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 accepts target URLs through a managed scrape API or proxy mode, with rendering and premium routes. Webshare supplies downloadable proxy lists for shared datacenter, static residential and rotating residential traffic. An existing crawler can use either, but Webshare leaves page handling in your application.
Published entry offers, reviewed 2026-09-14
Choose how much fetching, rendering and extraction your team wants to own. Fetch the same permitted pages and extract the same fields: one route returns an API result, while the other leaves the HTTP client and parser with your team.
| Decision | ScraperAPI | Webshare | ProxyLane |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example route for this job | ScraperAPIScraperAPI request API | WebshareResidential proxy gateway | ProxyLaneResidential proxy gateway for your own fetcher or browser; no managed scraping API |
| Charging basis | Product-specific requests, results or credits | Traffic allowance; confirm the selected GB or port plan | 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. | Ten shared datacenter proxies are free with a limited monthly bandwidth allowance. Paid datacenter and static residential plans charge by proxy count on monthly or yearly terms; rotating residential charges for a chosen monthly GB allowance. Check plan limits and fair-use terms. | 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. | Download a proxy list from the dashboard or API; the API supports username or source-IP authorization, and residential lists use the backbone endpoint mode. | 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. | Try the free datacenter tier for basic connection testing; a residential evaluation needs a paid monthly GB 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 a listed proxy or residential backbone endpoint in your own browser; the free shared IPs may be blocked by some sites. | 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. | Use the official API or webshare-cli to obtain proxy endpoints for an MCP browser/fetch tool you operate; its free datacenter tier is distinct from paid residential traffic. | 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. | Choose count-based datacenter/ISP or GB-based residential capacity and verify bandwidth, thread and fair-use limits at the intended plan size. | 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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On a scheduled catalog crawl, run its current parser through a Webshare rotating residential list and log usable items, bandwidth and failed requests. Send the same URLs to ScraperAPI at base settings; add rendering or premium routing only to pages that need them. Webshare's free shared datacenter tier can be a useful preliminary client check, but it is a different pool with a monthly cap, so it cannot represent paid residential results.
Webshare rotating residential uses monthly GB, whereas datacenter and static ISP plans are priced by proxy count and term. ScraperAPI consumes monthly API credits, with options multiplying usage and certain unsuccessful requests chargeable. Its hosted/local MCP is a managed API route. Webshare's API and CLI can provide a proxy URL for a buyer-operated MCP browser or fetch tool; a first-party Webshare MCP endpoint was not verified in the reviewed sources.
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).
$7per GB
Free: 10 shared datacenter proxies with 1 GB/month. Rotating residential starts at a 1 GB monthly plan advertised at $3.50/month under a 50% discount ($7 list rate).
$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), Webshare at $7 per GB (1 GB monthly plan at list rate). Billing units differ, so compare the cost of a usable record on the same workload, not the headline rate.
Choose how much fetching, rendering and extraction your team wants to own. ScraperAPI: ScraperAPI request API. Webshare: Residential proxy gateway.
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 Webshare. Get 350 MB of residential traffic with sticky sessions up to 72 hours. Keep any unused traffic for later.