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By Brody Babb, Workflow Dynamics LLC · Updated Oct 9, 2026 · This Apify vs Bright Data comparison checks prices, free-tier terms and ratings against both companies’ own pages, Bright Data’s docs, G2 and Trustpilot that day. We haven’t used Bright Data hands-on for this page. We do use Apify ourselves for competitor research, so the Apify side includes first-hand notes. The Bright Data side reflects what the company publishes and what reviewers report.
- A Store of ready-to-run scrapers (Actors) for common sites
- A free plan with $5 of prepaid usage a month, no credit card
- An MCP server so AI agents can run Actors
- Proxy networks, an unblocking API, scraper APIs and datasets in one platform
- A free tier to test the Unlocker API before you deposit anything
- Usage-based pricing, with monthly plans for steady volume
Table of Contents
The short version
Apify is a marketplace of ready-made scrapers, called Actors, plus the platform that runs them. Bright Data is web data infrastructure: proxy networks, an unblocking API, scraper APIs and datasets, sold mostly on usage. If you want data from common sites with little setup and a free plan to test on, Apify is the easier start. If your targets block scrapers and you collect data at scale, Bright Data is built for that, but its pricing has layers and some products need an identity check. This Apify vs Bright Data comparison covers verified pricing, both free tiers and the catches that matter before you pay. For a deeper look at one side, read our Bright Data review.
How we reviewed it
For this Apify vs Bright Data comparison we read Apify’s pricing page and FAQ, plus Bright Data’s pricing pages and its help docs on free tiers and billing, all on Oct 9, 2026. We pulled G2 and Trustpilot ratings for both tools the same day. We didn’t use Capterra, because we haven’t verified a current page. We haven’t tested Bright Data ourselves. Our Apify notes come from our own use of its Store Actors for competitor research, not from testing its plans, proxies or MCP server. We don’t give a numeric score. Prices and promotions change often, so treat every figure below as a snapshot and confirm it on the vendor’s page before you pay.
Apify vs Bright Data at a glance
| Apify | Bright Data | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Marketplace of ready-made Actors plus the platform that runs them | Proxy networks and web data APIs for collecting public web data |
| Best for | Getting data from common sites with little setup | Teams collecting data at scale, including hard-to-reach sites |
| Pricing model | Monthly plan with prepaid usage, plus pay as you go. Store Actors are priced per event or per usage | Pay as you go by GB, request, record or IP, plus monthly plans on some products |
| Free start | Free plan, $5 prepaid usage a month, no credit card | 5K Unlocker API requests a month, no card required per the pricing page |
| Verification | None mentioned on the pricing page | A KYC check applies before residential or mobile proxies |
| AI agent access | MCP server at mcp.apify.com | An MCP server, listed on its G2 profile |
| Third-party ratings | G2 4.7/5 (652 reviews) · Trustpilot 4.8/5 (781 reviews) | G2 4.7/5 (346 reviews) · Trustpilot 4.4/5 (1,025 reviews) |
| Main drawback | Actor prices vary, so costs can be hard to predict | Layered pricing and onboarding checks make it heavier for small jobs |
| Hands-on by us | Yes: Store Actors, used for our own competitor research | No: verification-based, from official pages and review sites |
| Try it | Try Apify | Try Bright Data |
Apify vs Bright Data pricing (verified Oct 9, 2026)
| What you’re buying | Apify | Bright Data |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free plan: $0, $5 prepaid usage a month, $0.20 per compute unit, no credit card | Unlocker API free tier: 5K requests a month |
| Entry paid | Starter: $19/mo plus pay as you go, $19 prepaid usage | No plan needed. Pay as you go from $1.5 per 1K Unlocker requests |
| Bigger plans | Scale: $199/mo, $0.16 per compute unit. Business: $999/mo, $0.13 per compute unit | Unlocker Scale: $499/mo with 383K requests, $1.3 per 1K extra. Residential plans: $499 (141 GB), $999 (332 GB), $1,999 (798 GB), all shown with the promo |
| Unblocking | Unblocker: $1.5 per 1K requests on Free and Starter, $1.25 on Scale, $1 on Business | Unlocker API: $1.5 per 1K requests, pay only for success |
| Residential proxies | $8/GB on Free and Starter, $7.5 on Scale, $7 on Business | $8/GB list, shown as $4/GB with a 50% promo (coupon on the page, 3 months) |
| Google SERP | $2.5 per 1K SERPs on Free and Starter, $2 on Scale, $1.7 on Business | SERP API from $1 per 1K requests |
| Datacenter proxies | 5 IPs included on Free, 30 on Starter then $1 per IP | From $0.9 per IP |
Free tiers compared
Apify. The free plan includes $5 of prepaid platform usage a month and needs no credit card. Apify says unused prepaid usage doesn’t roll over, and that free-plan access is blocked until the next monthly cycle once you use it up. The free plan includes Apify Proxy, but only for use inside the platform. Apify’s pricing page also describes a separate Creator plan with $500 of free usage for 6 months, aimed at people building their own Actors.
Bright Data. Its docs describe a recurring free tier of 5,000 credits a month (about $7.50 in value), usable across the Unlocker API, SERP API and Web Scraper API. They also describe a one-time $2 trial credit for proxy products and the Browser API, valid for 7 days, plus a $5 bonus when you add a payment method. The Unlocker pricing page says its free tier needs no credit card. The docs add that if you sign up with a personal email and no payment method, access to the proxy networks and the Unlocker API can be restricted. Moving to a committed plan ends the recurring monthly free credits.
