kitio.aiCrawl4AI vs crawler.sh
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Crawl4AI is completely free, while crawler.sh is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Markdown output for LLMs
- Async parallel crawling
- LLM-based extraction
- Docker server
- Content filtering
- Website to Markdown
- JavaScript rendering
- robots.txt compliance
- Bulk site export
- SEO audit
| Feature | Crawl4AI | crawler.sh |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source crawler that outputs LLM-ready markdown | Local crawler that turns websites into Markdown for RAG |
| Category | Data & analytics | Data & analytics |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes |
| Made by | Unclecode | crawler.sh |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Crawl4AI is completely free, while crawler.sh is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
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
Crawl4AI
- Free and self-hosted
- Fast async crawling
- Very active project
- Requires Python skills
- You manage proxies and scaling
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 Crawl4AI if you want:
- Free and self-hosted
- Fast async crawling
- Very active project
Watch out: requires python skills.
Choose crawler.sh if you want:
- Runs locally, no cloud bill
- Handles single-page apps
- Polite crawling by default
Watch out: desktop app only.
Crawl4AI vs crawler.sh FAQ
What is the difference between Crawl4AI and crawler.sh?
Crawl4AI: Open-source crawler that outputs LLM-ready markdown. crawler.sh: Local crawler that turns websites into Markdown for RAG. Both are data & analytics tools.
Is Crawl4AI or crawler.sh cheaper?
Crawl4AI is completely free, while crawler.sh is freemium.
Do Crawl4AI and crawler.sh have free plans?
Crawl4AI: Yes, fully free. crawler.sh: Yes.
Who makes Crawl4AI?
Crawl4AI is made by Unclecode.
Who makes crawler.sh?
crawler.sh is made by crawler.sh.
Which should I choose, Crawl4AI or crawler.sh?
Choose Crawl4AI if you value free and self-hosted and fast async crawling. Choose crawler.sh if you value runs locally, no cloud bill and handles single-page apps.