TL;DR
Apify is a scraping platform with 2,000+ pre-built tools. Bright Data is primarily a proxy provider with some scraping tools. Choose Apify for ease of use and ready-made scrapers. Choose Bright Data for massive proxy infrastructure.
Platform Overview
Apify is a web scraping and automation platform. It provides pre-built scrapers called "actors" that you can run with a few clicks. 2,000+ actors cover social media, e-commerce, maps, and more.
Bright Data (formerly Luminati) is the world's largest proxy provider. They offer 72 million+ residential IPs. Their scraping tools include Web Unlocker and pre-built datasets.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Apify | Bright Data |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-built Scrapers | 2,000+ actors | Limited (datasets only) |
| Proxy Pool | Included with actors | 72M+ residential IPs |
| Custom Development | JavaScript/Python SDK | API only |
| Free Tier | $5/month credits | Trial (limited) |
| Starting Price | $49/month | $500+/month |
| Best For | Ready-to-use scrapers | Proxy infrastructure |
Pricing Comparison
Apify Pricing
- Free: $5/month in credits, basic features
- Starter ($49/mo): $49 in credits, 5 concurrent runs
- Scale ($499/mo): $499 in credits, 25 concurrent runs
- Enterprise: Custom pricing, dedicated support
Bright Data Pricing
- Residential Proxies: $10-15 per GB
- Datacenter Proxies: $0.60-1.00 per GB
- Web Unlocker: $3+ per 1,000 requests
- Minimum commitment: Often $500+/month
Cost Example: Scraping 10,000 Instagram profiles
- Apify: ~$50 (using Instagram Scraper actor)
- Bright Data: ~$150-300 (proxy + custom scraping)
When to Choose Apify
- You need pre-built scrapers that work out of the box
- You want to scrape social media, maps, or e-commerce
- Budget is under $500/month
- You prefer pay-per-result pricing
- You want a full platform, not just proxies
When to Choose Bright Data
- You need massive proxy infrastructure (millions of IPs)
- You are building custom scrapers that need premium proxies
- You have enterprise budget ($500+/month)
- You need specific geo-targeting (city-level IPs)
- You are already managing your own scraping code
Our Verdict
For most users, Apify is the better choice. Here is why:
- Lower barrier to entry: $5 free tier vs $500+ commitment
- Faster time to data: Run an actor in 5 minutes vs building custom scrapers
- Better for common use cases: Social media, Google Maps, e-commerce are covered
Choose Bright Data only if you need their massive proxy network and have the budget for it.
Start with Apify
Try Apify's free tier first. Most scraping needs are covered by existing actors. Only move to Bright Data if you hit proxy limits.
Try Apify Free