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ScrapingBee Alternative - Why Proxies API is Simpler & Cheaper

Mohan Ganesan
Sep 30, 2023 ยท 2 min read

ScrapingBee is gaining traction as a web scraping API that manages proxies, browsers, and bot mitigation for you. However, it can get complex and costly depending on your needs.

As an alternative, Proxies API offers a much simpler and affordable API-first approach to web scraping.

The Problem With ScrapingBee

ScrapingBee aims to be an all-in-one scraping solution, so you get a lot built-in like headless browsers, proxy rotation, and data extraction tools.

But this flexibility comes with some downsides:

  • Steep learning curve - Although easier than building a scraper, you still need to learn the ScrapingBee API and features. More complex than just making API calls.
  • Overengineered for basic uses - You may just want to scrape some URLs. But ScrapingBee requires learning their whole platform.
  • Credits-based pricing - Instead of fixed fees, you pay per API credit used. This can get expensive and unpredictable at scale.
  • Vendor lock-in - Once you integrate ScrapingBee, it can be hard to switch away later without code changes.

    • How Proxies API Provides a Simpler Alternative

    Proxies API solves the above issues by taking an API-first approach focused on simplicity:

  • Insanely easy API - Just send a URL and get HTML back. Our API is designed for minimalism above all else.
  • Pay per API call - No complex credits system. Just pay for the number of successful API calls made. Simple and predictable.
  • Cost-effective pricing - Our plans start at just $23/month for 250K calls. Much cheaper than ScrapingBee.
  • No lock-in - Our simple API means you can switch services anytime without migrations.
  • Avoids overengineering - For basic scraping, just use our API instead of building ScrapingBee workflows.
  • Scales up easily - We auto-throttle based on success rate. So you can scale to any level.

    • Pricing Comparison

    PlanScrapingBeeProxies API
    Basic$49/month for 150k credits$23/month for 250k calls
    Standard$99/month for 1M credits$79/month for 1M calls
    Pro$249/month for 3M credits$199/month for 3M calls

    As you can see, Proxies API's pricing is much more affordable compared to ScrapingBee at similar usage levels.

    Key Differences at a Glance

    FeatureScrapingBeeProxies API
    OfferingsAPI, proxies, browsersAPI only
    Developer ExperienceSome learning curveSimple integration
    PricingCredits-basedPay per API call
    Anti-bot HandlingBuilt-inHandled automatically
    ScalabilityAdds complexityStays simple always

    Start Simplifying Web Scraping

    If our radically simple API resonates with you, get started today with 1000 free API calls. No credit card required.

    Give Proxies API a try for your next scraping project!

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    The easiest way to do Web Scraping

    Get HTML from any page with a simple API call. We handle proxy rotation, browser identities, automatic retries, CAPTCHAs, JavaScript rendering, etc automatically for you


    Try ProxiesAPI for free

    curl "http://api.proxiesapi.com/?key=API_KEY&url=https://example.com"

    <!doctype html>
    <html>
    <head>
        <title>Example Domain</title>
        <meta charset="utf-8" />
        <meta http-equiv="Content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
        <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
    ...


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