Apify
Web ScrapingWeb scraping platform with pre-built SEO scrapers
Overview
Apify is a cloud-based web scraping and automation platform founded in Prague that has become a go-to solution for SEO professionals who need to extract data from search engines, social media platforms, and competitor websites. Unlike dedicated SERP APIs that focus solely on search results, Apify offers a broader scraping ecosystem with over 1,500 pre-built scrapers (called "Actors") that can extract data from virtually any website.
The platform's strength lies in its combination of ready-to-use scrapers and the flexibility to build custom extraction tools. For SEO use cases, Apify provides solid scrapers for Google Search results, Google Shopping, social media platforms, and e-commerce sites. The company has built significant infrastructure around proxy management, CAPTCHA solving, and anti-detection measures that make it reliable for large-scale data extraction projects.
What sets Apify apart from simpler scraping tools is its focus on automation workflows and data processing. Rather than just extracting raw HTML, Apify structures the data and provides multiple export formats, making it easier to integrate scraped data into existing SEO workflows and reporting systems.
Score breakdown
Composite Score
36.5Our review
Apify is a cloud web scraping and automation platform with a marketplace of pre-built scrapers (Actors) for virtually any website. For SEO, it enables automated SERP scraping, competitor monitoring, content extraction, and large-scale data collection without building custom infrastructure.
Pros
- ✓Marketplace of 1000+ pre-built scrapers
- ✓Open-source SDK with cloud hosting
- ✓Handles proxies, anti-bot measures, and scaling
- ✓Powerful API for custom integrations
Cons
- —Requires some technical knowledge
- —Not a dedicated SEO tool
- —Usage-based pricing for heavy scraping
Best for
Key features
Pre-built SERP Scrapers
Ready-to-use scrapers for Google Search, Google Images, Google Shopping, and other search engines with structured data output.
Actor Store
Marketplace of 1,500+ pre-built scrapers for social media, e-commerce, news sites, and business directories maintained by the community.
Cloud Infrastructure
Managed scraping infrastructure with proxy rotation, CAPTCHA solving, and automatic retry mechanisms to handle blocking.
Data Storage & Export
Built-in datasets for storing scraped data with export options to JSON, CSV, Excel, RSS feeds, and direct integrations with external APIs.
Scheduling & Automation
Automated scraping workflows with cron-based scheduling, webhooks, and API triggers for continuous data collection.
Custom Scrapers
Build custom scrapers using JavaScript and Puppeteer with full browser automation capabilities for complex sites.
Proxy Management
Integrated proxy rotation with residential and datacenter IPs to avoid rate limiting and geographic restrictions.
API & Integrations
RESTful API access and pre-built integrations with Zapier, Make, and cloud storage platforms for workflow automation.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $5 platform credits, community support |
| Starter | $49/mo | $49 platform credits, email support, webhooks |
| Scale | $499/mo | $499 platform credits, priority support, team collaboration |
| Business | $999/mo | $999 platform credits, dedicated support, custom integrations |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom credits, SLA, dedicated infrastructure, compliance |
FAQ
How accurate is Apify for scraping Google search results?
Apify's Google Search scraper handles organic results, ads, featured snippets, and People Also Ask sections with high accuracy. It bypasses most blocking mechanisms through proxy rotation and can scrape hundreds of keywords per run.
Can Apify replace dedicated SERP APIs like SerpApi?
Apify offers more flexibility for custom scraping needs but requires more setup than dedicated SERP APIs. SerpApi provides cleaner, more structured data out-of-the-box while Apify excels at scraping non-standard elements or combining SERP data with other sources.
What's the difference between Apify's credits and traditional pricing?
Apify uses a credit-based system where each scraping operation consumes credits based on compute time and resources used. Simple scraping tasks might cost $0.01-0.10 per run while complex browser automation can cost several dollars per hour.
How does Apify handle websites that block scrapers?
Apify provides proxy rotation, CAPTCHA solving services, and browser fingerprinting protection. However, success rates vary by target site and some platforms with aggressive anti-bot measures may still block requests.
Is Apify suitable for real-time SEO monitoring?
Yes, Apify supports scheduled runs and webhooks for real-time monitoring. You can set up automated scraping of competitor rankings, content changes, or SERP features with immediate notifications when changes occur.
Capabilities
AI Visibility Metrics
Content & Optimization
Entity SEO
Traditional SEO
Technical & Integrations
Integrations
Social Proof
25,000+ customers worldwide
Notable Customers
aiseo.is Score
#2 of 3 in Web Scraping
Review Sentiment
714 reviews across 2 sources
People love
- +Massive marketplace of 10,000+ pre-built Actors for scraping virtually any website
- +Handles IP rotation, proxy management, and infrastructure scaling automatically
- +Flexible platform supporting both no-code users and developers with custom scrapers
Common complaints
- –Some community-built Actors break when target websites update their UI
- –Pricing models for community-managed actors can be confusing
- –Customer service response times can be slow for complex issues
🟠Reddit sentiment
mixed10 threads in it, automation, smallbusiness
“I don't have experience with all of these, but for my use case, Apify works very well. We're often scraping leads from Google Maps for local campaigns”
r/it
“Absolutely. Apify didn't just save me time; it fundamentally changed how I approach online business.”
r/automation
🔵𝕏 sentiment
positive7 posts
“Lowkey thought #webscraping was way more complicated, but the BitDegree x Apify Mission proved me wrong. Plus, it was fun and rewarding, 10/10 would recommend”
@GamulaI94160
“This Google Maps Lead Gen Agent is absolutely insane 🤯 Enter a keyword, city, & state → get back names, phone numbers, emails, websites, & reviews... No manual searching, no copy-pasting, no paying $200/month for a lead gen tool.”
@mikefutia
Last updated Feb 2026
Quick Facts
Target Market
Industries
Category
See all top-rated Web Scraping tools
Best Web Scraping →