CrawlForge vs Apify
Simple MCP-native tools with transparent pricing versus a full actor marketplace. Find the right fit.
Overview
CrawlForge and Apify take fundamentally different approaches to web scraping. CrawlForge provides 18 focused MCP tools with per-tool credit pricing. Apify offers a marketplace of thousands of "actors" -- pre-built scraping scripts -- with compute-unit-based billing.
Apify's actor ecosystem is massive, covering niche use cases from social media scraping to real estate data. However, this breadth comes with complexity: you need to find the right actor, understand its configuration, and manage compute units. CrawlForge keeps things simple with a consistent API across all 18 tools.
For AI agent workflows, CrawlForge's MCP-native design means agents discover and call tools directly through the protocol. With Apify, you would need to wrap actor calls in custom MCP servers or use HTTP clients.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | CrawlForge | Apify | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | MCP-native, 18 focused tools | Actor marketplace (thousands of scripts) | |
| AI Agent Integration | Direct MCP tool calls | REST API, requires custom wrapping | |
| Setup Complexity | API key, start calling tools | Find actor, configure inputs, manage runs | |
| Pricing Model | Per-tool credits (1-10 per call) | Compute units (CPU/memory/time) | |
| Use Case Breadth | 18 general-purpose tools | Thousands of specialized actors | |
| Infrastructure | Fully managed | Managed with optional self-hosting | |
| Deep Research | Built-in multi-source research | Not built-in | |
| Proxy Management | Built-in with stealth_mode | Built-in proxy infrastructure | |
| Scheduling | Via external cron/agents | Built-in scheduler |
Pricing Comparison
| Tier | CrawlForge | Apify |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1,000 credits | $5/mo in compute units |
| Starter | $19/mo — 5,000 credits | $49/mo — platform fee + compute |
| Professional | $99/mo — 50,000 credits | $149/mo — platform fee + compute |
| Business | $399/mo — 250,000 credits | Custom pricing |
Why Choose CrawlForge
- MCP-native architecture for direct AI agent integration
- Simple per-tool credit pricing -- no compute unit calculations
- Fast onboarding: get an API key and start scraping
- Built-in deep_research for multi-source analysis
- Consistent API across all 18 tools
Where Apify Shines
- +Thousands of pre-built actors for niche scraping tasks
- +Built-in scheduling and workflow orchestration
- +Self-hosting option for sensitive data
- +Larger community of actor developers
- +More mature dataset storage and export options
The Verdict
Choose CrawlForge if you want a simple, MCP-native scraping toolkit that integrates directly with AI agents. The per-tool pricing is predictable, and you will not spend time searching for and configuring actors.
Choose Apify if you need highly specialized scrapers for niche platforms, built-in scheduling, or a self-hosted deployment option. Apify's breadth is unmatched, but that breadth comes with more complexity.
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