Best Web Scraping Tools & Proxies 2026
Four scraping tools, one honest test, five criteria each.
We tested four web scraping platforms and proxy networks hands-on in 2026 and scored every one on the same five criteria: features, ease of use, value, integrations and support. If you code, Apify wins; if you need enterprise proxies, Bright Data wins; if you cannot code, Browse AI does it for you; and Thordata is the budget proxy play.
Some links are affiliate links, and it never affects our scores.
Best web scraping tools by use case
All 4 tools compared
The full 2026 ranking at a glance. Scores come from hands-on testing and pricing was checked in 2026. Tap any tool to jump to its full breakdown.
| Best for | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apify | Best for developers | 4.2/5 | Free ($5 credits/mo), then $29/mo | ✓ | Developers & technical teams | Visit → |
| 2 | Bright Data | Best enterprise proxies | 4.2/5 | From $0.90/GB (datacenter) | — | Enterprise & large-scale | Visit → |
| 3 | Browse AI | Best no-code scraping | 3.8/5 | Free (50 credits), then $19/mo | ✓ | Non-technical users | Visit → |
| 4 | Thordata | Best budget proxies | 2.9/5 | From $3.50/GB (residential) | — | Cost-conscious teams | Visit → |
Scores from our hands-on reviews. Pricing checked 2026.
How we tested & scored
We do not rank scrapers from a landing page. Every tool here was put to work on real targets: e-commerce listings, search results and JS-heavy pages behind anti-bot defences. We measured success rates, per-GB and per-request costs, how quickly a proxy session got blocked, and how much code or no-code effort each one demanded. Each tool gets one weighted score out of five plus a full breakdown, so you can weigh what matters for your stack. Affiliate links help fund the testing, but they never move a score.
- Features & depthProxy types (residential, datacenter, ISP), unblockers, SERP APIs, ready-made scrapers and anti-bot bypass.25%
- Ease of useHow fast you go from sign-up to first dataset, whether by SDK, dashboard or point-and-click builder.20%
- Value for moneyReal cost per GB and per 1,000 requests, free credits, and how predictable bills stay at scale.20%
- IntegrationsSDKs, REST APIs, Playwright and Puppeteer support, plus Zapier, Make and n8n reach.20%
- Customer supportResponse times, documentation depth, account management and community resources.15%
Affiliate links never affect scoring.
Apify
Apify takes the top spot because no platform here gives developers more leverage. Its real moat is the ecosystem: over 1,500 ready-made Actors (pre-built scrapers) you can run in minutes, plus an SDK to build and even monetise your own. It scored highest on features and integrations at 4.5 out of 5, with managed browser fingerprinting, anti-bot bypass, cloud scheduling and native hooks into Zapier, Make and n8n. The free plan ships $5 of platform credits every month with no time limit, which covers light scraping for free. The honest catch is value at scale: the credit model bundles compute and proxy together, so costs are hard to predict, and there is no mid-tier between $29 Starter and $199 Scale.
- 1,500+ ready-made Actors (pre-built scrapers)
- Apify SDK for custom scraper development
- Managed fingerprinting and anti-bot bypass
- Cloud scheduling, monitoring and Actor marketplace
- ✓Unmatched library of ready-made scrapers
- ✓Powerful SDK for fully custom builds
- ✓Free $5 monthly credits with no time limit
- ✗Credit model makes costs hard to predict at scale
- ✗Big jump from $29 to $199 with no mid-tier
The best scraping platform for developers in 2026: start with an Actor, scale into the SDK when you outgrow it.
Bright Data
Bright Data is the gold standard for proxy infrastructure, and it tops every tool here on raw capability, scoring 4.8 on features and 4.7 on integrations. The network spans 72M+ residential IPs across 195 countries, backed by a Web Unlocker API (~$3 per 1,000 successes), a SERP API ($0.75-$1.50 per 1,000 queries), a Scraping Browser with anti-bot bypass built in, and a dataset marketplace if you would rather buy data than collect it. It ranks second only because of value and friction: pricing starts at $0.90/GB for datacenter and $8.40/GB for residential on pay-as-you-go (dropping to ~$3.50/GB on volume), the tiers are genuinely confusing, and as of April 2026 it no longer sells mobile proxies to new customers. The honest catch: this is premium infrastructure priced like it.
