Scraper8 vs ScraperAPI
ScraperAPI's credit multipliers mean a single request can cost up to 75 credits. With Scraper8, it's always 1. Here's exactly what that means for your bill.
The Hidden Cost of Credit Multipliers
ScraperAPI advertises large credit pools, but multipliers eat through them fast. Here's what you actually get:
| Scenario | Scraper8 | ScraperAPI | Your Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple HTML page | 1 credit | 1 credit | Same |
| JavaScript-rendered page | 1 credit | 10 credits | 10x cheaper |
| Page behind premium proxy | 1 credit | 10 credits | 10x cheaper |
| JS render + ultra premium | 1 credit | 75 credits | 75x cheaper |
| Amazon product page | 1 credit | 5 credits | 5x cheaper |
| Google search results | 1 credit | 25 credits | 25x cheaper |
| LinkedIn profile | 1 credit | 30 credits | 30x cheaper |
Full Feature Comparison
| Feature | Scraper8 | ScraperAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 50 requests/day, no card | 1,000 credits (with multipliers) |
| Starting price | $0/month | $49/month |
| Credit system | 1 request = 1 credit, always | 1x to 75x multipliers |
| JS rendering cost | 1 credit | 10 credits (10x multiplier) |
| Premium proxy cost | 1 credit | 10 credits |
| Ultra premium + render | 1 credit | 75 credits (75x multiplier) |
| Amazon scraping | 1 credit | 5 credits |
| Google SERP | 1 credit | 25 credits |
| Auto anti-bot bypass | Yes — 3-level escalation | Manual proxy type selection |
| Open source | Yes — self-host unlimited | No |
| Domain intelligence | Learns optimal settings per site | No |
| Structured data extraction | Built-in /extract endpoint | Separate product (ScraperAPI LLM) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Scraper8 cheaper than ScraperAPI?
ScraperAPI uses credit multipliers — a JS-rendered request costs 10 credits, a premium proxy request costs 10 credits, and combining them costs 75 credits. Scraper8 charges exactly 1 credit per request regardless of what engine or proxy is needed. Our 3-level engine automatically handles escalation.
Does Scraper8 work on the same sites as ScraperAPI?
Yes. Scraper8 works on Amazon, Google, Cloudflare-protected sites, and more. Our 3-level engine escalation automatically handles anti-bot protection, JavaScript rendering, and CAPTCHAs.
Can I self-host Scraper8 unlike ScraperAPI?
Yes. The Scraper8 engine is fully open source (pip install scraper8). You can self-host it on your own servers for unlimited scraping with no API costs. ScraperAPI is cloud-only with no self-host option.
How do I switch from ScraperAPI to Scraper8?
Create a free account, get your API key, and send POST requests to /api/scraper8/scrape. The response format includes HTML, text, links, images, and metadata. Most migrations take under 10 minutes.
Stop Paying Multiplied Prices
1 request = 1 credit. Always. Get your free API key and start scraping in 30 seconds.
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