapers that need managed proxy rotation and retries
- Agents that need a hosted MCP route for scraping and structured-data tools
ScraperAPI and ScrapingBee both offer managed HTML fetching, optional rendering and premium proxy routes, with first-party MCP access. Their headline credit allowances are poor substitutes for testing the configured call: extra features change credits, and account concurrency can limit a burst.
Published entry offers, reviewed 2026-09-14
Compare usable output and required integration work under each API contract. Request the same permitted pages with equivalent rendering and output requirements; validate the returned fields before comparing the bill.
| Decision | ScraperAPI | ScrapingBee | ProxyLane |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example route for this job | ScraperAPIScraperAPI request API | ScrapingBeeScrapingBee scraping API | ProxyLaneResidential proxy gateway for your own fetcher or browser; no managed scraping API |
| Charging basis | Product-specific requests, results or credits | Product-specific requests, results or credits | Prepaid GB that never expires |
| How you pay | Monthly credit plans; base requests consume credits and premium routing or rendering can multiply the per-request credit cost. The documentation says 200 and 404 responses and client-cancelled requests may be charged. Free plan offers 1,000 monthly credits and a larger first-week trial; paid plans change concurrent threads and geographic access. | Fixed monthly API-credit plans with concurrency limits; endpoint features such as premium/stealth proxies and JavaScript rendering consume different credit amounts. The hosted MCP server adds no surcharge but draws from the same account credits, with a shared global concurrency limit as well as the account limit. Prices exclude VAT. | 350 MB trial for $1.95, then prepaid packages from $6.50/GB for 1 GB down to $2.50/GB for 1 TB. Unused traffic never expires. |
| Integration work | Pass an API key and target URL to the ScraperAPI endpoint or configure proxy mode for an existing client. For agents, connect the hosted MCP with a bearer header or run the documented local Python/Docker server with a server-side key. | Call the HTML API with an API key and URL, choose render_js and premium_proxy/stealth_proxy where needed, or connect an MCP client to the hosted endpoint with the account key in its query string. Proxy mode is separately documented for existing HTTP clients. | HTTP(S) and SOCKS5 endpoints on three regional gateways: Europe, the Americas and Asia. Export proxy lists in 8 formats for scripts, scrapers and antidetect browsers. |
| A small or irregular job | Use the free credit allowance to measure target cost, then compare $49 Hobby credits after multiplying any premium/render options. | Start on the 1,000-credit trial and calculate credits for the exact endpoint, proxy option and rendering mode before selecting the $19 Hobby plan. | Start with the 350 MB trial for $1.95 or a 1 GB package. Unused traffic never expires. |
| Browser workflow | Enable JavaScript rendering when a plain request misses content; proxy mode in an interactive browser can generate many asset requests and credit charges. | Use API-side rendering and screenshots for page content; proxy mode in a self-run browser can multiply billed API calls as assets load. | Sticky sessions from 1 second to 72 hours, with a named session ID for each browser profile. |
| Connecting an agent | Connect the documented remote MCP endpoint or run the local server; restrict premium escalation and retries to keep credit spend predictable. | The first-party hosted MCP server gives scrape/search/extract tools; store its URL as a credential and set limits for autonomous tool calls. | Point your agent's fetcher or browser tool at the proxy endpoint. ProxyLane supplies the network, not a hosted browser. |
| A growing production workload | Check credit use, concurrent-thread caps and paid plan geotargeting before moving a crawler from the trial to production. | Check per-plan concurrency and total credits, including agent retries and premium requests, against the target's actual return rate. | Target by country, region, city, ZIP, ISP or ASN across 195 countries. Larger packages lower the rate to $2.50/GB. |
| Check before moving |
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With a batch of product detail pages, start with each provider's standard scrape call and check whether the same fields reach the parser. Enable ScraperAPI rendering or premium routing and ScrapingBee JavaScript or premium proxies only on pages that need them. Include retries and responses that still fail validation when computing credits per accepted record. ScraperAPI's proxy mode and ScrapingBee's proxy mode help existing HTTP clients but remain managed, credit-metered products.
ScraperAPI documents charge rules for some 200, 404 and client-cancelled requests and offers hosted bearer-authenticated plus local MCP. ScrapingBee's hosted MCP uses the same account credits and concurrency pool as its API; its configured URL contains the key. Compare the actual monthly plan and thread limit after measuring the request mix. Neither credit balance should be interpreted as an equal number of rendered residential pages.
ProxyLane offers premium residential IPs with ultra-low fraud scores, from ethically sourced, real devices.
Test your workload for $1.9598.7%
of 1,000 sampled IPs rated low risk by Scamalytics
Low risk: scores 0–19 on Scamalytics’ 0–100 scale. Aggregate sample result; individual countries vary.
Advertised starting offers use different products and billing units. Price the matched route before choosing a plan.
$49per month
Free plan: 1,000 API credits/month, with 5,000 requests during the first 7 days and no card. First listed paid Hobby: $49/month for 100,000 credits and 20 concurrent threads ($44.10/month equivalent when billed annually).
$19per month
1,000 free API credits on signup, no card. First listed paid Hobby: $19/month for 75,000 API credits and 25 concurrent requests, excluding VAT; credit cost rises for premium proxies and browser features.
$1.95350 MB trial
350 MB trial for $1.95. Packages from $6.50/GB for 1 GB down to $2.50/GB for 1 TB, with traffic that never expires.
Try 350 MB for $1.95Same targets, same fields. Compare the cost of each usable record. Worksheet
Same targets on both routes
Not just 200 responses
Minimums, expiry, add-ons
Keep a rollback ready
From $2/GB. Buy the traffic you need, keep it until you use it.
Test our IP quality: 350 MB$1.95
For your first requests
per GB · Traffic never expires
For projects taking shape
per GB · Traffic never expires
For everyday workflows
per GB · Traffic never expires
For growing workloads
per GB · Traffic never expires
For bigger operations
per GB · Traffic never expires
For high-volume data
per GB · Traffic never expires
For your business, at your scale
Let's build your setup together
ScraperAPI starts at $49 per month (100,000 API credits), ScrapingBee at $19 per month (75,000 API credits). Billing units differ, so compare the cost of a usable record on the same workload, not the headline rate.
Compare usable output and required integration work under each API contract. ScraperAPI: ScraperAPI request API. ScrapingBee: ScrapingBee scraping API.
Yes. The 350 MB trial costs $1.95 and runs on the same residential network as paid packages. Unused traffic never expires.
Country, region, city, ZIP, ISP and ASN targeting across 195 countries. Sessions can rotate on every request or stay sticky from 1 second to 72 hours, over HTTP(S) or SOCKS5.
No. ProxyLane is a residential proxy network for the client, scraper or browser you already run. Your team keeps control of fetching, rendering and parsing.
Run the targets you would send to ScraperAPI or ScrapingBee. Get 350 MB of residential traffic with sticky sessions up to 72 hours. Keep any unused traffic for later.