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The ScrapingBee Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about ScrapingBee in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

ScrapingBee

The Insider’s Guide

Web scraping API with a Google search endpoint, priced by credits

ScrapingBee, as pictured on scrapingbee.com

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among SERP and SEO data APIs, read from ScrapingBee’s own pages.

Made by VostokInc · checked Oct 23, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.4GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from ScrapingBee’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on ScrapingBee’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 23, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.4

GPA, above 16 of the 38 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade

ScrapingBee is a web scraping API that runs headless Chrome and rotates proxies for you, returning a page's HTML, Markdown, a screenshot or fields pulled out by CSS rules or a plain-language AI query. Beside the general API it sells ready-made endpoints for Google search, a fast search API, Amazon, Walmart, YouTube, ChatGPT and Gemini. Every plan is a monthly allowance of API credits, and each request costs credits by the options it uses.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about ScrapingBee, taken from its own pages and our grades.

Judged on how fast a developer gets a first result: Python and Node.js SDKs, a CLI and an MCP server.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for scraping pages and Google results on one key

    ScrapingBee is a web scraping API that runs headless Chrome and rotates proxies, with a Google search endpoint on the same credits.

  2. 2

    Paid plans start at $19 a month

    As its pricing page puts it: $19 per month for 75,000 API credits.

  3. 3

    You can try it first

    1,000 free API credits on sign-up, no credit card required

  4. 4

    It runs on Web

    Web.

  5. 5

    Headless browser rendering

    Pages load in headless Chrome, with waits for selectors, set viewports and headers, and scripted clicks, scrolls and form fills before the scrape.

  6. 6

    Proxy rotation and geotargeting

    Proxies rotate on every request, with premium and stealth proxies for harder sites and routing through more than 200 countries and territories.

  7. 7

    Google Search API

    A dedicated endpoint returns Google results as JSON, with organic results, ads, local results, related questions and related searches.

  8. 8

    A 2.4 GPA, above 16 of 38

    That is against the other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  9. 9

    Keep it

    To replace ScrapingBee 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.

ScrapingBee at a glance

Pricing
Free trial, from $19 per month for 75,000 API credits
Free plan
No
Free trial
1,000 free API credits on sign-up, no credit card required
Runs on
Web
Made by
VostokInc
Category
SERP & SEO Data APIs
Our grade
2.4 GPA, fair

The report card

Best for scraping pages and Google results on one key

ScrapingBee is a web scraping API that runs headless Chrome and rotates proxies, with a Google search endpoint on the same credits. A Google search costs 10 to 15 credits, credits don't roll over, and it's a scraper first: Google is the only search engine it lists.

ToolGPA report cardScrapingBeeGraded Oct 23, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyBHobby is $19 a month for 75,000 credits, inside this category's cheaper quarter. A Google search costs 10 to 15 credits, so that's 5,000 to 7,500 searches, about $2.50 to $3.80 per 1,000.
Free plan and trialCNo free plan: 1,000 API credits on sign-up with no card, around 70 to 100 Google searches.
FeaturesCHeadless Chrome, rotating proxies in more than 200 countries, CSS and AI extraction, and endpoints for Amazon, YouTube, ChatGPT and Gemini. For search data, though, Google is the only engine it lists.
Ease of useCJudged on how fast a developer gets a first result: Python and Node.js SDKs, a CLI and an MCP server. No rating on record, and what a request costs changes with its options, with JavaScript rendering on by default.
Platforms and integrationsBWeb, with an API, a CLI, SDKs and an MCP server, plus Make, n8n, Zapier and coding agents such as Claude Code, Cursor and Codex. No desktop or phone app, so B is the top.
Grade point averageFair, out of 4.02.4

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who ScrapingBee is for

  • Fits if you need to scrape the pages behind the results as well as Google itself
  • Works for feeding web pages to AI agents as Markdown or JSON

Who it is not for

  • Watch out: JavaScript rendering is on by default and makes a request cost 5 credits instead of 1
  • Watch out: a Google search costs 10 to 15 credits, so Hobby's 75,000 credits is 5,000 to 7,500 searches
  • Skip it if you need Bing or other engines, as Google is the only search engine it lists
  • Tight if your usage swings, since credits last a month and don't roll over
  • Pricey if you need priority support or team management, which start at $249 a month

Good to know

Good for

  • Developers who want proxies and headless browsers handled for them
  • Teams that need Google results and general page scraping on one key
  • Feeding web pages into AI agents as Markdown or structured JSON

Worth knowing

  • A request costs 1 credit at its simplest, 5 with JavaScript rendering (on by default), and 10 or 25 with premium proxies.
  • A Google search costs 10 credits with Light Request enabled and 15 otherwise.
  • Credits last one month and do not roll over; only successful requests are charged.
  • Priority support, an account manager and team management start at the $249 Business plan.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$19

A month to start

ScrapingBee is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $19 per month for 75,000 API credits.

  • Hobby

    $19

    per month for 75,000 API credits

    25 concurrent requests, with JavaScript rendering, premium proxies, geotargeting, screenshots and the dedicated scraper APIs included.

