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Apify

Freemium
web scrapingdata extractionautomationrpadeveloper toolsnodejspythonweb crawlingapi

Apify is a cloud-based web scraping and automation platform that enables developers to extract data from any website, automate workflows, and integrate results using pre-built or custom cloud programs.

Try it out

Apify provides a comprehensive platform for web scraping, data extraction, and Robotic Process Automation (RPA). It primarily serves developers, data scientists, and businesses who require structured data from the web at scale. The platform's core is its 'Actors'—serverless cloud programs that can perform any task a browser can, from simple data extraction to complex automated workflows. Apify's unique value lies in combining a flexible development environment (supporting both Node.js and Python) with a robust, managed infrastructure that handles proxies, browser rendering, and scalability. This allows users to build resilient data pipelines and turn any website into a usable API, bypassing common scraping obstacles like IP blocks and dynamic content.

Pros

  • Large library of pre-built 'Actors' in the Apify Store for common scraping tasks, accelerating project setup.
  • Robust infrastructure that automatically manages proxies, headless browser scaling, and data storage.
  • Supports both Node.js (via Puppeteer/Playwright) and Python (via Scrapy/Playwright), offering flexibility for developers.
  • Integrated storage solutions (Datasets, Key-Value Stores) simplify state management during complex crawls.
  • Strong anti-blocking capabilities through smart proxy rotation and browser fingerprinting techniques.

Cons

  • The platform has a steep learning curve for non-developers or those unfamiliar with web scraping concepts.
  • Usage-based credit system for compute, proxies, and storage can be complex to forecast and may lead to unexpected costs.
  • Actors are built specifically for the Apify ecosystem, which can create vendor lock-in.
  • The free tier's limitations on concurrency and data retention can be restrictive for more than basic testing.

Key features

  • Apify Actors: Serverless cloud programs for scraping and automation.
  • Apify Store: A marketplace of hundreds of ready-made data extraction tools.
  • Apify SDK: Open-source libraries for Node.js and Python to build actors locally.
  • Managed Proxy Service: Access to datacenter, residential, and mobile proxies with smart rotation.
  • Headless Browser Automation: Full support for Chrome with Puppeteer and Playwright for rendering dynamic websites.
  • Integrated Storage: Includes Datasets, Key-value Stores, and Request Queues for structured data and state management.
  • Scheduler & Webhooks: Automate actor runs on a schedule and integrate with other services via webhooks.
  • API Access: Retrieve collected data programmatically through a clean REST API.

Integrations

ZapierMake (formerly Integromat)AirtableGoogle SheetsAmazon S3SnowflakeGoogle DriveKeboolaWebhooksAPI

Target audience

Developers, data engineers, data scientists, and businesses requiring scalable web data extraction for market research, lead generation, or competitive analysis.

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Founded

2015

Headquarters

Prague, Czech Republic

Pricing Tiers

Free

Includes $5 in monthly platform credits, shared datacenter proxies, 7-day data retention, and community support. Ideal for small projects and testing.

Free

Starter

Includes $49 in monthly platform credits, access to residential proxies, 21-day data retention, and email support. Suited for individual developers and small businesses.

$49/mo

Scale

Includes $499 in monthly platform credits, higher concurrency limits, 60-day data retention, and priority email support. Designed for scaling operations.

$499/mo

Business

Customizable platform credits, SLA, enterprise-grade features, custom data retention policies, and a dedicated account manager. For large-scale enterprise use.

Custom

Frequently Asked Questions

Top Alternatives to Apify

Bright Data

Choose Bright Data if your primary need is a massive proxy network and pre-collected datasets rather than a platform for building your own custom scrapers from scratch.

Scrapy Cloud (by Zyte)

Opt for Scrapy Cloud if you are already heavily invested in the Python-based Scrapy framework and need a dedicated hosting and management solution for your spiders.

Octoparse

A good choice for non-developers who need a visual, point-and-click interface to create scrapers without writing any code, ideal for less complex projects.

Ready to get started?

Join thousands of users and see how Apify can transform your workflow today.

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