Apify review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Scraping platform with a store of ready-made Actors, Google included
Our verdict
Third of our top three SERP and SEO data APIs
For: Teams who would rather run a ready-made scraper than write one
Apify runs scrapers called Actors in the cloud. Its own Google Search Results Scraper returns organic and paid results, People Also Ask, AI Overviews and AI Mode by country and language from $1.80 per 1,000 pages, and the store lists nearly 97,000 more, for sites such as Google Maps. The free plan gives $5 of usage a month with no card, and Starter is $19. It is third because each Actor sets its own price, so similar jobs can cost different amounts, Actors stop on Free once the $5 is spent, unspent prepaid usage expires each billing cycle, and the plan after Starter is Scale at $199.
See all three and how we rankApify report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 24, 2026
Best for ready-made scrapers, Google results included
Apify runs scrapers called Actors in the cloud: nearly 97,000 in its store, its own Google Search Results Scraper among them, or your own built with Crawlee. Each Actor sets its own price, so a job's cost depends on which one runs it, and prepaid usage you don't spend expires at the end of each billing cycle.
Who Apify is for
- Fits if you'd rather run a ready-made Google or Maps scraper than write one
- Works for developers who want their own scrapers hosted, scheduled and monitored
Who Apify is not for
- Watch out: each store Actor sets its own price, usually per result or per event, so two jobs that look alike can cost different amounts
- Tight if you're on Free, where Actors stop once the month's $5 of usage is spent
- Watch out: prepaid usage you don't spend expires each billing cycle, and use beyond it lands on the next invoice
- Pricey if you need residential proxies at $7 to $8 per GB or Google SERP proxies at $1.70 to $2.50 per 1,000 searches
- Pricey if you outgrow Starter, since the next plan is Scale at $199 a month
Why Apify gets a 2.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for moneyStarter is $19 a month, on the line of this category's cheaper quarter, and the $19 is all usage you can spend. Apify's own Google scraper is from $1.80 per 1,000 result pages, inside the $1 to $4 most rivals here charge. Paying yearly takes 10% off.
- BFree plan and trialA free plan for good with no card: $5 of usage every month, 5 concurrent runs and 16 GB of memory. At the Google scraper's rate from $1.80 per 1,000 pages that covers a small side project, and Actors stop once the $5 is spent.
- BFeaturesNearly 97,000 store Actors for sites such as Google, Google Maps, TikTok and Instagram; Apify's own Google scraper returns organic and paid results, People Also Ask, AI Overviews and AI Mode by country and language. You can build and host your own too. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job.
- CEase of useJudged on how fast a developer gets a first result: ready-made Actors, Python, JavaScript and TypeScript templates, and a CLI. No rating on record, and costs come as compute units, proxy traffic and each Actor's own price, which takes reading.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, with a REST API, a CLI, webhooks and an MCP server, plus Make, n8n, Zapier, Workato, Zoho Flow and coding agents such as Claude Code, Cursor and OpenAI Codex. No desktop or phone app, so B is the top.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Apify's own pages on 23 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/apify#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/apify.svg" alt="Apify: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Apify stands among SERP and SEO data APIs
Apify's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 35 of the 38 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 35 of 38) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $19 a month, against a middle price of $29.49 for the category: 3 of the 25 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 39 SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, cut by the letter each got. Apify’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 21 of 38, level with 13
- BFree plan and trialAbove 35 of 38, level with 3
- BFeaturesAbove 26 of 38, level with 11
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 38, level with 36
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 9 of 38, level with 29
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 26 SERP and SEO data APIs. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Apify, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Apify you would be making search results fetched at scale from many countries without being blocked. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 35 of the 38 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade. It costs $228 a year.
What you could not
- Search results fetched at scale from many countries without being blocked.
- It plugs into other products, Make, n8n and Zapier among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Apify’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Apify?
Apify is a cloud platform for running web scrapers and automations, called Actors. Its store lists nearly 97,000 of them built by Apify and outside developers, including a Google Search Results Scraper, and you can build and host your own with the open-source Crawlee library. Plans are a monthly amount of prepaid usage, with anything beyond it billed as you go.
