Introducing Parallel Agents - Run multiple /agent queries simultaneously. Read more →
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2 Months Free — Annually
Firecrawl vs. Apify
Firecrawl scrapes and returns LLM-ready markdown. You also get autonomous
research capabilities. Apify is a good scraper marketplace.
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Used by over 500,000 developers
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Trusted by 80,000+
companies of all sizes
companies of all sizes
Choose Firecrawl
Choose Firecrawl for the best LLM-ready web data. /scrape delivers clean markdown, /agent does autonomous research with no URLs required, and Parallel Agents batch hundreds of queries at once. No-code integrations like Lovable let you build workflows with simple prompts.
Choose Apify
Choose Apify when you need pre-built scrapers for specific platforms (Instagram, TikTok, Google Maps) or want to build and monetize your own Actors. Note: Apify only offers SERP scraping, not autonomous research like Firecrawl's /agent.
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Why Firecrawl
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Half a million developers
love Firecrawl
Power your AI apps with clean web data from any website.
Firecrawl returns clean markdown ready for your LLM. Apify outputs raw HTML/JSON that needs post-processing
Learn more
Firecrawl /agent does autonomous deep research. Apify only helps with SERP scraping, not intelligent data gathering
Learn more
Native no-code integrations with Lovable, n8n, Zapier, and Make. Build workflows with simple prompts
Learn more
Firecrawl vs. Apify: Key Differences
| Feature | Firecrawl | Apify |
|---|---|---|
| Output format | LLM-ready markdown, JSON, HTML, screenshots (all included) | Varies by Actor (typically JSON/CSV, requires post-processing) |
| JavaScript rendering | Automatic on all requests (included) | Depends on Actor (some use Puppeteer, some don't) |
| Structured extraction | Natural language prompts + JSON Schema | Requires CSS selectors or custom Actor code |
| Autonomous research | /agent does deep research with no URLs needed | SERP scraping only, no autonomous data gathering |
| Pricing model | Flat rate: 1 credit = 1 page ($0.0008/page at scale) | Compute-based: varies by Actor, runtime, memory |
| Open source / Self-hosted | Yes (fully open source) | Partial (Crawlee is open source, platform is closed) |
Last updated: Feb 04, 2026 • See full matrix ↓
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Use cases and benchmarks
LLM-ready web scraping
LLM-ready web scraping. One /scrape call returns clean markdown ready for AI. Apify requires finding the right Actor and converting raw output yourself.
High-volume web scraping
High-volume web scraping. Firecrawl handles any website with JS rendering and stealth mode at flat pricing. No Actor hunting or compute estimation.
Structured data extraction
Structured data extraction. Describe what you need in plain English and get structured JSON back. No CSS selectors or Actor code.
Autonomous deep research
Autonomous deep research. Firecrawl /agent searches, navigates, and extracts autonomously. Apify only offers SERP scraping.
Firecrawl vs. Apify: Full comparison matrix
Here's a complete feature overview of Firecrawl vs. Apify.
| Feature | Firecrawl | Apify | What this means |
|---|---|---|---|
LLM-ready output | Clean markdown optimized for AI. Preserves links, code blocks, formatting | Raw HTML/JSON output requires post-processing for LLM use | Firecrawl pioneered markdown output for AI. Apify requires you to convert and clean data yourself. |
When it matters Critical for RAG pipelines, AI agents, and any LLM-based application. Trade-offs Firecrawl is ready for AI out of the box. Apify needs additional processing. | |||
JavaScript rendering | Automatic on all requests (included) | Depends on Actor (some use Puppeteer/Playwright, some don't) | Firecrawl always renders JS. Apify varies by Actor (some are headless, some aren't). |
When it matters Modern SPAs and dynamic content require JS rendering. Trade-offs Firecrawl is consistent. Apify requires checking each Actor's capabilities. | |||
Output formats | Markdown, JSON, HTML, screenshots, links, summary, branding (all included) | Varies by Actor (typically JSON, CSV, or custom formats) | Firecrawl has consistent output across all scrapes. Apify output depends on the Actor. |
When it matters Consistent formats simplify downstream processing. Trade-offs Firecrawl is predictable. Apify Actors may offer more specialized output formats. | |||
Structured extraction | Natural language prompts + JSON Schema | Requires CSS selectors or custom Actor code | Firecrawl: describe what you want in plain English. Apify: write selectors or use Actor-specific config. |
When it matters Important for non-developers or rapid prototyping. Trade-offs Firecrawl is more flexible. Apify Actors can be more precise for known structures. | |||
Pricing model | Flat rate: 1 credit = 1 page ($0.0008/page at scale) | Compute-based: $0.20-$0.30/compute unit + Actor rental fees + proxy costs | Firecrawl: predictable costs. Apify: costs vary by Actor, runtime, memory, and proxy usage. |
When it matters Budget predictability matters for production workloads. Trade-offs Firecrawl is simpler to budget. Apify can be cheaper for specific use cases but harder to predict. | |||
Site crawling | /crawl discovers and scrapes entire sites with one call | Website Content Crawler Actor with configuration required | Firecrawl crawls and returns LLM-ready markdown. Apify requires Actor setup and compute estimation. |
When it matters Critical for documentation ingestion, knowledge bases, and site-wide scraping. Trade-offs Firecrawl is simpler. Apify offers more granular control over crawl behavior. | |||
Autonomous research (/agent) | /agent does deep research autonomously, no URLs required | No equivalent. SERP scraping only, no autonomous data gathering | Firecrawl's /agent searches, navigates, and extracts intelligently. Apify requires URLs and manual Actor configuration. |
When it matters Critical for AI agents, lead enrichment, and research where you don't know URLs upfront. Trade-offs Firecrawl handles the full research pipeline. Apify requires manual orchestration. | |||
Entry pricing | $16/month (3,000 pages guaranteed) | $29/month (prepaid usage, varies by Actor) | Firecrawl: fixed page count. Apify: prepaid credits consumed at varying rates. |
When it matters Important for startups and individual developers. Trade-offs Firecrawl is cheaper and more predictable. Apify's $29 may go further or shorter depending on usage. | |||
Open source / Self-hosted | Yes (fully open source, self-host available) | Partial (Crawlee library is open source, platform is closed) | Firecrawl can be fully self-hosted. Apify's platform requires their cloud. |
When it matters Data residency, air-gapped environments, cost optimization at scale. Trade-offs Firecrawl offers full control. Apify's Crawlee can be self-hosted but without the platform features. | |||
No-code integrations | Native Lovable integration + n8n, Zapier, Make | Zapier, Make, Airbyte (requires Actor selection and configuration) | Firecrawl's Lovable integration lets you build scraping workflows with natural language. Apify integrations still require Actor configuration. |
When it matters Critical for non-developers or teams wanting to build quickly without code. Trade-offs Firecrawl is more accessible to non-developers. Apify offers more customization for technical users. | |||
Click any row to see when it matters and trade-offs
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Community
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People love
building with Firecrawl
Discover why developers choose Firecrawl every day.
