The honest comparison
webclaw vs ScraperAPI
ScraperAPI is a proxy rotation API with JS rendering and CAPTCHA handling. Here's how it compares to webclaw on LLM-ready output and pricing transparency.
Rust · AGPL-3.0 · self-hostable
One shared credit pool: a plain page is 1 credit, heavier work adds a few (JS render +2, protected site +9). Crawl, batch, search and MCP included.
Cloud API (proprietary)
Credit-based. JS rendering uses 10 credits/page, premium proxies 10 credits, ultra-premium 25 credits. A single page with JS and datacenter proxy = 10-25 credits.
Looking for a ScraperAPI alternative?
Looking for a ScraperAPI alternative without stacked multipliers? ScraperAPI charges 10-25 credits per page once you turn on JS rendering or premium proxies. webclaw runs one credit pool, a plain page is 1 credit with small fixed add-ons, and crawling is built in. Same proxy rotation under the hood, one balance to read at the end of the month.
webclaw vs ScraperAPI feature comparison
Every core capability side by side. The webclaw column is highlighted; cells show exactly what each tool ships.
| Feature | webclaw | ScraperAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Scrape (HTML to markdown) | Returns raw HTML | |
| Crawl (BFS with depth control) | ||
| Batch (parallel multi-URL) | Async mode | |
| Search (web search + scrape) | Google SERP (separate product) | |
| Extract (LLM structured data) | ||
| Screenshot (full page) | ||
| Browser actions (click, type, scroll) | ||
| Anti-bot bypass (TLS level) | Proxy + UA rotation | |
| JS rendering | Yes (10 credits) | |
| PDF extraction | ||
| MCP server | ||
| CLI tool | ||
| Self-hostable | ||
| Open source (AGPL-3.0) | ||
| Credit multipliers | One pool. Page 1, +2 JS, +9 protected. | Yes. JS 10x, premium proxy 10x, ultra 25x. |
Is webclaw cheaper than ScraperAPI?
webclaw bills from one credit pool: a plain page is 1 credit, heavier work adds a few. Compare the plans head to head, then read each credit model below.
| Plan | webclaw | ScraperAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Open source (self-host) | 5,000 credits (7 day trial) |
| Starter | $19/mo · 10,000 credits | $49/mo — 100,000 credits |
| Growth | $49/mo · 100,000 credits | $149/mo — 1,000,000 credits |
| Pro | $99/mo · 250,000 credits | $299/mo — 3,000,000 credits |
webclaw credit model
One shared credit pool: a plain page is 1 credit, with small fixed add-ons for JS render (+2) and protected sites (+9). No separate proxy or JSON buckets.
ScraperAPI credit model
Credit-based. JS rendering uses 10 credits/page, premium proxies 10 credits, ultra-premium 25 credits. A single page with JS and datacenter proxy = 10-25 credits.
ScraperAPI strengths
- Large proxy pool (40M+ IPs)
- Structured data for specific sites (Amazon, Google)
- Good for high-volume proxy-focused scraping
- Mature infrastructure (founded 2018)
- Async mode for large batches
ScraperAPI limitations
- Returns raw HTML, no markdown or LLM output
- Credit multipliers make pricing unpredictable
- No crawling or content extraction
- No MCP server or CLI tool
- Not designed for LLM or AI agent workflows
- No open source option
Which one should you use?
Use webclaw when
You need LLM-ready markdown output, one shared credit pool instead of stacked multipliers, crawling, or MCP integration for AI agents.
Use ScraperAPI when
You're doing high-volume HTML scraping with proxies, need structured data for Amazon or Google specifically, or have your own HTML-to-content pipeline.
webclaw vs ScraperAPI, answered
Is there a ScraperAPI alternative for LLMs and AI agents?
Looking for a ScraperAPI alternative without stacked multipliers? ScraperAPI charges 10-25 credits per page once you turn on JS rendering or premium proxies. webclaw runs one credit pool, a plain page is 1 credit with small fixed add-ons, and crawling is built in. Same proxy rotation under the hood, one balance to read at the end of the month.
What is the difference between webclaw and ScraperAPI?
ScraperAPI is a proxy rotation API with JS rendering and CAPTCHA handling. Here's how it compares to webclaw on LLM-ready output and pricing transparency.
Is webclaw cheaper than ScraperAPI?
webclaw bills from one shared credit pool: a plain page is 1 credit, heavier work adds a few (JS render +2, protected site +9). ScraperAPI uses: Credit-based. JS rendering uses 10 credits/page, premium proxies 10 credits, ultra-premium 25 credits. A single page with JS and datacenter proxy = 10-25 credits.
When should I use ScraperAPI instead of webclaw?
You're doing high-volume HTML scraping with proxies, need structured data for Amazon or Google specifically, or have your own HTML-to-content pipeline.
Compare webclaw with others
See how it stacks up.
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