Apify
Scraping automation platform that supplies real-time web data to AI
Tool details
Apify is a cloud platform and Actor marketplace operated by the Czech company Apify Technologies; at its core are serverless programs that can be hosted in the cloud for web scraping, browser automation, and data extraction. It positions itself as infrastructure that supplies real-time web data to AI and Agents.
Core capabilities
- Actor marketplace: about 88,000 ready-made Actors covering major sites, cutting development time from weeks to minutes
- Cloud runtime: serverless execution, scheduled runs, run monitoring, data storage, and webhooks
- Proxies and anti-blocking: built-in datacenter and residential proxy pools, browser fingerprint spoofing, and an Unblocker
- Developer kit: JavaScript/Python SDKs, REST API, CLI, and the in-house open-source crawling library Crawlee
- AI and Agent integration: AI Web Scraper extracts data from natural-language prompts; a hosted MCP Server lets Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor call Actors directly
- Monetization: build your own Actor, publish it to the Store, and price it per event or per usage
Where it fits It suits developers and data teams building multi-source, schedulable, and scalable web data pipelines; AI/Agent builders who need to feed LLMs and RAG with real-time web data (MCP integration is essential here); and growth teams doing lead collection and price monitoring. It is a poor fit for non-technical individuals who only need a one-off small scrape, or for teams that require data not to leave to a third party.
Unique strengths Compared with Firecrawl and ScrapingBee, Apify's moat is its huge Actor ecosystem and agent-native integration: a hosted MCP Server, x402 crypto payments, and a machine-readable quickstart that most competitors cannot match. It is the most flexible choice for 'many targets + ecosystem + Agent access', but variable billing is on the expensive side for light users.
Editorial assessment G2 4.7/5 and Capterra 4.8/5; users say reusing Actors saves them dozens of hours every week, and MCP integration is a standout highlight. The main complaints are that the 'multi-layer bill' makes costs hard to predict and that the UI is complex for non-developers. The free tier includes $5 per month, enough for low-cost trial runs, and it is worth recommending for AI data supply chain scenarios.
Pricing
Freemium$0 (Free plan, $5/month platform credits)Includes $5 of platform credits per month, can run any Store Actor, no credit card required; credits reset monthly and do not roll over
Includes $19 of credits; Bronze store discount, Chat support; about -10% for annual billing (about $17/month)
Includes $199 of credits; Silver discount, priority Chat support; about -10% for annual billing (about $179/month)
Includes $999 of credits; Gold discount, dedicated account manager; about -10% for annual billing (about $899/month)
Custom plans, SLA, and a dedicated team; pricing requires contacting sales
Additional notes
(a) Platform usage is metered in Compute Units (CU), where 1 CU = 1GB of memory x 1 hour; proxies are billed per GB, storage per GB-hours, and data transfer separately. (b) Annual billing is about -10%. (c) The platform subscription fee stacks on top of each Store Actor's own per-event/per-usage/rental fees, producing a 'multi-layer bill'. (d) Third-party reviews still cite the old price of $29/$39 per month, but the official site as measured on 2026-10-15 is $19/month. (e) Free credits reset monthly and do not roll over; on the Free plan, exceeding them suspends the account until the next cycle, while paid plans accept the overage and invoice it.
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