Apify vs Selenium: Platform vs Browser Automation

What They Are

Apify is a cloud platform with 2,000+ pre-built scrapers. Pick a tool, enter inputs, get data. Handles infrastructure, proxies, and scaling.

Selenium is a browser automation library. Write code to control a browser. Click buttons, fill forms, extract data. You run it on your own servers.

Feature Comparison

Use Case: Scraping Instagram

With Apify

1. Find Instagram Scraper actor
2. Enter profile URLs or hashtags
3. Click Start
4. Download posts, followers, comments as JSON

Time: 10 minutes.

With Selenium

1. Set up Selenium with Chrome driver
2. Write login automation
3. Code navigation and scrolling
4. Parse Instagram's dynamic HTML
5. Handle rate limits and blocks
6. Set up proxy rotation
7. Deploy to server

Time: Days to weeks. Maintenance ongoing.

Selenium's Strengths

Selenium is still valuable for:

• Internal tools and testing (not just scraping)
• Automating login-protected workflows
• Multi-browser testing
• Full control over browser behavior
• Integration with existing test suites

When to Choose Apify

• You need data, not a testing tool
• Speed matters more than control
• Common platforms (social media, e-commerce)
• You do not want to manage browser infrastructure

When to Choose Selenium

• You need browser testing, not just scraping
• You are automating internal workflows
• Multi-browser support is required
• You have existing Selenium expertise

Our Verdict

For web scraping, Apify is the clear winner. It does in minutes what takes days with Selenium.

Selenium is a testing tool that can scrape. Apify is a scraping platform. Use each for what it does best.

Sources

• Apify Pricing
• Selenium Official Site