Firecrawl vs ScrapingBee 2026: API Scraping Services Compared
ScrapingBee is a proxy API that returns raw HTML with JavaScript rendering and anti-bot bypass. Firecrawl returns LLM-ready markdown, structured extraction, and crawl/map. Firecrawl wins for AI pipelines and markdown; ScrapingBee wins for raw HTML, JS rendering, and proxy rotation when you parse yourself.
Side-by-Side
| Dimension | Firecrawl | ScrapingBee |
|---|---|---|
| Primary output | Markdown, JSON | Raw HTML |
| LLM-ready | Yes (native) | No (you parse) |
| Structured extraction | Yes (schema/prompt) | No |
| Crawl / map | Yes | No |
| JS rendering | Yes | Yes (core strength) |
| Proxy rotation | Moderate | Yes (residential, etc.) |
| Entry price | $16/mo (3k credits) | $49/mo (~250k credits) |
When to Choose Firecrawl
- Need markdown or structured JSON for LLMs
- Building RAG, research assistants, content pipelines
- Want crawl, map, batch in one API
- Prefer credit-based pricing
When to Choose ScrapingBee
- Need raw HTML for custom parsers
- Heavy anti-bot sites (residential proxies)
- JS-heavy SPAs where you control extraction
- Already have parsing logic
Pricing Snapshot (2026)
| Firecrawl | ScrapingBee | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 500 credits | 1,000 API calls |
| Entry | $16/mo (3k) | $49/mo (250k) |
| Mid | $83/mo (100k) | $99/mo (1M) |
ScrapingBee charges per API call; credits multiply for JS rendering (e.g. 5×) and premium proxies (10–25×). Firecrawl: 1 credit ≈ 1 page for scrape/crawl.
Can You Use Both?
Yes. Firecrawl for LLM workflows; ScrapingBee when you need raw HTML and proxy rotation for tough targets.
For enterprise proxy needs, see Bright Data.
For LLM pipelines and markdown, Firecrawl. For raw HTML and proxy rotation, ScrapingBee.
Firecrawl has lower entry ($16 vs $49). Compare per-page cost for your volume and features.
No. ScrapingBee returns raw HTML. You parse and convert. Firecrawl returns markdown natively.
When targets block datacenter IPs. Residential proxy rotation helps with anti-bot.