What is Crawlbase?
Crawlbase offers two related products that often appear together in evaluations. The Crawling API is pay-as-you-go: only successful requests are charged, and price depends on domain complexity (Standard, Moderate, Complex) plus whether you use a regular HTML path or JavaScript rendering. Public materials cite starting rates around a few dollars per 1,000 successful requests with volume discounts, and fixed categories for some hard domains. New accounts typically get a large free request allotment without a card.
Smart AI Proxy is a separate monthly credit product where normal requests cost one credit and JavaScript requests cost two. That path feels more like a classic proxy/API bucket if you prefer predictable monthly plans. Use Crawlbase’s live calculator for your URL mix before budgeting. ScraperDB lists public figures only; success-rate marketing claims are not independently verified here.
Who Crawlbase is for
Best for
- +Teams that want pay-per-successful-request economics
- +Workloads mixing regular HTML and JS-rendered pages
- +Proxy-style integration via Smart AI Proxy
Skip if
- -You need a single flat monthly credit bucket with no complexity tiers
- -You only need SERP JSON (see SerpAPI)
- -You want no-code visual robots (see Browse AI)
Crawlbase pricing
Crawling API is PAYG by complexity + regular/JS path. Smart AI Proxy plans are monthly credit buckets (1 credit normal · 2 credits JS).
Fixed monthly plans with included credits or requests
Smart AI Proxy
Smart AI Proxy · Free
Free tier- 5,000 credits
- 5 concurrent
datacenter proxies. 1 credit = normal request · JS =
Smart AI Proxy
Smart AI Proxy · Starter
$133.25/mo if billed yearly
- 200,000 credits
- 20 concurrent
1 credit normal / JS. Yearly ~19% off
Smart AI Proxy
Smart AI Proxy · Advanced
$187.42/mo if billed yearly
- 1,000,000 credits
- 40 concurrent
1M credits/mo · datacenter + residential. 1 credit normal / 2 JS
Smart AI Proxy
Smart AI Proxy · Premium
$345/mo if billed yearly
- 3,000,000 credits
- 80 concurrent
3M credits/mo · JS rendering + custom geo included. 1 credit normal / 2 JS
Pricing snapshot · re-verify on the vendor site before committing volume.
Features & capabilities
Values from public docs and pricing pages. n/a means not verified yet, not a “no”.
Limitations
PAYG rates depend on domain complexity and regular vs JS path; use the live calculator for exact quotes. Success rates not verified here.
See Crawlbase in action
Product walkthrough or tutorial video so you can judge the workflow before you start a pilot.
FAQ
Is Crawlbase free to start?
Yes. Public pricing lists up to 20,000 free Crawling API requests with no credit card. Free requests can be regular or JavaScript.
Do JavaScript requests cost more?
Yes. JavaScript rendering is more expensive than regular HTML fetches. On Smart AI Proxy plans, normal requests cost 1 credit and JS requests cost 2 credits. On the Crawling API, use the pricing calculator for your domain complexity and request type.
Are failed requests billed?
Crawlbase states that only successful (delivered) requests are charged for the Crawling API.
What type of tool is Crawlbase?
Crawlbase is listed as a Scraping API. URL-in, data-out APIs for developers who need programmable extraction without running their own browser fleet.
Is there a free plan or trial?
A free plan is indicated: Up to 20,000 free Crawling API requests, no credit card. Free requests work for regular or JavaScript.
How much does Crawlbase cost?
Public paid plans start at from $149 on our snapshot. Billing units differ by vendor (credits, searches, browser hours).
Does ScraperDB invent success rates?
No. We publish sourced pricing and capability signals and mark unknowns instead of inventing benchmarks.
Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission. Sponsored slots are labeled and do not change organic scores.