Bright Data alternatives

Apify

$19/mo Free tier MCP API

Why it comes up: Apify is a scraping and Actor platform with an MCP server and a free plan, paid from $19/mo.

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

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

Best for

• Builders running scrapers and agents in the cloud
• GTM teams buying ready-made Store Actors
• Desks that want MCP to search and run Actors

4.8 on Capterra from 538 reviews

Read the Apify write-up · Bright Data vs Apify

Datamagnet

$39/mo MCP API

Why it comes up: Datamagnet is a live people and company data API with an MCP server from $39/mo, including emails.

Stands out: Data is fetched from the live profile at the moment you ask rather than from a stored snapshot, and the credit price per call is published endpoint by endpoint, down to 1 credit for a basic person or company profile. The MCP server is unusually complete for a data vendor: 17 tools, OAuth sign in so no key is pasted into the AI app, and every tool states its credit cost before it runs.

Watch out: This is an API, not an app: there is no search interface or sourcing workflow, so someone has to build on it or use it through Clay, n8n or an AI assistant. Rate limits are low on self serve plans (10 to 30 requests a minute), and the richer calls such as post engagement, activity and ICP search pages cost 10 credits each, so a search heavy month burns credits ten times faster than plain enrichment. Emails and phone numbers come back only where they are publicly available, and the vendor does not describe a deliverability check.

Best for

• Recruiting tech teams building sourcing or enrichment into their own product or ATS
• Ops people running Clay or n8n workflows that need current titles, job changes and contact details
• Recruiters who want to query profiles and ICP searches from inside Claude or ChatGPT

Read the Datamagnet write-up · Bright Data vs Datamagnet

LinkMCP

$19/mo 7 day free trial MCP

Why it comes up: LinkMCP works through your own LinkedIn account, so it can also message, connect and post, from $19/mo.

Stands out: It turns LinkedIn into 35 tools an assistant can chain, so one prompt can find candidates, read their recent posts and draft a personal connection note, with no browser extension and nothing running on your computer.

Watch out: It works through your signed in LinkedIn session, not an official LinkedIn API, so an account restriction cannot be ruled out even with its daily limits. Connecting your own account needs a paid plan; the trial only covers lookups and enrichment.

Best for

• Recruiters who source and message candidates from Claude or ChatGPT
• Agency recruiters researching hiring managers before outreach
• Teams that want LinkedIn steps inside n8n workflows

Read the LinkMCP write-up · Bright Data vs LinkMCP