Worth knowing
- Store Actors set their own prices, so the cost of a job depends on which Actor runs it and how many results it returns.
- Use beyond a paid plan's prepaid amount is added to the next invoice; on the free plan, Actors stop until the next month.
- Prepaid usage that is not spent expires at the end of each billing cycle.
- Residential proxies cost $7 to $8 per GB and Google SERP proxies $1.70 to $2.50 per 1,000 searches, depending on plan.
Key features
- Apify Store
- Nearly 97,000 ready-made Actors for sites such as Google, Google Maps, TikTok and Instagram. Each sets its own price, usually per result or per event.
- Google Search Results Scraper
- Apify's own Actor returns organic and paid results, People Also Ask, related queries, AI Overviews and AI Mode by country and language, from $1.80 per 1,000 pages.
- Build and host your own Actors
- Start from Python, JavaScript or TypeScript templates, use the open-source Crawlee library, and run, schedule and monitor the Actors on Apify.
- Proxies and unblocking
- Datacenter and residential proxies, Google SERP proxies priced per 1,000 searches, and an unblocker billed per 1,000 requests.
- API, CLI, webhooks and MCP
- Run Actors and fetch results over a REST API or CLI, get webhooks when runs finish, chain Actors together, or call them from AI agents through an MCP server.
- Automation integrations
- Connectors for Make, n8n, Zapier and other automation tools, and setups for coding agents such as Claude Code, Cursor and OpenAI Codex.
Apify pricing
As of Oct 23, 2026, Apify has a free plan, and paid plans start at $19 per month, billed monthly, with $19 of usage included.
- Starts at
- $19 per month, billed monthly, with $19 of usage included
- Free plan
- $5 of platform usage each month for Store Actors or your own, 16 GB of Actor memory, 5 concurrent runs and community support. No card needed.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $5 of usage a month at $0.20 per compute unit, 16 GB of Actor memory and 5 concurrent runs. Stops when the $5 is spent. |
| Starter | $19per month, billed monthly, with $19 of usage included | $0.20 per compute unit, 64 GB of Actor memory, 32 concurrent runs, chat support and the Bronze Store discount. Extra usage is billed. |
| Scale | $199per month, billed monthly, with $199 of usage included | $0.16 per compute unit, 256 GB of memory, 128 concurrent runs, priority chat support, the Silver Store discount and lower proxy rates. |
| Business | $999per month, billed monthly, with $999 of usage included | $0.13 per compute unit, 512 GB of memory, 256 concurrent runs, an account manager and the Gold Store discount. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom scraping solutions, pricing and limits, with SLAs on data and a dedicated team. Through sales. |
Read from apify.com on Oct 23, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Apify before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountSave 10% with annual billing
Apify's pricing page shows a 10% discount for billing annually instead of monthly.
Stated on apify.com - Education30% off Starter and Scale for students
Apify's pricing FAQ says students are eligible for 30% off the Starter and Scale plans.
Stated on apify.com - NonprofitPersonalized discount for nonprofits
Apify's pricing FAQ says nonprofit organizations can get a personalized discount on paid plans.
Stated on apify.com - Startups30% off the Scale plan for startups
Apify's pricing FAQ offers startups a 30% discount on the Scale plan.
Stated on apify.com
Works with
- Make
- n8n
- Zapier
- Claude Code
- Cursor
- OpenAI Codex
- Workato
- Zoho Flow
Apify alternatives
- Apify vs Outscraper
Free plan
- Apify vs ScrapingBee
Free trial · from $19/mo
- Apify vs Zyte
Free trial · from $100/mo
- Apify vs Bright Data SERP API
Free plan · from $499/mo
- Apify vs SerpApi
Free plan · from $25/mo
Common questions
Does Apify have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Apify is listed for Web.
Does Apify have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Apify is listed for Web.
Is Apify open source?
Apify is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
Does Apify have an API?
Yes. Apify offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 23, 2026.