Firecrawl is an open-source framework that takes a URL, crawls it, and conver..."
Upload a CSV of emails and..."
Firecrawl is an open-source framework that takes a URL, crawls it, and conver..."
Upload a CSV of emails and..."
Fast-moving orgs are building with Firecrawl
Zapier
How Zapier uses Firecrawl to Empower Chatbots
Discover how Zapier uses Firecrawl to empower customers with custom knowledge in their chatbots.
Retell
Retell's AI phone agents get LLM-ready content from Firecrawl
How Retell keeps AI phone agents answering from live, LLM-ready content using Firecrawl's web scraping API.
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How Stack AI Uses Firecrawl to Power AI Agents
Discover how Stack AI leverages Firecrawl to seamlessly feed agentic AI workflows with high-quality web data.
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FAQs
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FAQ
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Frequently
asked questions
Everything you need to know about this comparison.
General
Firecrawl is a modern, API-first scraping platform with five unified endpoints that handle any website with one call and return LLM-ready markdown. Apify is a marketplace of 10,000+ pre-built scrapers (Actors) that each require separate configuration and output raw data needing post-processing. Firecrawl gets you started in minutes with predictable pricing; Apify requires browsing Actors, understanding compute costs, and often writing custom code.
Firecrawl is more cost-effective for most use cases. It uses flat pricing (1 credit = 1 page, $0.0008/scrape at scale) so you always know your costs upfront. Apify uses compute-based pricing ($0.20-$0.30/compute unit) plus Actor rental fees and proxy costs, making it difficult to predict bills. Many teams find Apify costs spiral unexpectedly as usage scales.
Technical
For most web scraping needs, Firecrawl's unified API is the better choice. You get one API for all websites with flat pricing, instant setup, and LLM-ready output. Apify's Actor marketplace requires browsing thousands of options, understanding each Actor's quirks, and managing compute resources. Firecrawl handles the complexity for you.
Firecrawl's /agent endpoint does autonomous deep research without requiring URLs. Just describe what you need (like 'Find pricing for the top 5 CRM tools') and the agent searches, navigates, and extracts structured data automatically. Apify has no equivalent. With Apify, you'd need to manually find URLs, select the right Actors, and orchestrate multiple steps yourself.
Integration
Yes. Firecrawl is fully open source and can be self-hosted for complete control over your data and infrastructure. This is ideal for enterprises with data residency requirements or teams optimizing costs at scale. Apify's Crawlee library is open source, but the full platform (Actors, storage, proxies, orchestration) requires their cloud and cannot be self-hosted.
Yes. Firecrawl has native integrations with no-code platforms like Lovable, n8n, Zapier, and Make. You can build complete scraping workflows using simple prompts and visual interfaces. Apify also integrates with Zapier and Make, but you still need to understand how to configure Actors, set up input schemas, and manage compute resources.
Advanced
Firecrawl is purpose-built for AI workflows. Every scrape returns clean markdown ready for chunking and embedding, with structured extraction via natural language prompts. Apify's Website Content Crawler can work for RAG, but outputs raw HTML/JSON that needs conversion, and requires you to configure compute resources and manage Actor runs.
Crawlee is Apify's open-source web crawling library that requires you to write and host your own code. Firecrawl is a complete hosted solution: one API call returns clean, LLM-ready data with no infrastructure to manage. If you want results without writing crawling logic, Firecrawl is the clear choice. Crawlee is only suitable for developers who want to build and maintain their own scraping infrastructure.
Why Firecrawl?
The world's most comprehensive web data API. Our custom browser stack and semantic index deliver superior data quality across any website, handling more content types and edge cases than any competitor.
JavaScript rendering, dynamic content, and robust request handling built-in.
Process millions of pages with automatic rate limiting, caching, and distributed infrastructure.
Optimized scraping engine with parallel processing and smart caching for instant results.
Comprehensive docs, SDKs for all major languages, and dedicated support to help you succeed.
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Pricing
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