- 72M+ residential IPs across 195 countries
- Web Unlocker API at ~$3/1,000 successes
- SERP API and built-in Scraping Browser
- Ready-made dataset marketplace
- ✓Largest, most reliable proxy network tested
- ✓Deep compliance and account management
- ✓Full toolkit: unblocker, SERP API, datasets
- ✗Premium pricing and confusing tier structure
- ✗No mobile proxies for new customers since April 2026
The enterprise pick: if reliability and compliance at scale matter more than the bill, nothing beats Bright Data.
Browse AI
Browse AI is the pick for everyone who does not want to touch code. You train a robot by pointing and clicking through a page, and it extracts the data, runs on a schedule from hourly to monthly, and even alerts you when a monitored site changes. That accessibility earned it 4.3 on ease of use and 4.6 on integrations, with native links to Zapier, Make, Google Sheets and Airtable. The free plan gives 50 credits a month to evaluate, and the Starter plan is $19/mo. It ranks third because of value: credit limits apply to every plan, value scored just 2.8, and complex or heavily JS-rendered sites still need manual tuning. The honest catch: it is built for accessibility, not massive-scale scraping.
- No-code point-and-click robot builder
- Automatic site-change monitoring and alerts
- Scheduled scraping from hourly to monthly
- Native Zapier, Make, Sheets and Airtable export
- ✓Truly no-code, usable by non-developers
- ✓Built-in monitoring and change alerts
- ✓Generous integration list for automation
- ✗Credit limits on every plan and weak per-dollar value
- ✗Struggles with complex, JS-heavy sites at scale
The no-code pick: if you cannot or will not code, Browse AI is the fastest way to scrape and monitor sites.
Thordata
Thordata is the budget alternative to Bright Data, and we are honest about the trade-off. Residential proxies start at $3.50/GB and drop to $1.80/GB at 500GB+, the SERP API is competitive at $0.80 per 1,000 requests, and there is a Web Unlocker and Scraping Browser too, putting it 40-55% below Bright Data on raw price. It finishes fourth because the gaps are real: the network and ecosystem are smaller, integrations and SDK support are thin, documentation is light, and customer support scored just 2.4 in our test, the weakest here. The honest catch: you trade reliability, support and tooling for the lower bill, so it suits price-sensitive jobs, not mission-critical pipelines.
- Residential proxies from $3.50/GB, $1.80/GB at scale
- SERP API at $0.80 per 1,000 requests
- Web Unlocker and Scraping Browser available
- Volume discounts down to $1.80/GB at 500GB+
- ✓40-55% cheaper than Bright Data on proxies
- ✓Competitive SERP API pricing
- ✓Free trial credits to test first
- ✗Weakest support and documentation in the test
- ✗Smaller network, ecosystem and SDK support
The budget pick: if residential proxies on a tight budget are all you need, Thordata delivers, just lower your reliability expectations.
How to choose in 2026
The right scraper depends on whether you write code, how much you scrape, and which proxy type your targets demand. Here is how we would steer the most common cases.
Developers building custom scrapers
Enterprise & large-scale collection
Non-technical teams
Budget-conscious proxy buyers
- Decide if you need a scraping platform (Apify, Browse AI) or raw proxies (Bright Data, Thordata).
- Match the proxy type to your targets: datacenter is cheap but easy to block, residential and ISP are stealthier and pricier.
- Estimate volume in GB and 1,000-request blocks, then compare real per-unit pricing, not headline rates.
- Check the free tier or trial credits and test against your actual targets before committing.
- Confirm SDK, REST API and automation support fit your stack (Playwright, Puppeteer, Zapier, n8n).
- Factor in support and documentation: at scale, a blocked job at 2am is worth paying for help.
- Scrape ethically and legally: respect robots.txt and terms of service, collect public data only, and avoid personal data without a lawful basis.
Best Web Scraping Tools 2026 · FAQ
What is the best web scraping tool in 2026?
For developers, Apify is the best web scraping tool in 2026, topping our ranking with 4.2 out of 5 thanks to 1,500+ ready-made Actors and a powerful SDK. But best depends on your job: Bright Data is the best for enterprise proxies and large-scale collection, Browse AI is the best no-code option for non-technical users, and Thordata is the best budget proxy network. We scored all four hands-on across the same five criteria, so pick the one that matches whether you code and how much you scrape.What is the best free web scraping tool?
