Work Insiders directory

Apify alternatives

4 tools our write-ups put next to Apify, with starting price, free tier, MCP and API side by side.

Apify from $19/mo Free tier MCP server API

The short answer

  • Firecrawl : Hosted crawl API if you want pages-as-markdown more than an Actor store. From $19/mo
  • PhantomBuster : Cloud Phantoms if LinkedIn and social automations are the whole job. From $69/mo
  • Scrap.io : Simpler B2B scrape UI if you do not want to operate Actors. From $49/mo
  • n8n : Workflow automation if scraping is one step in a larger pipeline. From €20/mo

Why people look past Apify

Unused prepaid usage expires each cycle. Usage beyond Starter's $19 is billed on the next invoice, and residential proxy costs extra per GB.

What we noted

  • Prepaid usage expires each month
  • Overage on paid plans can surprise finance
  • Residential proxy is billed per GB extra

Not the right fit for

  • Buyers who need unused credits to roll over
  • Non-technical teams that will not operate Actors

Worth keeping in mind: Hosted MCP at mcp.apify.com plus a Store of ready-made Actors, on a prepaid usage meter with overage billed on paid plans.

Apify alternatives compared

ToolFree tierFromMCPAPIHead to head
Apify (the one you are on) ✓Yes$19/mo✓Yes✓Yes
Firecrawl Hosted crawl API if you want pages-as-markdown more than an Actor store. ✓Yes$19/mo✓Yes✓YesHead to head
PhantomBuster Cloud Phantoms if LinkedIn and social automations are the whole job. ✓Yes$69/mo✓Yes✓YesHead to head
Scrap.io Simpler B2B scrape UI if you do not want to operate Actors. –No$49/mo✓Yes✓YesHead to head
n8n Workflow automation if scraping is one step in a larger pipeline. ✓Yes€20/mo✓Yes✓YesHead to head

What each one does differently

Firecrawl

$19/mo Free tier MCP API

Why it comes up: Hosted crawl API if you want pages-as-markdown more than an Actor store.

Stands out: Hosted MCP server and REST API on one credit balance, with 1,000 free credits every month and no card.

Watch out: Hobby is 5,000 credits a month. Search costs 2 credits per 10 results, and extra credits come in $5 increments.

Best for

  • Builders who need markdown or JSON from URLs
  • Agents that call Firecrawl over MCP
  • Side projects that fit in 5,000 credits

Read the Firecrawl write-up Apify vs Firecrawl

PhantomBuster

$69/mo Free tier 14 day free trial MCP API

Why it comes up: Cloud Phantoms if LinkedIn and social automations are the whole job.

Stands out: Hosted MCP at mcp.phantombuster.com plus 100+ Phantoms that run without your browser open.

Watch out: You act through your own social accounts, so limits and bans are on you. Execution hours, slots, and email credits all cap out. Exports on the trial are 10 rows.

Best for

  • Growth teams automating LinkedIn and Sales Nav lists
  • Agencies running several Phantoms in parallel
  • Builders wiring HubSpot, n8n, Zapier, Make, or MCP

4.5 on Capterra from 64 reviews

Read the PhantomBuster write-up Apify vs PhantomBuster

Scrap.io

$49/mo MCP API

Why it comes up: Simpler B2B scrape UI if you do not want to operate Actors.

Stands out: MCP and API access come on the entry Basic plan, not only on the top tiers.

Watch out: Export credits reset each month and do not roll over. Wider searches (county, state, country, radius) need higher tiers.

Best for

  • Agencies building local business prospect lists
  • Teams calling a maps data API from their own tools
  • People who want maps searches inside an AI assistant

Read the Scrap.io write-up Apify vs Scrap.io

n8n

€20/mo Free tier Free trial MCP API

Why it comes up: Workflow automation if scraping is one step in a larger pipeline.

Stands out: Billing counts full workflow executions, not individual steps, and the Community edition is free to self-host.

Watch out: Cloud prices are published in euros only. The Cloud trial is capped at 1,000 executions, and unused AI Assistant credits do not roll over.

Best for

  • Technical teams that want to self-host for free
  • Builders who prefer per-execution billing
  • Teams that want to drive workflows from Claude via MCP

Read the n8n write-up Apify vs n8n

Common questions

What is the best Apify alternative?
It depends on what sent you looking. Our write-ups put Firecrawl closest to Apify. Why it comes up: Hosted crawl API if you want pages-as-markdown more than an Actor store. The table above shows all 4 on price, free tier, MCP and API.
Is there a free alternative to Apify?
Yes. Firecrawl, PhantomBuster and n8n carry a free tier on our listing, so you can try the product without a card. Free tiers are capped, so check the limits against your volume before you move a team across.
What is the cheapest Apify alternative?
Of the published starting prices here, Firecrawl is lowest at $19/mo. Starting price is the entry plan, not the seat count you will end up on, so read the plan table on each listing.
Which Apify alternatives have an MCP server?
Firecrawl, PhantomBuster, Scrap.io and n8n ship a first party MCP server, so you can drive them from Claude or ChatGPT without building against the API yourself.

Keep looking

Back to the Apify write-up Every Lead generation tool we list Search the whole directory

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?