Catches to know before you pay
- Apify: Actor pricing varies. Every Actor in the Store uses either pay per event or pay per usage, and some pay-per-event Actors charge platform usage separately. Apify says the easiest way to learn what an Actor costs is a test run.
- Apify: unused usage expires. Prepaid usage disappears at the end of the billing cycle. Paid plans bill any overage on the next invoice, up to the limit you set.
- Bright Data: identity checks for some proxies. Bright Data says a representative will ask you to complete a KYC process, which may include a short video call, before you use residential or mobile networks. The Unlocker API does not require it, per its FAQ.
- Bright Data: bandwidth counts both ways. Billed bandwidth includes request headers, request data, response headers and response data.
- Bright Data: committed plans don’t roll over. Unused commitment doesn’t carry into the next month, and billing runs on the 1st.
- Bright Data: promos change. The 50% residential discount is time-limited and may not be there when you read this.
What reviewers say
Apify. G2 shows 4.7 out of 5 across 652 reviews. Trustpilot shows 4.8 out of 5 across 781 reviews, with about 90% at five stars and about 2% at one star. Praise centers on the large selection of ready-made Actors, reliable scheduled runs and the MCP integration. Complaints in recent reviews include costs that are hard to predict, third-party Actors that vary in quality and price, and a learning curve on complex setups. Trustpilot also notes that Apify hasn’t recently invited customers to review and hasn’t replied to negative reviews.
Bright Data. G2 shows 4.7 out of 5 across 346 reviews. Trustpilot shows 4.4 out of 5 across 1,025 reviews, with about 85% at five stars and about 9% at one star. Praise centers on support that responds quickly and on getting past blocks. Complaints in recent reviews include a first-line AI support bot, slow replies from account managers, and frustration with onboarding and compliance checks. A few reviewers also dispute what they received on ISP proxies. These are individual opinions, not our findings, and Trustpilot says it doesn’t fact-check them.
From our own use of Apify
We use Apify ourselves for competitor research behind our videos and this site. Our setup has two stages: a low-cost metadata scraper for wide discovery, then a premium scraper only on the videos that look like confirmed high performers and need transcripts. Along the way we’ve run the YouTube Scraper, a comment scraper and Website Content Crawler from the Store.
What that showed us: Store Actors let you build a research pipeline without writing scrapers, and splitting the work into a cheap stage and a premium stage keeps you from paying premium rates on everything. What we can’t speak to from experience: proxies, the MCP server, or how Apify holds up against heavily protected sites. Those parts of this page come from Apify’s own pricing page and docs.
Choose Apify or choose Bright Data
- You want ready-made scrapers for common sites with minimal setup
- You want to start free with no credit card
- You want AI agents to run scrapers through an MCP server
- You collect public web data at scale and want proxies, unblocking and scrapers from one vendor
- You want to test the Unlocker API on a free tier before you deposit funds
- You can handle a verification step for residential or mobile proxies
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Apify and Bright Data?
Apify sells ready-made scrapers (Actors) and the platform that runs them. Bright Data sells the proxy networks and web data APIs that scrapers run on, plus managed scrapers and datasets. That’s our reading of both companies’ own pages.
Which is cheaper, Apify or Bright Data?
There’s no honest single answer. Apify bills compute units, storage, proxies and per-Actor fees. Bright Data bills per GB, request, record or IP. Run a small test on each free tier against your own target, then compare the usage each one reports.
Do both have a free plan?
Yes. Apify’s free plan gives $5 of prepaid usage a month with no credit card. Bright Data’s recurring free tier is 5,000 credits a month across its Unlocker, SERP and Scraper APIs, and its Unlocker page says no card is needed. Some Bright Data products still require a payment method or verification.
Do I need to code to use either one?
Apify’s Store has ready-made Actors you can run from its console. Bright Data’s own FAQ points scrapers to the Unlocker API, which you connect to your own code or tools. That’s our reading of their pages, not a hands-on test.
Is this Apify vs Bright Data comparison based on hands-on testing?
Partly. We use Apify ourselves for competitor research, so those notes are first-hand, but we haven’t used Bright Data. This Apify vs Bright Data comparison is built from both companies’ pricing pages and docs, plus G2 and Trustpilot ratings, all checked Oct 9, 2026. We say so up front, and we only claim hands-on use where it’s true.
Can I use Apify and Bright Data together?
We haven’t verified a documented way to combine them, so we won’t claim one. Check each vendor’s docs before you plan around it.
Apify vs Bright Data: our recommendation
Our Apify vs Bright Data comparison comes down to the job. For ready-made scrapers and a free start with no card, begin with Apify. For hard-to-reach sites at scale, test Bright Data’s free Unlocker tier first. Go in knowing that Apify costs vary by Actor, and that Bright Data’s pricing has layers, promos that change, and an identity check on some products. We haven’t tested Bright Data hands-on, and our Apify use covers Store Actors only, so run your own small test before you commit.
Sources
Checked Oct 9, 2026: Apify’s pricing page and FAQ; Bright Data’s pricing overview, residential proxy pricing and Unlocker API pricing; its docs on the free tier and billing FAQs; and the review pages on G2 (Apify, Bright Data) and Trustpilot (Apify, Bright Data).
Free plan: $5 usage a month, no credit card
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