Scraping API
ScrapeUnblocker vs ScraperAPI
ScraperAPI is one of the most popular scraping APIs: send a URL, get the page, with proxy rotation and JS rendering handled for you. It meters usage in API credits, where a single request can cost several credits once you turn on rendering or premium proxies. ScrapeUnblocker does the same job behind one endpoint, but the price is per successful request and blocked responses are free - so a hard target does not quietly multiply your bill.
The mechanics are similar - a real browser, anti-bot handling, exit rotation - so the deciding factors are billing and how hard a wall each one gets through. ScrapeUnblocker renders every request through its own browser build and a warm pool of rotated profiles, picks exits by reputation and retries through fresh ones, which is what tends to carry the Cloudflare, DataDome, PerimeterX and Akamai targets that credit-metered rendering struggles with.
On price, credits make cost hard to predict because the multiplier depends on the site and the options you enable. Pay-per-success removes that: you are charged for pages actually delivered, anti-bot soft-blocks come back free instead of as a billed 200, and a free tier of 500 requests on signup lets you compare success rates on your own targets before you commit.
Side by side
| Capability | ScrapeUnblocker | ScraperAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay per successful request, soft-blocks free | API credits (a request can cost several) |
| Rendering engine | Our own browser build + warm profile pool | Headless browser + proxy rotation |
| Anti-bot bypass | Cloudflare, DataDome, PerimeterX, Akamai | Proxy rotation + optional JS rendering |
| Structured data | Plugin endpoints return parsed JSON | Autoparse / raw HTML |
| Official SDKs | Python, Node, Ruby, PHP + MCP + Apify | API + libraries |
| Free tier | 500 requests on signup, no card | Free trial credits |
When ScrapeUnblocker is the better pick
- Credits make your scraping cost hard to predict.
- Your targets sit behind Cloudflare, DataDome, PerimeterX or Akamai.
- You want to stop paying for blocked responses.
- You want parsed JSON for common sites without writing extraction rules.
Where they still make sense
- Your targets are light and a credit-based plan is already cheap for you.
- You have a ScraperAPI integration that meets your needs.
Try it on your own targets
500 requests free on signup. No card, no sales call.