TL;DR
Apify is a cloud platform with 2,000+ pre-built scrapers. Scrapy is an open-source Python framework you run yourself. Choose Apify for speed and convenience. Choose Scrapy for full control and zero platform costs.
What They Are
Apify is a cloud scraping platform. Pre-built scrapers run on their servers. You pay per result or compute time. No infrastructure to manage.
Scrapy is a Python framework for building web scrapers. Open source and free. You write the code, run the servers, handle everything yourself.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Apify | Scrapy |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Cloud Platform | Python Framework |
| Pre-built Scrapers | 2,000+ actors | None |
| Infrastructure | Managed | Self-hosted |
| Proxies | Included | Bring your own |
| Language | JavaScript, Python | Python only |
| Browser Automation | Built-in (Playwright) | Add-on (Splash, Selenium) |
| Cost | $5/mo free, then pay-per-use | Free (+ hosting costs) |
Total Cost Comparison
Scrapy is free. But running it has hidden costs:
| Cost | Apify | Scrapy (DIY) |
|---|---|---|
| Platform/Hosting | $49/mo starter | $20-100/mo VPS |
| Proxies | Included | $50-500/mo |
| Development Time | Minutes (use actor) | Days to weeks |
| Maintenance | None | Ongoing |
Scrapy costs less at high volume. But your time has value.
When to Choose Apify
- You need results quickly (today, not next month)
- A pre-built actor exists for your use case
- You do not want to manage servers and proxies
- Your scraping volume is moderate (thousands to millions)
- You value your time over infrastructure costs
When to Choose Scrapy
- You are scraping billions of pages
- You need complete control over every aspect
- You have Python developers with time to build
- You already have proxy infrastructure
- Budget is more important than speed
Can You Use Both?
Yes. Apify runs Scrapy projects. Deploy your Scrapy spider to Apify and get:
- Cloud hosting (no servers to manage)
- Built-in proxy rotation
- Scheduling and monitoring
- API access to results
Best of both worlds: Your Scrapy code, Apify's infrastructure.
Our Verdict
For most users, Apify is the better choice. You get data in minutes instead of spending weeks building infrastructure.
Scrapy makes sense for engineering teams with specific requirements and the bandwidth to maintain custom solutions.
Start with Apify
Try the free tier. If you outgrow it or need custom control, you can always build with Scrapy later.
Try Apify Free