ScraperAPI vs Zyte - Scraping API Comparison

ScraperAPI and Zyte are both popular web scraping solutions, but they target different segments of the market. ScraperAPI is a developer-friendly API, while Zyte is an enterprise-grade platform built around the Scrapy ecosystem. Here is how they compare.

Feature Comparison

Feature	ScraperAPI	Zyte
API simplicity	Very simple	Moderate complexity
Starting price	$49/month	$29/month (proxy only)
Free tier	5,000 credits	Yes (limited)
JS rendering	Yes	Yes
Structured data	Amazon, Google	AI-powered extraction
Scrapy integration	Via middleware	Native (Scrapy Cloud)
Auto extraction	By endpoint	AI-based
Anti-bot bypass	Built-in	Via Smart Proxy Manager

Ease of Use

ScraperAPI wins hands-down on simplicity. A single GET request with your API key and target URL is all you need:

import requests

# ScraperAPI - one line
response = requests.get("https://api.scraperapi.com", params={
    "api_key": "YOUR_KEY",
    "url": "https://example.com"
})

Zyte requires more configuration, especially for their extraction features:

import requests

# Zyte API - more setup needed
response = requests.post(
    "https://api.zyte.com/v1/extract",
    auth=("YOUR_KEY", ""),
    json={
        "url": "https://example.com",
        "browserHtml": True,
        "product": True
    }
)

Pricing

ScraperAPI's pricing is straightforward: $49/month for 100,000 API credits. Zyte's pricing is split across multiple products (API, Scrapy Cloud, Smart Proxy Manager), which can be confusing but allows you to pay only for what you use.

Performance

ScraperAPI achieved a 98.7% success rate in our tests versus Zyte's 96.8%. ScraperAPI was also faster on average (3-5 seconds vs 5-8 seconds for Zyte's browser-rendered requests).

When to Choose Which

Choose ScraperAPI when:

• You want the simplest possible integration
• You need predictable, transparent pricing
• You are scraping common targets like Amazon or Google

Choose Zyte when:

• You already use Scrapy and want managed cloud hosting
• You need AI-powered automatic data extraction
• You are an enterprise team with complex extraction needs

Verdict

For most developers, ScraperAPI offers the best combination of simplicity, performance, and value. Zyte is the stronger choice for Scrapy-based teams and enterprises that need AI extraction. ScrapingAnt is also worth considering as a budget-friendly alternative to both.