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It's a split decision.
Choose Apify when your code needs to collect web data through ready-made or custom Actors, connect to AI agents, or scale runs with compute-based billing. Choose SpyFu when you need competitor SEO and PPC keywords, ad history, rankings, site audits, and API access to that research. Apify offers a free plan; SpyFu does not. Neither is a direct substitute for the other: one is a web-data collection platform, the other a marketing research service.
01Side by side
| Apify | SpyFu | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Prepaid usage plus compute-unit billing | Tiered subscriptions, with included API credits |
| Free tier | $5 monthly prepaid usage; five concurrent runs | No free plan |
| API and SDKs | Actor API, MCP; supported SDK languages unpublished | Documented API endpoints; SDK languages unpublished |
| CLI and docs | CLI, Skills, MCP, code templates and guides | Documented API endpoints; no CLI listed |
| Integrations | Claude, n8n, Zapier, LangChain, Sheets, Slack, more | ChatGPT, Google Search Console, Google Ads research |
| Deployment model | Hosted Actor platform; run on Apify cloud | Web-based research and audit service |
| Limits and scaling | Up to 256 concurrent runs on Business | Tiered crawl, tracking, results and AI-fix caps |
| Lock-in and data export | Export scraped data; Actors callable via API | Data exports and API automate research retrieval |
Apify Choose Apify if
- Choose Apify if you need reusable web-data collection Actors.
- Choose Apify if AI agents need MCP, CLI, or Skills connections.
- Choose Apify if you want compute-based usage and run concurrency controls.
SpyFu Choose SpyFu if
- Choose SpyFu if competitor SEO and PPC research is the job.
- Choose SpyFu if you need ad history, rankings, and keyword data.
- Choose SpyFu if you want audits and AI fixes alongside research.
02Pricing at real usage
Apify has a free plan with $5 monthly prepaid usage, then charges $0.20 per compute unit; it includes 16 GB Actor RAM and five concurrent runs. Starter is $19/month ($17.10/month billed annually), with $19 prepaid usage and $0.20 per compute unit. Scale is $199 monthly ($179.10/month billed annually), with $199 usage and $0.16 per compute unit. Unused prepaid credits expire at cycle end; overages land on the next invoice. SpyFu has no free plan. Basic costs $39 monthly or $29/month billed annually; Pro + AI is $119 monthly or $89/month billed annually, with the first monthly month at $59. Team / Agency is $249 monthly or $187/month billed annually. Extra users cost $15/month on Basic and $30/month on higher tiers. Apify spend follows compute and add-ons; SpyFu spend follows subscription tier and seats.
03API, SDKs and integration
Apify lets you run Actors through an API and export the collected data. Agents can connect through MCP, CLI, or Skills. Its homepage lists Claude, n8n, LangChain, LlamaIndex, Zapier, GitHub, Google Sheets, Google Drive, Slack, and MCP clients. Builders can use code templates and guides, then deploy Actors on Apify’s cloud.
SpyFu provides documented API endpoints for custom integrations and automated data exports. It also integrates with ChatGPT and Google Search Console; Google Ads is a research target. Neither vendor identifies supported SDK languages in its published integration details. Before building a production dependency, ask about SDK maintenance, authentication, rate limits, and API versioning. Apify’s CLI and MCP options suit agent and automation workflows; SpyFu’s API is for retrieving SEO and PPC research.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Neither vendor identifies an open-source licence or self-hosted option. Treat both as hosted services when planning deployment: Apify runs Actors on its cloud, while SpyFu is a web-based research and audit platform.
Apify lets users export scraped data and run Actors through its API. SpyFu offers data exports and API access for automated retrieval. Those paths help move data out, but they do not establish that Actor code, research data, or workflows can be reproduced elsewhere without changes. For Apify, assess how much of the pipeline depends on its Actor runtime, proxies, and marketplace tools. For SpyFu, check whether exported fields and API access cover the data your reporting or analytics stack needs. Confirm export formats and retention terms before making either service a critical dependency.
Questions people ask
How much is SpyFu?
SpyFu Basic costs $39 monthly or $29/month billed annually. Pro + AI costs $119 monthly or $89/month billed annually; the first monthly month is $59. Team / Agency costs $249 monthly or $187/month billed annually. The vendor lists no free plan.
Can Apify replace SpyFu?
Not for the same job. Apify runs web-data collection Actors and exports their results. SpyFu provides competitor SEO and PPC research, ad history, ranking data, site audits, and AI fixes. You could use Apify to collect data for a custom research workflow, but it is not the SpyFu research service.
Does Apify require writing scraper code?
No. Apify offers ready-made Actors for tasks such as scraping TikTok, Google Maps, Instagram, and websites. Developers can also build and deploy custom Actors using code templates and guides. The platform exposes Actor runs through an API and supports agent connections through MCP, CLI, or Skills.
Does SpyFu have an API?
Yes. SpyFu documents API endpoints for custom integrations and automated data exports. Plans include different API-credit amounts where specified: Basic includes $40 and Pro + AI includes $100. Confirm endpoint coverage, rate limits, and your expected request volume with SpyFu before building an integration.