kitio.aiApify vs crawler.sh
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Apify starts at $19/mo 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
- Actor marketplace
- Scheduled scraping
- Proxy management
- Crawlee library
- MCP server for agents
- Website to Markdown
- JavaScript rendering
- robots.txt compliance
- Bulk site export
- SEO audit
| Feature | Apify | crawler.sh |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Web scraping platform with thousands of ready-made scrapers | Local crawler that turns websites into Markdown for RAG |
| Category | Data & analytics | Data & analytics |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $19/mo | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Apify | crawler.sh |
| Based in | Czechia | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Apify starts at $19/mo and crawler.sh starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
5 plans
Free
Free
- $5 monthly usage credit
- $0.20 per compute unit
- Community support
Starter
$19/mo
- $19 prepaid usage, then pay as you go
- Chat support
- Bronze Store discount
Scale
$199/mo
- $199 prepaid usage
- $0.16 per compute unit
- Priority chat support
Business
$999/mo
- $999 prepaid usage
- $0.13 per compute unit
- Account manager
Enterprise
Custom
- Custom usage and pricing
- Custom scraping solutions
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Apify
- Huge library of ready scrapers
- Handles proxies and scaling
- Free monthly credits
- Actor quality varies
- Costs rise with heavy use
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 Apify if you want:
- Huge library of ready scrapers
- Handles proxies and scaling
- Free monthly credits
Watch out: actor quality varies.
Choose crawler.sh if you want:
- Runs locally, no cloud bill
- Handles single-page apps
- Polite crawling by default
Watch out: desktop app only.
Apify vs crawler.sh FAQ
What is the difference between Apify and crawler.sh?
Apify: Web scraping platform with thousands of ready-made scrapers. crawler.sh: Local crawler that turns websites into Markdown for RAG. Both are data & analytics tools.
Is Apify or crawler.sh cheaper?
Apify starts at $19/mo and crawler.sh starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Apify and crawler.sh have free plans?
Apify: Yes. crawler.sh: Yes.
Who makes Apify?
Apify is made by Apify, based in Czechia.
Who makes crawler.sh?
crawler.sh is made by crawler.sh.
Which should I choose, Apify or crawler.sh?
Choose Apify if you value huge library of ready scrapers and handles proxies and scaling. Choose crawler.sh if you value runs locally, no cloud bill and handles single-page apps.