ScraperAPI vs ScrapingAnt: The Ultimate Comparison
Choosing between ScraperAPI and ScrapingAnt for your web scraping needs? This comprehensive comparison covers pricing, features, performance metrics, and real-world usage scenarios to help you make the best decision for your business in .
Table of Contents
Service Overview
ScraperAPI
ScraperAPI is a comprehensive web scraping solution that handles proxy rotation, CAPTCHA solving, and JavaScript rendering. Founded to simplify large-scale data extraction, it serves over 10,000 developers worldwide with enterprise-grade infrastructure.
- 40 million proxy IPs
- JavaScript rendering support
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Enterprise-focused solutions
ScrapingAnt
ScrapingAnt positions itself as an "enterprise-grade scraping API with ant-sized pricing." It focuses on providing premium features at competitive rates, offering unlimited concurrency and advanced anti-detection capabilities across all plan levels.
- Unlimited concurrency
- 99.99% uptime guarantee
- 85.5% anti-blocking success rate
- Custom JavaScript execution
Market Position & Statistics
Pricing Comparison
Cost Per 100,000 API Credits
Detailed Pricing Plans
| Plan | ScraperAPI | ScrapingAnt | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level |
$49/month
100,000 API credits
20 concurrent threads
|
$19/month
100,000 API credits
Unlimited concurrency
|
Small projects, freelancers |
| Startup |
$149/month
1,000,000 API credits
50 concurrent threads
|
$49/month
500,000 API credits
Unlimited concurrency
|
Growing businesses, medium projects |
| Business |
$299/month
3,000,000 API credits
100 concurrent threads
|
$249/month
3,000,000 API credits
Unlimited concurrency
|
Large teams, enterprise needs |
Value Per Dollar Analysis
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ScraperAPI | ScrapingAnt |
|---|---|---|
| JavaScript Rendering |
Extra cost
|
Included
|
| Proxy Rotation |
40M+ IPs
|
Smart routing
|
| Residential Proxies |
Premium feature
|
Available
|
| Geolocation Support |
13 countries
|
15 countries
|
| Screenshots |
Full/visible page
|
|
| Custom JS Execution |
Up to 60s
|
|
| Sessions Support |
15min persistent
|
Persistent IP
|
| Concurrent Requests |
Plan-based limits
|
Unlimited
|
Feature Score Comparison
Performance & Reliability Statistics
Success Rates
Uptime Comparison
Performance Metrics Overview
ScraperAPI Performance
- Success Rate: 99%
- Uptime: 99.9%
- Average Response Time: 2.3s
- CAPTCHA Solving: Automatic
- Proxy Pool Size: 40M+ IPs
ScrapingAnt Performance
- Success Rate: 85.5%
- Uptime: 99.99%
- Average Response Time: 1.8s
- Anti-Bot Avoidance: 85.5%
- Concurrent Requests: Unlimited
Best Use Cases
ScraperAPI is Best For:
-
Enterprise Operations: Large-scale data extraction with enterprise-grade infrastructure
-
E-commerce Intelligence: Product pricing, competitor analysis, market research
-
SERP Data Collection: SEO agencies and digital marketing companies
-
Real Estate Data: Property listings, market trends, investment analysis
ScrapingAnt is Best For:
-
Developer Projects: Startups and developers needing cost-effective solutions
-
Visual Scraping: Projects requiring screenshots and visual data
-
Custom JavaScript: Complex scraping requiring custom code execution
-
High Concurrency: Applications needing unlimited parallel requests
Detailed Pros & Cons Analysis
ScraperAPI
Pros
- Massive proxy pool (40M+ IPs)
- Excellent enterprise support
- High success rate (99%)
- Comprehensive documentation
- Multiple programming language support
- Structured data extraction
Cons
- Higher pricing for entry-level plans
- JavaScript rendering costs extra
- No screenshot capability
- Limited concurrent connections on lower plans
- No custom JavaScript execution
ScrapingAnt
Pros
- Extremely competitive pricing
- Unlimited concurrency on all plans
- Screenshot functionality included
- Custom JavaScript execution
- 99.99% uptime guarantee
- Free personal use plan
Cons
- Lower success rate (85.5%)
- Smaller company, less enterprise focus
- Fewer integrations available
- Limited structured data extraction
- Smaller proxy pool
Final Verdict: Which Should You Choose?
Our Recommendation
The choice between ScraperAPI vs ScrapingAnt ultimately depends on your specific needs, budget, and scale. Both services offer excellent web scraping capabilities, but they cater to different market segments and use cases.
Choose ScraperAPI if:
- You're an enterprise with large-scale needs
- You need maximum success rates (99%)
- You require extensive documentation
- You need structured data extraction
- Budget is less of a concern
Choose ScrapingAnt if:
- You're budget-conscious
- You need unlimited concurrency
- You require screenshot functionality
- You need custom JavaScript execution
- You're a developer or small team
Try Both if:
- You're starting a new project
- You have complex requirements
- You want to test performance
- You need to validate success rates
- You're unsure about long-term needs
Related: ScraperAPI vs Octoparse
Related: ScraperAPI vs Scrape.do
Frequently Asked Questions
Which service offers better value for money?
ScrapingAnt offers significantly better value for money, especially for smaller projects and startups. At $19/month for 100,000 API credits compared to ScraperAPI's $49/month for the same credits, ScrapingAnt is 61% cheaper. Additionally, ScrapingAnt includes unlimited concurrency on all plans, while ScraperAPI limits concurrent connections based on your plan level.
What's the difference in success rates between the two services?
ScraperAPI claims a 99% success rate, while ScrapingAnt reports an 85.5% anti-scraping avoidance rate. However, success rates can vary significantly based on the target websites, scraping parameters, and specific use cases. ScraperAPI's higher success rate comes from their massive 40+ million IP proxy pool and enterprise-grade infrastructure, while ScrapingAnt focuses on smart routing algorithms.
Do both services support JavaScript rendering?
Yes, both services support JavaScript rendering, but with different approaches. ScraperAPI charges extra for JavaScript rendering (using the render=true parameter), while ScrapingAnt includes it in their standard pricing. ScrapingAnt also offers custom JavaScript execution capabilities for up to 60 seconds, which ScraperAPI doesn't provide.
Which service is better for enterprise customers?
ScraperAPI is generally better suited for enterprise customers due to their extensive enterprise features, comprehensive documentation, structured data extraction capabilities, and dedicated enterprise support. They serve over 10,000 developers and have established partnerships with major corporations. ScrapingAnt, while offering excellent value, is more focused on developers and smaller teams.
Can I take screenshots with both services?
No, only ScrapingAnt offers screenshot functionality. You can capture both full-page and visible-area-only screenshots using ScrapingAnt's API. ScraperAPI does not provide screenshot capabilities, focusing instead on data extraction and HTML content retrieval.
How do the free plans compare?
ScrapingAnt offers a more generous free plan with 10,000 API credits per month for personal use, while ScraperAPI provides a 7-day free trial with 5,000 API credits. ScrapingAnt's free plan is ongoing and doesn't require a credit card, making it ideal for testing and small personal projects. ScraperAPI's trial is time-limited but allows you to test their enterprise features.
Ready to Start Web Scraping?
Both ScraperAPI and ScrapingAnt offer excellent web scraping solutions. Choose based on your specific needs: ScraperAPI for enterprise-grade reliability and ScrapingAnt for cost-effective innovation.