Which is better, Apify or Bright Data?

Apify wins for teams that want fast access to pre-built scrapers and a flexible pay-per-result model. Bright Data wins for teams with existing scraping code that need premium proxy infrastructure and enterprise-grade anti-bot bypass. For most general scraping workflows, Apify is the stronger starting point.

How much does Apify cost compared to Bright Data?

Apify has a free tier ($5 in monthly platform credits, no credit card) and paid plans starting at $49 per month (Starter). Many actors also bill per result — Google Maps Scraper is roughly $4 per 1,000 businesses. Bright Data is enterprise-priced with sales-led pricing tied to proxy traffic and workload, typically starting meaningfully higher than Apify.

When should I use Bright Data instead of Apify?

Choose Bright Data when you already maintain your own scraping stack and need a heavy-duty proxy network, Web Unlocker for anti-bot bypass, or a managed Scraping Browser at enterprise scale. Choose Apify when you want a ready-made actor, fast time-to-data, or pay-as-you-go pricing without committing to enterprise contracts.

Does Apify have a free tier?

Yes. Apify offers $5 in platform credits every month with no credit card required. That covers roughly 1,000–2,000 results on most actors — enough to test a workflow before upgrading. Bright Data typically uses sales-led trials rather than an open free tier.

Can Apify bypass anti-bot protections like Bright Data?

Apify includes Apify Proxy with residential and datacenter IPs, plus browser automation via Crawlee. For most sites, that is enough. Bright Data offers deeper proxy infrastructure and Web Unlocker for the most heavily protected targets. If anti-bot bypass on enterprise sites is the core requirement, Bright Data has the edge.

Web Scraping Platform Comparison

APIFY VS BRIGHT DATA

Both Apify and Bright Data help teams collect web data. The difference is where they put the leverage: Apify focuses on ready-to-run scraping workflows, while Bright Data focuses on enterprise proxy and unlock infrastructure.

BROWSE APIFY ACTORS SEE READY-MADE SCRAPERS

Feature Comparison

Both products sit in the same web scraping market, but the product shape is different enough that the right choice usually depends on whether you need finished scraping workflows or underlying network power.

Category	Apify	Bright Data
Core positioning	Cloud scraping platform with automation tooling and a marketplace of 2,000+ actors.	Enterprise data collection stack centered on proxies, Web Unlocker, and Scraping Browser.
Best fit	Teams that want to get data quickly from pre-built scrapers or deploy custom actors.	Teams that already own scraping code and need premium unblocker and proxy infrastructure.
Pre-built tools	2,000+ pre-built actors for social, maps, e-commerce, SERPs, and more.	Focused product set around unblocker, browser automation, and enterprise data tooling.
Pricing model	Flexible: platform plans plus pay-per-result on many actors.	Enterprise-style usage pricing tied to network and scraping infrastructure.
Free tier	Yes. Free tier with monthly credits to test actors and workflows.	Typically sales-led trials or custom evaluation paths rather than a broad free tier.
Developer workflow	Run actors from the UI, API, schedules, or webhooks. Build in JavaScript or Python.	Integrate Web Unlocker or Scraping Browser into custom pipelines and browser scripts.

Pros And Cons

Apify

Pros

+2,000+ pre-built actors reduce time to data.
+Pay-per-result pricing fits common scraping jobs well.
+Free tier lowers the cost of testing new workflows.
+Runs, storage, schedules, and APIs live in one cloud platform.

Cons

-Proxy depth is not the main selling point compared with Bright Data.
-Marketplace quality varies by actor, so tool selection still matters.
-Some advanced enterprise proxy use cases may need more custom infrastructure.

Bright Data

Pros

+Large enterprise proxy network for demanding collection workloads.
+Web Unlocker helps with anti-bot bypass on protected targets.
+Scraping Browser supports browser-based automation with managed infrastructure.
+Strong fit for organizations already operating custom scraping stacks.

Cons

-Higher pricing and a more enterprise-oriented buying motion.
-Less plug-and-play for teams that just want ready-made scrapers.
-You often still need to build or maintain your own extraction logic.

Pricing Comparison

Apify

Lower-friction pricing for getting started

Free tier available for testing actors and workflows.
Many actors support pay-per-result pricing instead of requiring custom scraping code.
Works well when you want predictable costs tied to actual outputs.

Bright Data

Enterprise infrastructure pricing

Pricing is built around proxy bandwidth and advanced scraping infrastructure.
Web Unlocker and Scraping Browser are powerful, but usually make more sense at larger budgets.
Best value shows up when unblock reliability matters more than marketplace convenience.

When To Choose Which

Choose Apify if...

You want a web scraping platform with ready-made actors.
You need useful results quickly, not a long implementation cycle.
Pay-per-result pricing is more attractive than infra-led billing.
You want a free tier before committing budget.

Choose Bright Data if...

You already have custom scraping logic and need enterprise proxy coverage.
Web Unlocker is a core requirement for hard-to-access targets.
Scraping Browser fits your browser automation architecture.
Your budget and team are aligned to a more infrastructure-heavy stack.

Recommended Next Step

Start with the actor marketplace

If your goal is to get data instead of assembling infrastructure, Apify is usually the faster path. Test existing actors first, then decide whether you really need a heavier proxy stack.

GO TO TRYAPIFY.COM/ACTORS FIND A PRE-BUILT ACTOR