ScraperAPI alternative: Why teams switch to cloro

ScraperAPI offers solid proxy rotation and anti-bypass features with a credit-based pricing model starting at $49/month for 100,000 credits. They handle IP rotation, CAPTCHAs, and retries automatically.

However, pricing complexity is a challenge: simple requests cost 1 credit, while e-commerce sites cost 5 credits, and complex sites can cost up to 25 credits per request. Plus, they focus exclusively on traditional web scraping with no support for AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Copilot.

The scraping landscape has changed

Modern teams need different tools:

1. AI platform expertise – ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot require specialized infrastructure (99% success vs ~5%)
2. Purpose-built reliability – General scrapers can’t handle AI platform anti-bot systems
3. Clean APIs – Built for developers, not just proxy rotation
4. Parsed data – Ready-to-use objects, not raw HTML

ScraperAPI was built for traditional web scraping. cloro was built for AI scraping with 99% reliability.

What ScraperAPI does well

ScraperAPI has solid fundamentals:

• Proxy rotation – Automatic IP rotation across their network
• Anti-bypass – Handles CAPTCHAs, retries, and headers
• JavaScript rendering – Render complex sites with headless Chrome
• Global proxies – Residential and datacenter IPs
• Accessible entry – $49/month for 100K credits

For traditional web scraping, ScraperAPI handles the basics.

Where cloro wins

1. AI Platform Support

ScraperAPI: Traditional websites with proxy rotation.

cloro: AI platforms with optimized endpoints.

• ChatGPT – Scraping with citation extraction
• Perplexity – Source parsing and answer tracking
• Copilot – Microsoft AI result monitoring
• Google Search – With AI Overview parsing
• Gemini & Grok – Multi-platform AI coverage

ScraperAPI scrapes websites. cloro scrapes AI platforms.

The key difference: ScraperAPI achieves ~5% success rate on AI engines due to sophisticated anti-bot detection. cloro achieves 99% success rate because we’re purpose-built for AI platforms.

2. AI Engine Reliability

ScraperAPI: General-purpose web scraper.

• ~5% success rate on AI engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot)
• Built for traditional websites, not AI platforms
• Proxy rotation isn’t enough for AI anti-bot systems

cloro: Purpose-built for AI engines.

• 99% success rate on AI engines
• Specialized infrastructure for each platform
• AI platform expertise, not just proxy rotation

At 20x the success rate, you get reliable data instead of constant retries.

3. Clean Data vs Raw HTML

ScraperAPI: Returns raw HTML or JSON that you need to parse.

cloro: Returns parsed, ready-to-use objects.

Less parsing, more using.

4. AI Platform Monitoring

ScraperAPI: Can’t monitor AI platforms.

cloro: Built-in monitoring across AI platforms.

• ChatGPT monitoring – Track what GPT says about your brand
• Perplexity tracking – Monitor citations and source appearances
• Copilot watching – Microsoft AI result monitoring
• Change alerts – Get notified when AI responses change

3. Pricing Model

ScraperAPI: Credit-based pricing (1-25 credits per request).

• Simple sites: 1 credit
• E-commerce: 5 credits
• Complex sites: 25 credits
• Hard to predict monthly spend

cloro: $1.50 per 1,000 for ChatGPT with 99% success rate

No credit math—just predictable pricing for reliable AI scraping.

When to choose ScraperAPI

Choose ScraperAPI if you need:

• Traditional web scraping – E-commerce, social media, corporate sites
• Proxy rotation – Automatic IP rotation across diverse sites
• CAPTCHA handling – Built-in anti-bypass features
• JavaScript rendering – Headless Chrome for complex sites
• Credit-based pricing – Pay only for what you use

When to choose cloro

Choose cloro if you need:

• AI platform scraping – ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, Gemini, Grok
• 99% success rate – 20x effective value, no credit math
• Clean data – Parsed objects, not raw HTML
• AI visibility tracking – Monitor your brand across AI platforms
• Simple integration – One API for all platforms

The bottom line

ScraperAPI is a solid choice for traditional web scraping with proxy rotation and anti-bypass features.

But for AI scraping and monitoring, cloro offers:

• AI platform coverage – 6+ AI engines vs traditional websites only
• 99% success rate – 20x effective vs variable credit costs
• Clean data – Parsed objects vs raw HTML
• AI visibility – Brand monitoring across AI platforms

Most teams switch from ScraperAPI when credit-based pricing becomes too unpredictable to manage effectively.

Switch from ScraperAPI and get credit-based pricing with 99% success rate for AI scraping.