  • Freelance

    $49

    per month for 250,000 API credits

    50 concurrent requests and the same features as Hobby.

  • Startup

    $99

    per month for 1,000,000 API credits

    100 concurrent requests and the same features as Hobby.

  • Business

    $249

    per month for 3,000,000 API credits

    200 concurrent requests, and adds priority email support, a dedicated account manager and team management.

  • Business +

    $599

    per month for 8,000,000 API credits

    400 concurrent requests with everything in Business.

  • Enterprise 14

    $999

    per month for 14,000,000 API credits

    500 concurrent requests. Larger Enterprise tiers run up to $5,799 a month for 120 million credits and 900 concurrent requests.

Trying it first

1,000 free API credits on sign-up, no credit card required

Read from scrapingbee.com on Oct 23, 2026.

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

1

Place it runs: Web

Web scraping API with a Google search endpoint, priced by credits. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, sERP API.

For search data, though, Google is the only engine it lists.
From our grade for features
Headless browser rendering
Pages load in headless Chrome, with waits for selectors, set viewports and headers, and scripted clicks, scrolls and form fills before the scrape.
Proxy rotation and geotargeting
Proxies rotate on every request, with premium and stealth proxies for harder sites and routing through more than 200 countries and territories.
Google Search API
A dedicated endpoint returns Google results as JSON, with organic results, ads, local results, related questions and related searches.
AI and rule-based extraction
Pull fields out with CSS or XPath rules, describe them in plain language with an AI query, or get any page back as clean Markdown.
Ready-made scraper APIs
Separate endpoints for Amazon, Walmart, YouTube, ChatGPT and Gemini answers, a sub-second search API and an employee search API.
CLI, MCP server and SDKs
A command-line tool, an MCP server and Python and Node.js SDKs connect the API to coding agents such as Claude Code, Codex and Cursor.

Where it runs

  • Web

What it works with

  • Make
  • n8n
  • Zapier
  • Claude Code
  • Cursor
  • Codex
  • VS Code
  • Gemini CLI

ScrapingBee is made by VostokInc.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

16/38

Other SERP and SEO data APIs it is graded above

ScrapingBee's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 16 of the 38 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, and level with 14.

It stands best on value for money (B, above 21 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 2.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 39 SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, cut by the letter each got. ScrapingBee’s own letter is outlined.

  • BValue for moneyAbove 21 of 38
  • CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 38
  • CFeaturesAbove 1 of 38
  • CEase of useAbove 0 of 38
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 9 of 38

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 26 SERP and SEO data APIs. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. ScrapingBee is the marked dot.

C2.0B3.0A4.0$2$5$10$20$50$100$200$500More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessScrapingBeeSerpBaseDecodo SERP Scraping…ApifyZenserpScrape.do

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace ScrapingBee 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 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.
  • AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.

What this rests on. ScrapingBee’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.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

ScraperAPI, Scrapingdog, ZenRows, Scrapfly and SerpApi

The 5 tools ScrapingBee is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

13

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is ScrapingBee free?

No, ScrapingBee is a paid product, but you can try it first. 1,000 free API credits on sign-up, no credit card required.

How much does ScrapingBee cost?

ScrapingBee lists 6 plans. Hobby: $19 per month for 75,000 API credits.

What platforms does ScrapingBee work on?

ScrapingBee is available on Web.

Does ScrapingBee have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. ScrapingBee is listed for Web.

Does ScrapingBee have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. ScrapingBee is listed for Web.

Is ScrapingBee open source?

ScrapingBee is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.

Does ScrapingBee have an API?

Yes. ScrapingBee offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does ScrapingBee integrate with?

ScrapingBee's listing names Make, n8n, Zapier, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, VS Code and Gemini CLI.

Who makes ScrapingBee?

ScrapingBee is made by VostokInc.

What are the alternatives to ScrapingBee?

The closest alternatives to ScrapingBee in our directory are ScraperAPI, Scrapingdog, ZenRows, Scrapfly and SerpApi.

How does ScrapingBee compare with other SERP and SEO data APIs?

ScrapingBee's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 16 of the 38 other SERP and SEO data APIs we grade, and level with 14.

Is ScrapingBee good value for money?

ToolGPA grades ScrapingBee B for value for money. 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.

Could I make my own version of ScrapingBee?

To replace ScrapingBee you would be making search results fetched at scale from many countries without being blocked.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from ScrapingBee’s own pages on Oct 23, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 23, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from ScrapingBee's own pages on 23 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by VostokInc. Prices change, so check scrapingbee.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

3,189

Tools graded, in 94 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 3,189

    tools graded

  • 94

    categories

  • 426

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "ScrapingBee: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/scrapingbee

Know someone choosing between SERP and SEO data APIs?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/scrapingbee/guide

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The best-graded SERP and SEO data APIs after ScrapingBee, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what ScrapingBee’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. ScrapingBee is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by VostokInc. Prices and plans change: check scrapingbee.com before you buy.