TL;DR
Free tier gives you $5/month. Most actors charge $0.001-$0.01 per result. Scraping 1,000 businesses from Google Maps costs about $4. Monthly plans start at $49 for higher volume.
Two Types of Pricing
Apify has two pricing systems. Understanding both helps you estimate costs before running a job.
1. Platform Usage (Compute Units)
The Apify platform charges for compute time. One compute unit equals 1 GB of memory running for 1 hour.
| Plan | Price per CU | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | $0.25 | Testing and small jobs |
| Starter ($49/mo) | $0.25 | Regular small projects |
| Scale ($499/mo) | $0.20 | Business-scale operations |
2. Actor-Specific Pricing (Pay-Per-Result)
Many popular actors charge per result instead of compute time. This makes costs predictable.
| Actor | Price per Result | 1,000 Results Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Google Maps Scraper | $0.004 | $4.00 |
| TikTok Scraper | $0.003 | $3.00 |
| Instagram Scraper | $0.005 | $5.00 |
| LinkedIn Profile Scraper | $0.015 | $15.00 |
| Amazon Product Scraper | $0.004 | $4.00 |
Free Tier Details
Every Apify account includes a free tier. You get $5 in credits each month. Credits reset on the 1st.
What $5 gets you:
- 1,250 Google Maps results
- 1,000 Instagram posts
- 1,666 TikTok videos
- 20 hours of basic compute time
Monthly Plans Comparison
| Feature | Free | Starter $49 | Scale $499 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Credits | $5 | $49 | $499 |
| Data Retention | 7 days | 14 days | 30 days |
| Concurrent Runs | 1 | 5 | 25 |
| Support | Community | Priority |
Tips to Reduce Costs
- Set result limits - Only scrape what you need. Do not fetch 10,000 results if you need 500.
- Use free tier for testing - Test with small jobs before running large ones.
- Check for bulk discounts - Some actors offer lower prices at higher volumes.
- Schedule off-peak runs - Non-urgent jobs can run when platform is less busy.
Common Questions
Q: Do unused credits roll over?
A: No. Free tier credits reset on the 1st of each month. Paid plan credits work differently based on your plan.
Q: Can I get a refund if a run fails?
A: Yes. If an actor fails due to a bug, contact support. They typically credit your account.
Q: How do I track my spending?
A: Go to "Settings" then "Usage" in the Apify Console. You can see daily and monthly breakdowns.