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ScrapingBee

Developer-friendly web scraping API that handles headless browsers and proxies

Editorially reviewedChecked Oct 2026How we review
web-scraping#web-scraping#api#javascript-rendering#proxies
Free plan Free trial API Teams
Toolglade’s take

Best for outsourcing the messy parts of web scraping, handling headless browsers, proxy rotation, JavaScript rendering, and anti-bot measures behind one API. The caveat is that credit-based pricing climbs quickly at volume and no service fully escapes site blocking.

Should you use ScrapingBee?

Best for
developers · startups · data teams
Not ideal for
non-technical users needing no-code · hobbyists avoiding any cost · massive enterprise scraping operations
Biggest strength
Handles headless browsers and proxies for you
Biggest weakness
Real cost depends heavily on rendering and premium proxies
Pricing
Free plan, paid from $49/month
Top alternative
ZenRows · see all

Facts & pricing last checked October 2026. How we review

About ScrapingBee

ScrapingBee is a developer-friendly web scraping API that manages headless browsers, JavaScript rendering, and rotating proxies behind simple API calls. It handles JS-heavy sites, custom JS execution, and screenshots on a credit-based model, making it a solid choice for developers and small-to-midsize teams that want reliable scraping without infrastructure overhead.

ScrapingBee abstracts away the hardest parts of web scraping. Instead of running and scaling your own headless browsers and proxy pools, you make an API call and ScrapingBee handles rendering JavaScript, rotating IPs, geolocating requests, and returning the page content or extracted data. This makes it especially useful for single-page applications built with React, Vue, or Angular that traditional scrapers struggle with. The product is credit-based: simple HTML requests cost few credits, JavaScript rendering costs more, and premium or heavily protected domains cost the most. It also supports running custom JavaScript on target pages, taking screenshots, and using dedicated endpoints for common targets. This granularity lets developers tune cost against difficulty depending on what each job requires. ScrapingBee offers a free allotment of API credits to start, then self-serve plans scaling from tens to hundreds of dollars per month, plus enterprise pricing. It is well-regarded for developer experience and documentation. The trade-offs are that real cost depends heavily on how often you enable rendering and premium proxies, it is API-first with no visual no-code builder, and very large-scale enterprise scraping may be better served by heavier platforms.

TL;DR

ScrapingBee is a developer-friendly web scraping API that handles headless browsers, JS rendering, and proxies on a credit-based model, ideal for developers and small-to-midsize data teams.

Company overview

ScrapingBee is a web scraping API company focused on developer experience, abstracting headless browsers and proxy management behind simple API calls. It is well-regarded for documentation and ease of integration.

The company monetizes through credit-based self-serve plans and enterprise pricing. It positions itself as a reliable middle ground between DIY scraping and heavy enterprise data platforms.

Product features

ScrapingBee renders JavaScript, rotates proxies, geolocates requests, supports custom JS execution, and takes screenshots, all via API. Credit costs vary by request type, letting developers balance cost against difficulty.

It offers SDKs and examples across popular languages and integrates into data pipelines. The API-first design suits engineers building automated extraction rather than no-code users.

Target market

ScrapingBee targets developers, startups, growth engineers, and small-to-midsize data teams that need reliable scraping without managing infrastructure.

Buyer personas

End users

Developers integrating scraping into applications and pipelines.

Buyers

Engineering leads and startup founders choosing an API.

Key influencers

Data engineers and technical evaluators comparing scraping APIs.

Ideal customer profile

Developer-led teams that want a well-documented scraping API handling browsers and proxies for them.

Funding & performance

ScrapingBee is an independently operated software company; verify funding details with primary sources.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Handles headless browsers and proxies for you
  • Renders JavaScript-heavy sites
  • Custom JS execution and screenshots
  • Good developer experience and docs
  • Free starter credits
  • Granular credit control over cost

Cons

  • Real cost depends heavily on rendering and premium proxies
  • API-first with no visual no-code builder
  • Credits deplete faster on protected domains
  • Very large-scale scraping may need heavier platforms
  • No permanent free plan beyond starter credits

Pricing plans

Freelance
$49 / month
  • Starter credit volume
  • JavaScript rendering
  • Proxy management
  • API access
Startup
$99 / month
  • More credits
  • Higher concurrency
  • JS rendering
  • Premium proxies
Business
$249 / month
  • High credit volume
  • Greater concurrency
  • Priority support
  • All features
Business+
$599 / month
  • Very high credits
  • Maximum concurrency
  • Dedicated support
  • Enterprise-ready

Key features

API
Team collaboration
Integrations
REST API, Python, Node.js, Ruby, PHP, Webhooks
Input types
text
Output types
text
Best For
developers, startups, data teams

Compare key features

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Free plan
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Free trial
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API
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Team support
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Frequently asked questions

Does ScrapingBee handle JavaScript-heavy sites?+

Yes. ScrapingBee renders JavaScript so it can scrape single-page applications built with frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular.

Is there a free plan?+

ScrapingBee offers free starter API credits to try the service, then paid self-serve plans; there is no permanent free plan.

How does ScrapingBee pricing work?+

It is credit-based. Basic HTML requests use few credits, JavaScript rendering uses more, and premium or protected domains use the most.

Does ScrapingBee manage proxies?+

Yes. It manages a rotating proxy pool with geolocation so you do not have to handle proxies yourself.

Who is ScrapingBee best for?+

Developers and small-to-midsize teams that want a reliable scraping API without maintaining browser and proxy infrastructure.

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