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It's a split decision.
YepAPI is a usage-billed API for developers who want SEO, SERP, scraping, social and commerce data, and AI models behind one key and JSON interface. Bright Data is a broader web-data platform, with scraper and web-access APIs, proxy infrastructure, datasets, and monthly plans for teams scaling collection. Pick YepAPI for consolidated API access and no monthly minimums. Pick Bright Data when proxies, browser access, datasets, or higher-volume managed capacity matter more than a single metered API.
01Side by side
| YepAPI | Bright Data | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Prepaid, metered API calls; no subscriptions or minimums. | Free entry, pay-as-you-go rates, or monthly tiers. |
| Free tier | $5 signup credit; no card required. | 5,000 monthly credits/requests; 5,000 Scraper API records. |
| API and SDKs | POST endpoints; shared key; JSON responses. | Scraper, Web Access, proxy, and dataset APIs. |
| CLI and docs | API docs, llms.txt, and agent skills; no CLI named. | MCP Server; CLI and docs details not published. |
| Integrations | Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, MCP, and agent skills. | API, webhooks, AI/ML workflows, and MCP Server. |
| Deployment model | API endpoints accessed with one key. | Managed platform, proxy network, APIs, and datasets. |
| Platforms | Web. | Web. |
| Limits and scaling | No rate limits; failed calls aren't charged. | Unlimited concurrency; tiers reach 2 million requests or records. |
YepAPI Choose YepAPI if
- Choose YepAPI if one API key should cover several data types and AI models.
- Choose YepAPI if you prefer metered calls without a monthly subscription.
- Choose YepAPI if agent workflows using Claude Code, Cursor, or Codex fit your stack.
Bright Data Choose Bright Data if
- Choose Bright Data if your stack needs residential, datacenter, or ISP proxies.
- Choose Bright Data if you need datasets, browser access, or website crawling.
- Choose Bright Data if monthly capacity tiers and unlimited concurrency fit your workload.
02Pricing at real usage
YepAPI starts with $5 in signup credit, requires no card, and has no subscription or monthly minimum. Its pricing page lists Google SERP calls from $0.01, while the homepage lists web scraping at $0.01 per call and other endpoint-specific rates. Calls are metered, and failed calls are not charged; the service says it has no rate limits. Bright Data has a free tier with 5,000 monthly credits or requests, 5,000 Scraper API records, 1 GB of Browser API, and 5,000 Scraper Studio page loads. Pay-as-you-go rates include $1.50 per 1,000 Web Unlocker, SERP, or Crawl requests; $0.75 per 1,000 Scraper API records; and $8 per Browser API GB. Monthly tiers start at $499 for Scale, with higher listed plans at $999 and $1,999. Bright Data's usage can also add proxy, browser, and overage costs.
03API, SDKs and integration
YepAPI uses POST endpoints and returns JSON; its homepage shows requests for keyword data, Google SERPs, scraping, and media generation. A shared API key works across its endpoints and AI models, so an application can use one authentication pattern for those services. The homepage points developers to API docs and llms.txt, and names Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, an MCP server, and agent skills for agent workflows. It does not name language-specific SDKs. Bright Data offers Scraper APIs, Web Access APIs including Unlocker, SERP, Browser, and Crawl, plus proxy and dataset products. Its homepage describes API and webhook access for data feeds, and names an MCP Server and AI/ML workflows. These are different integration surfaces: YepAPI emphasizes a common API interface across data and models, while Bright Data spans collection APIs, proxies, and delivered datasets. Neither homepage names language-specific SDKs or a CLI.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Neither vendor states an open-source license or self-hosting option on its homepage. Both products are presented as remotely accessed services: YepAPI provides API endpoints, while Bright Data offers APIs, proxy infrastructure, and datasets. Teams that require software to run inside their own network should ask each vendor about deployment options and contractual controls before choosing. YepAPI's shared key and JSON responses give applications a consistent interface across its endpoints, but that does not make its data or AI models portable to another provider. Bright Data's mix of APIs, proxies, and datasets creates a different migration surface: code may depend on its collection products, while downstream systems may consume delivered data. The vendors do not describe export or migration procedures on their homepages, so ask about export formats, retention, and access after cancellation.
Questions people ask
Is YepAPI cheaper than Bright Data?
It depends on the workload. YepAPI has no monthly subscription or minimum and lists some calls from $0.01, with $5 signup credit. Bright Data has a free tier, usage rates for APIs and browser traffic, and paid monthly tiers starting at $499. Compare the specific endpoint, record, and bandwidth charges your workload will incur.
Does Bright Data have a free tier?
Yes. Bright Data lists 5,000 monthly credits or requests, 5,000 Scraper API records, 1 GB of Browser API, and 5,000 Scraper Studio page loads on its free tier. Its pricing also lists a seven-day trial for business accounts.
Can I use YepAPI for web scraping and AI models with one API key?
Yes. YepAPI describes one API key for its endpoints and 285 AI models, with JSON responses. Its homepage shows a POST request to the scraping endpoint and calls to media models. Endpoint prices vary, and the homepage lists failed calls as not charged.
Which service offers proxy infrastructure?
Bright Data does. Its platform lists residential, datacenter, and ISP proxies, alongside web-access and scraping APIs. YepAPI describes scraping and data APIs, but its homepage does not list a proxy network. Choose Bright Data when proxy access is part of the architecture, and compare the relevant per-GB or per-IP rates.