Two tools here have genuine free plans. Apify ships $5 of platform credits every month with no time limit, which covers light scraping and gives developers access to its full Actor library. Browse AI offers 50 free credits a month, enough for a non-technical user to build and test a robot. Neither free tier scales to large projects, but both are real starting points rather than demos. Bright Data and Thordata do not have free plans, though both offer trial credits on request.What is the best proxy provider for web scraping?
Bright Data is the best proxy provider in 2026 and the industry gold standard. It runs 72M+ residential IPs across 195 countries, plus datacenter and ISP proxies, a Web Unlocker API and a Scraping Browser, scoring 4.8 on features in our test. Pricing starts at $0.90/GB for datacenter and $8.40/GB for residential on pay-as-you-go. If budget is tighter, Thordata offers residential proxies from $3.50/GB, 40-55% cheaper, at the cost of a smaller network and weaker support.What is the cheapest web scraping tool or proxy?
The cheapest route depends on what you need. For a scraping platform, Apify is effectively free for light use thanks to its $5 monthly credits, and Browse AI starts at $19/mo. For proxies, Thordata is the cheapest residential option we ranked at $3.50/GB, dropping to $1.80/GB at 500GB+, and its SERP API at $0.80 per 1,000 requests undercuts the field. Just remember the cheapest sticker price is not always cheapest in practice once you account for failed requests and support time.What is the easiest web scraping tool to use?
Browse AI is the easiest web scraping tool in our 2026 test, scoring 4.3 on ease of use. You train a robot by pointing and clicking through a page, with no code at all, then schedule it and get alerts when the site changes. It is built specifically for non-technical users. Apify is approachable for developers thanks to its ready-made Actors, but you will be more comfortable with some technical background. If you cannot code, Browse AI is the clear pick.Apify vs Bright Data: which should I choose?
Choose Apify if you are a developer who wants ready-made scrapers and an SDK to build your own, with proxies and compute bundled into one platform. Choose Bright Data if you need raw proxy infrastructure at enterprise scale, with the largest network, compliance and the highest block-resistance. Both scored 4.2 out of 5 overall but win for different reasons: Apify is a scraping platform, Bright Data is a proxy network. Many serious teams use both, running Apify Actors over Bright Data proxies for the toughest targets.What is the best no-code web scraping tool?
Browse AI is the best no-code web scraping tool in 2026. It lets a non-technical user build a scraper by pointing and clicking, schedule it from hourly to monthly, and receive alerts when a monitored page changes, with native export to Google Sheets, Airtable, Zapier and Make. The free plan includes 50 credits a month and paid plans start at $19/mo. Its limit is scale: credit caps apply to every plan and complex JS-heavy sites can need manual tuning, so it is best for focused business jobs rather than millions of pages.What are the different proxy types and which should I use?
There are three main proxy types. Datacenter proxies are cheap and fast but easy for sites to detect and block, good for low-defence targets. Residential proxies route through real consumer devices, so they look like genuine users and are far harder to block, which is why they cost more (around $3.50-$8.40/GB). ISP proxies sit in between, combining datacenter speed with residential trust. For most serious scraping behind anti-bot defences, residential is the safe default; use datacenter to keep costs down on easy targets.Is web scraping legal?
Scraping publicly available data is generally legal in most jurisdictions, but the details matter and this is not legal advice. Courts have repeatedly allowed scraping of public pages, yet you can still breach a site's terms of service, copyright, or data-protection law such as GDPR if you collect personal data without a lawful basis. The safe practice is to scrape only public data, respect robots.txt and rate limits, avoid logging in to bypass access controls, and never collect personal information you do not have a legal basis to process. When in doubt, get legal advice for your specific use case.Does Bright Data still sell mobile proxies?
As of April 2026, Bright Data no longer sells mobile proxies to new customers, a change confirmed in our 2026 review. Existing customers may retain access, but new sign-ups cannot purchase the mobile proxy product. Bright Data still offers residential, datacenter and ISP proxies, plus its Web Unlocker, SERP API and Scraping Browser, so the core toolkit is intact. If your project specifically requires mobile IPs, you will need to evaluate another provider or check directly with Bright Data on current availability for your account type.