Algolia vs crawler.sh
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Algolia starts at See pricing page and crawler.sh starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- AI ranking and synonyms
- Recommendations API
- Ask AI answers
- Agent Studio
- MCP server
- Website crawler
- Website to Markdown
- JavaScript rendering
- robots.txt compliance
- Bulk site export
- SEO audit
| Feature | Algolia | crawler.sh |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Hosted AI search, recommendations and retrieval for sites and apps | Local crawler that turns websites into Markdown for RAG |
| Category | Data & analytics | Data & analytics |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Algolia | crawler.sh |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Algolia starts at See pricing page and crawler.sh starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Grow
$0.50 / 1K searches after free tier
- 10K searches and 100K records free
- Keyword search and browse
- Manual synonyms
- 10 rules per index
Grow Plus
$1.75 / 1K searches after free tier
- Same free monthly allowance
- AI ranking and AI synonyms
- Advanced personalization
- 10,000 rules per index
Elevate
Contact sales
- Enterprise limits
- Full AI feature set
Prices in USD, checked Oct 29, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Algolia
- Generous free usage tier
- Pay only for usage beyond free limits
- Mature APIs and front-end libraries
- Search, recommendations and RAG in one place
- Costs climb with search volume
- AI ranking needs the pricier Grow Plus plan
- Top-tier plan requires sales
crawler.sh
- Runs locally, no cloud bill
- Handles single-page apps
- Polite crawling by default
- Desktop app only
- Paid features not explained
- Uses your own machine's bandwidth
Which one should you choose?
Choose Algolia if you want:
- Generous free usage tier
- Pay only for usage beyond free limits
- Mature APIs and front-end libraries
Watch out: costs climb with search volume.
Choose crawler.sh if you want:
- Runs locally, no cloud bill
- Handles single-page apps
- Polite crawling by default
Watch out: desktop app only.
Algolia vs crawler.sh FAQ
What is the difference between Algolia and crawler.sh?
Algolia: Hosted AI search, recommendations and retrieval for sites and apps. crawler.sh: Local crawler that turns websites into Markdown for RAG. Both are data & analytics tools.
Is Algolia or crawler.sh cheaper?
Algolia starts at See pricing page and crawler.sh starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Algolia and crawler.sh have free plans?
Algolia: Yes. crawler.sh: Yes.
Who makes Algolia?
Algolia is made by Algolia, based in United States.
Who makes crawler.sh?
crawler.sh is made by crawler.sh.
Which should I choose, Algolia or crawler.sh?
Choose Algolia if you value generous free usage tier and pay only for usage beyond free limits. Choose crawler.sh if you value runs locally, no cloud bill and handles single-page apps.