CrawlForge vs Scrapfly
MCP-native web scraping with 20 specialized tools versus Scrapfly's anti-bot proxy API. See the honest comparison.
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Overview
CrawlForge and Scrapfly solve overlapping problems from different angles. Scrapfly is a best-in-class anti-bot proxy API — you call one endpoint, it handles residential IPs, browser rendering, and bypasses. CrawlForge is an MCP-native platform with 20 tools that wrap fetching, extraction, research, crawling, and monitoring so AI agents can call them directly.
If your workflow is "scrape this hard-to-reach page and give me HTML", Scrapfly is purpose-built for that and has deep experience on anti-bot evasion. If your workflow is "let my AI agent fetch, clean, research, and monitor across many sites", CrawlForge is built around that shape.
Both platforms offer free tiers (1,000 credits each) and scale to paid plans. Scrapfly's credit system is weighted — a browser-rendered request with residential proxies can cost 30+ credits. CrawlForge uses flat per-tool credits (1-10 per call) that are easier to forecast.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | CrawlForge | Scrapfly | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | MCP-native, 20 tools | REST API, single scrape endpoint | |
| AI Agent Integration | Direct MCP tool calls | HTTP client required | |
| Anti-Bot Bypass | stealth_mode with residential proxies | Industry-leading ASP anti-scraping shield | |
| Browser Rendering | Full headless browser | Full headless browser (+5 credits per call) | |
| Structured Extraction | Schema-based via scrape_structured | LLM extraction add-on | |
| Deep Research | Multi-source with conflict detection | Not available | |
| Credit Model | Flat 1-10 credits per tool call | Weighted — browser +5, residential +25 per call | |
| Free Tier | 1,000 credits | 1,000 API credits | |
| AI Discoverability | ai.txt, llms.txt, llms-full.txt | Limited | |
| Community & Docs | Growing | Established, strong dev docs |
Pricing Comparison
| Tier | CrawlForge | Scrapfly |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1,000 credits (one-time) | 1,000 API credits/mo |
| Starter | $19/mo — 5,000 credits | check vendor for latest |
| Professional | $99/mo — 50,000 credits | check vendor for latest |
| Business | $399/mo — 250,000 credits | check vendor for latest — Enterprise available |
Why Choose CrawlForge
- MCP-native — AI agents call tools directly without REST wrapping
- 20 purpose-built tools including deep_research and track_changes
- Flat per-tool credit pricing without weighted modifiers
- One-time 1,000-credit free allowance to prototype without card
- Full AI discoverability via ai.txt, llms.txt, llms-full.txt
- Built-in localization, structured extraction, and site mapping
Where Scrapfly Shines
- +Best-in-class anti-bot shield (ASP) for protected sites
- +Deep experience in proxy rotation and fingerprint management
- +Mature developer ecosystem with strong Python/JS SDKs
- +Screenshot API and session management built in
- +Well-established community for high-difficulty scraping
The Verdict
Pick CrawlForge if your workflow is AI-agent-driven and spans multiple primitives (fetch, research, crawl, monitor). The MCP protocol means your agent discovers and calls tools without extra glue code. Pick Scrapfly if your workflow is dominated by hard-to-reach pages that need elite anti-bot bypass — Scrapfly's ASP shield is best in class and their per-request pricing rewards pure scraping volume.
Many teams use both: CrawlForge for AI orchestration and general scraping, Scrapfly specifically for the 5-10% of sites with aggressive anti-bot defenses.
Which one should you pick?
- You are building Claude, Cursor, or Windsurf agents that need native MCP tool access.
- Your workload spans more than raw fetching — research, extraction, crawling, monitoring all in one API.
- You want a flat credit price you can predict before each call runs.
- You are not fighting the hardest anti-bot shields and stealth_mode is enough.
- You value 1,000 credits free to prototype without payment details.
- You are scraping sites with aggressive anti-bot defenses (Cloudflare Enterprise, DataDome, PerimeterX) and need Scrapfly's ASP shield.
- Your workflow is single-endpoint HTML fetching at volume and weighted credits work out cheaper for you.
- You rely on Scrapfly-specific features like session persistence, screenshot variants, or their scraper marketplace.
- Your engineering stack is REST/SDK-first and MCP is not on your roadmap.
Migration example
Swap a Scrapfly scrape call for a CrawlForge extract_content call. (Check Scrapfly docs for latest SDK options.)
Before — Scrapfly
typescript// Before: Scrapfly
import { ScrapflyClient, ScrapeConfig } from 'scrapfly-sdk';
const client = new ScrapflyClient({ key: process.env.SCRAPFLY_KEY });
const result = await client.scrape(new ScrapeConfig({
url: 'https://example.com',
render_js: true,
}));
const html = result.result.content;After — CrawlForge
typescript// After: CrawlForge
const res = await fetch('https://www.crawlforge.dev/api/v1/tools/extract_content', {
method: 'POST',
headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.CRAWLFORGE_API_KEY}`, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
body: JSON.stringify({ url: 'https://example.com' }),
});
const { content } = await res.json();Frequently Asked Questions
Is CrawlForge an anti-bot proxy service like Scrapfly?
Not in the same dedicated way. CrawlForge's stealth_mode handles residential proxies and fingerprint rotation for most sites, but Scrapfly's ASP shield is specifically engineered for the hardest anti-bot surfaces. If your main pain is anti-bot, Scrapfly is purpose-built for that.
How does Scrapfly's credit weighting compare to CrawlForge's flat credits?
Scrapfly charges 1 base credit per scrape, +5 for browser rendering, +25 for residential proxies — so a single hard request can cost 30+ credits. CrawlForge charges a flat 1-10 credits per tool call regardless of the underlying infrastructure used. For protected-site traffic Scrapfly can cost more per call; for standard content CrawlForge is typically simpler to forecast.
Can CrawlForge replace Scrapfly for my workflow?
For most content sites, yes. CrawlForge's fetch_url, extract_content, and stealth_mode cover the majority of scraping needs. For sites with elite anti-bot defenses (e.g. aggressive Cloudflare Enterprise), Scrapfly is still the better specialised tool.
Does CrawlForge offer screenshots like Scrapfly?
CrawlForge offers screenshots via the scrape_with_actions tool. Scrapfly has more advanced screenshot options (full-page, element-targeted, formats) if that is a primary use case for you.
Can I use both CrawlForge and Scrapfly together?
Yes. A common pattern is to route most traffic through CrawlForge and fall back to Scrapfly specifically for the small subset of sites that require the ASP shield. The two billing relationships are independent.
Which has better docs for developers?
Scrapfly has the longer track record and a deeper set of blog posts, tutorials, and SDK coverage. CrawlForge's docs cover all 20 tools and integration paths for MCP hosts; both are production-ready.
Related resources
Getting started
Install CrawlForge MCP and run your first scrape in under a minute.
Browse all 20 tools
See every scraping, extraction, and research tool with credit costs.
Use cases
Lead enrichment, price monitoring, RAG pipelines, and more.
Pricing
Free 1,000 credits, then $19/mo Starter. Compare every plan.
All comparisons
See how CrawlForge stacks up against every major scraping API.
MCP web scraping guide
Why MCP-native scraping outperforms REST for AI agents.
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