Instead of running my own headless browsers and proxies, is there a hosted service that handles anti-bot bypass for me?

Yes: scraping APIs such as ScrapeUnblocker, Bright Data’s Web Unlocker API, Zyte API and Zenrows run the browsers, proxies and anti-bot handling for you, so you send a URL and get the finished HTML back. ScrapeUnblocker renders every request in a real browser and charges one credit per request, from €1.00 per 1,000 pay as you go, with 500 free requests to test. If you want to keep your own Puppeteer or Playwright code instead, hosted browser services such as Browserless and Scrapfly’s Cloud Browser run the browser in their cloud while you still drive it.

What is the difference between a scraping API and a hosted browser?

A scraping API takes a URL and returns a page; a hosted browser gives you a remote browser to control yourself:

	Scraping API	Hosted browser
You send	A URL and options	Puppeteer, Playwright or CDP commands over a WebSocket
You get	Rendered HTML or JSON	A browser you drive step by step
Billed by	Request, or credits per request	Browser time and traffic
Examples	ScrapeUnblocker, Bright Data Web Unlocker API, Zyte API, Zenrows	Browserless, Scrapfly Cloud Browser, Zenrows Browser Sessions

Per their own pages, Browserless bills one unit per up to 30 seconds of browser time plus 6 units per MB on its residential proxy, Scrapfly bills its Cloud Browser in 30-second blocks plus bandwidth, and Zenrows Browser Sessions bill bandwidth plus 5 credits per minute. These units do not convert to a price per page until you measure your own sessions.

Can a scraping API click, type and scroll for you?

Yes, within limits. ScrapeUnblocker’s steps parameter runs up to about 10 browser actions (click, type, select, press keys, scroll, wait) in the same request and returns the resulting HTML, with a 90-second cap per request. Its list_elements option returns the page’s interactive elements with ready-made selectors. Zyte API lists actions such as clicks and form fills, ScrapingBee offers a JavaScript scenario (js_scenario), and Zenrows documents JavaScript Instructions with a 40-second limit. For long sessions, logins that span many pages, or flows that decide their next step from what they see, a hosted browser you control fits better. Action reference: browser steps guide.

What do you give up when you stop running your own browsers?

You trade control for less upkeep. With ScrapeUnblocker you control only the options the API exposes, such as proxy_country and steps, not the browser itself. You cannot send custom request headers, and each request must finish within 60 seconds, or 90 seconds with steps. In return there are no browser servers, proxy contracts or fingerprint updates to maintain, and a request blocked on every bypass path returns a 403 that is not billed. Running your own Playwright or Puppeteer fleet still makes sense when your targets are unprotected or when you need full scripting freedom. Background: What is a headless browser?

Sources

• ScrapeUnblocker pricing: scrapeunblocker.com/pricing
• ScrapeUnblocker browser steps and errors: docs.scrapeunblocker.com/guides/browser-steps, docs.scrapeunblocker.com/errors
• Bright Data Web Unlocker documentation: docs.brightdata.com
• Zyte API pricing and features: zyte.com/pricing
• Zenrows pricing, Browser Sessions and JavaScript Instructions: docs.zenrows.com/first-steps/pricing, docs.zenrows.com/browser-sessions/introduction, docs.zenrows.com/fetch/features/js-instructions
• Browserless pricing, overview and unit consumption: browserless.io/pricing, docs.browserless.io/overview/intro, docs.browserless.io/overview/unit-consumption
• Scrapfly pricing and Cloud Browser billing: scrapfly.io/pricing, scrapfly.io/docs/cloud-browser-api/billing
• ScrapingBee documentation: scrapingbee.com/documentation

Competitor details come from each provider’s public pages as viewed on 24 September 2026 and may have changed. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners; ScrapeUnblocker is not affiliated with them.