Scraping API
ScrapeUnblocker vs ZenRows
ZenRows is a scraping API in the same category as ScrapeUnblocker - send a URL, get the unblocked page. The differences are in how the page gets rendered and what you can get back. ScrapeUnblocker runs its own real browser and warm profile pool, and adds plugin endpoints that return parsed JSON for popular targets.
On hard targets the exit and the browser matter more than any single flag. ScrapeUnblocker renders through its own browser with warmed, rotated profiles and picks the exit by reputation, retrying through a fresh one when a target pushes back - the same approach that keeps our production success rates high on Cloudflare, DataDome, PerimeterX and Akamai sites.
Beyond raw HTML, ScrapeUnblocker ships plugin endpoints - Skyscanner, Google Maps, eBay, Temu and more - that hand back clean JSON instead of leaving you to parse a page that changes shape every few weeks. Four official SDKs (Python, Node, Ruby, PHP), an MCP server and an Apify actor cover most ways you would want to call it.
Side by side
| Capability | ScrapeUnblocker | ZenRows |
|---|---|---|
| Rendering | Our own real browser + warm profile pool | Headless browser (Scraper API) |
| Anti-bot bypass | Cloudflare, DataDome, PerimeterX, Akamai | Cloudflare, DataDome, PerimeterX, Akamai (all plans) |
| Structured data | Plugin endpoints return parsed JSON | Autoparse / CSS-selector extraction |
| Official SDKs | Python, Node, Ruby, PHP + MCP + Apify | SDKs / API |
| Billing | Pay per successful request, soft-blocks free | Credit-based per request |
| Free tier | 500 requests on signup, no card | Free tier - 5,000 credits/month |
When ScrapeUnblocker is the better pick
- Your targets sit behind Cloudflare, DataDome, PerimeterX or Akamai.
- You want parsed JSON for common targets, not just raw HTML.
- You want a specific SDK - Python, Node, Ruby or PHP - or an MCP server.
- You do not want to pay for blocked responses.
Where they still make sense
- Your targets are light and a simpler renderer already returns them.
- You are already integrated and happy with your current results.
Try it on your own targets
500 requests free on signup. No card, no sales call.