Compare/Alternatives

Firecrawl alternatives

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

Firecrawl from $19/moFree tierMCP serverAPI

Closest alternatives

See the Firecrawl listing

The short answer

  • Apify : Actor store if you want scrapers as apps, not one scrape API. From $19/mo
  • Exa : Search-first web API if crawl-and-markdown is not the job. From $7/1k searches
  • Clay : Spreadsheet GTM if the scrape feeds enrichment columns. From $185/mo
  • Vector : Account-intent platform if you need journeys, not raw HTML. From $3,000/mo

Why people look past Firecrawl

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

What we noted

  • Search uses 2 credits per 10 results
  • Hobby allows 5 concurrent requests
  • Credits roll over only on Scale and up

Not the right fit for

  • Non-technical users who will not use an API
  • Crawl jobs that need millions of pages on day one

Worth keeping in mind: Hosted MCP server and REST API on one credit balance, with 1,000 free credits every month and no card.

Firecrawl alternatives compared

ToolFree tierFromMCPAPIHead to head
Firecrawl (the one you are on) ✓Yes$19/mo✓Yes✓Yes
Apify Actor store if you want scrapers as apps, not one scrape API. ✓Yes$19/mo✓Yes✓YesHead to head
Exa Search-first web API if crawl-and-markdown is not the job. ✓Yes$7/1k searches✓Yes✓YesHead to head
Clay Spreadsheet GTM if the scrape feeds enrichment columns. ✓Yes$185/mo✓Yes✓YesHead to head
Vector Account-intent platform if you need journeys, not raw HTML. –No$3,000/mo✓Yes–NoHead to head

What each one does differently

Apify

$19/mo Free tier MCP API

Why it comes up: Actor store if you want scrapers as apps, not one scrape API.

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 Firecrawl vs Apify

Exa

$7/1k searches Free tier MCP API

Why it comes up: Search-first web API if crawl-and-markdown is not the job.

Stands out: Hosted MCP server on the free plan, with people and company indexes alongside the web index.

Watch out: Pay-as-you-go has no monthly floor, but Deep Search, Agent runs and phone lookups are billed separately. Free is a small monthly credit, not unlimited.

Best for

  • Builders putting web search inside coding or research agents
  • GTM teams enriching people and companies through an API
  • Teams that want search inside Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT

Read the Exa write-up Firecrawl vs Exa

Clay

$185/mo Free tier 14 day free trial MCP API

Why it comes up: Spreadsheet GTM if the scrape feeds enrichment columns.

Stands out: 150+ provider waterfall plus Claygent on every row, with MCP and API.

Watch out: Not a sender. Paid plans start at $185/mo on Launch, CRM sync needs Growth from $495/mo, and credit burn adds up.

Best for

  • Sourcers building enriched spreadsheets
  • Teams chaining many data vendors
  • Desks that want Claygent research columns

Read the Clay write-up Firecrawl vs Clay

Vector

$3,000/mo MCP

Why it comes up: Account-intent platform if you need journeys, not raw HTML.

Stands out: MCP, CRM and ad integrations and account journeys are all included in the base platform fee.

Watch out: The fee includes 50,000 credits; extra credits are $0.04 each. The vendor's sample mix for a mid-size team comes to about $6,300/mo.

Best for

  • ABM teams tracking thousands of accounts
  • Teams that want site traffic and intent in one bill
  • RevOps wiring CRM plus ad audiences

Read the Vector write-up Firecrawl vs Vector

Common questions

What is the best Firecrawl alternative?
It depends on what sent you looking. Our write-ups put Apify closest to Firecrawl. Why it comes up: Actor store if you want scrapers as apps, not one scrape API. The table above shows all 4 on price, free tier, MCP and API.
Is there a free alternative to Firecrawl?
Yes. Apify, Exa and Clay 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 Firecrawl alternative?
Of the published starting prices here, Exa is lowest at $7/1k searches. Starting price is the entry plan, not the seat count you will end up on, so read the plan table on each listing.
Which Firecrawl alternatives have an MCP server?
Apify, Exa, Clay and Vector 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 Firecrawl 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?