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Bright Data vs. Zenrows: Which One is Right for You in 2025?

Comparing Pricing, Features, and Performance to Help You Decide

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Brightdata vs. Zenrows
Bright Data vs. Zenrows

Discover why 10,000+ companies chose ScraperAPI to scale their web scraping projects
over tools like Bright Data and Zenrows

Quick Overview

Trying to choose between Bright Data and ZenRows? We compare their features, pricing, and performance to help you decide which one fits your web scraping needs in 2025.

About BrightData

Bright Data (formerly Luminati) is built for enterprise-scale data extraction. It offers the industry’s largest proxy network, advanced APIs, and ready-made datasets for companies that want pre-scraped results.
 It’s powerful but complex — better suited to large teams with big budgets and technical resources.

Strengths:

  • Massive proxy infrastructure (72M+ IPs)
  • High uptime and advanced custom configuration
  • Offers pre-scraped datasets (no scraping needed)

Top Features:

  • Dedicated scrapers for LinkedIn, Amazon, Zillow, etc
  • Real-time structured data delivery
  • Unlimited concurrent tasks
  • Premium support and SLAs for enterprise users

About ZenRows

ZenRows is a developer-friendly scraping API that simplifies anti-bot bypass. It automates everything from CAPTCHA solving and proxy rotation to JavaScript rendering — all in a single API call.
It is ideal for fast-moving startups, agencies, and solo developers who want to extract structured data with minimal overhead.

Strengths:

  • Easy to use with strong documentation
  • Auto-parsing and structured output
  • Built-in JS rendering, WAF bypass, and smart headers

Top Features:

  • Universal Scraper API + browser automation
  • AI-based antibot engine
  • 99.93% success rate
  • Scraper browser, residential proxies, and headless execution

How ScraperAPI Stacks Up

ScraperAPI is the simpler, more scalable alternative. It offers automatic CAPTCHA solving, JS rendering, and proxy management—all included in the price.

Unlike Bright Data, ScraperAPI has flat pricing (no record-based billing). And unlike ZenRows, there’s no jump in cost when enabling advanced features like JavaScript or premium proxies.

For $299/mo, ScraperAPI delivers up to 600,000 successful E-commerce requests, with support for 150+ geolocations, structured data endpoints, and no extra costs for complexity.

Top Features:

  • Structured Data Endpoints for common sites (Walmart, Amazon, Google, etc.)
  • Flat-rate credit-based pricing model with no surprises
  • Built-in retry logic, and 24/7 support
  • DataPipeline for optional no-code scraping

Feature-by-Feature Breakdown

1️⃣ Pricing & Value

FeatureBrightDataZenrowsScraperAPI
Pricing ModelPay-per-record (e.g., $0.79–$1.5 / 1K records)Credit-based pricing with feature multipliersMonthly credit-based plans 
Free Trial✅ Yes, no credit card✅ Yes, no credit card (1,000 URLs)✅ Yes, no credit card
Pay-as-you-go✅ $1.5 / 1K records✅ Yes, but the cost increases with JS, premium IPs❌ Not available (fixed monthly pricing)
Extra Costs (Bandwidth, IPs, etc.)Storage, delivery, bandwidth, premium supportJavaScript rendering & premium proxies cost more per request❌ None – all features included
Money-back Guarantee❌ No✅ On request (flexible for startups)✅ 7-day refund on all plans

📌 Takeaway: Bright Data gives you top-tier infrastructure that can scrape nearly any site at scale. It supports 195+ locations and uses a massive 72M+ IP pool. But with great power comes higher pricing and a more complex setup, which can be too much for smaller teams or more straightforward use cases.

ZenRows is easy to start with and offers a well-rounded scraping solution. It performs well, but once you turn on advanced features like JavaScript rendering or premium proxies, your request limits shrink fast, and pricing jumps. That makes it less efficient for users who need high volume or consistent costs.

ScraperAPI keeps things simple while still being powerful. It automatically manages JavaScript rendering, CAPTCHAs, retries, and proxy rotation, so you don’t need to worry about the technical stuff. With high success rates (95%+ on most sites), built-in location targeting in 150+ countries, and transparent pricing, it’s built to scale without the stress.

2️⃣ Performance & Reliability

Feature🏆 Brighdata🚀 ZenrowsScraperAPI
Success Rate (%)99.99% 99.93%Depends on the domain(95% - 99.9%)
JS Rendering SupportYesYes (but it costs extra and reduces request limits)Yes
CAPTCHA HandlingYesYes, but not built-inYes
Geolocation Options195+ countries (via 72M IPs)Yes (via a paid proxy add-on, number of countries not disclosed)150+ locations included in the plan

📌 Takeaway: Bright Data offers industry-leading infrastructure with 72M+ IPs and support for 195+ locations. It effectively handles JavaScript, CAPTCHAs, and anti-bot systems, making it well-suited for enterprise-scale projects. However, its complexity and higher costs may be unnecessary for teams with more focused needs.

ZenRows provides a solid scraping solution with built-in features like proxy rotation, JavaScript rendering, and CAPTCHA handling. However, enabling these features can significantly reduce the number of available requests and increase overall cost. While performance is strong, the value diminishes on higher-volume workloads.

ScraperAPI delivers reliable scraping at scale without added complexity. JavaScript rendering, CAPTCHA solving, retries, and proxy rotation are all included automatically. It supports 150+ geolocations and maintains a 95%+ success rate on most domains. With a flat pricing model and no extra configuration required, ScraperAPI offers consistent results and strong scalability for teams of all sizes.

3️⃣ User Reviews & Ratings (Capterra and Trustpilot)

PlatformBrightData ⭐Zenrows⭐ScraperAPI ⭐
Capterra⭐ 4.8 / 5 (65 reviews)⭐ 4.8 / 5 (86 reviews)⭐ 4.6 / 5 (62 reviews)
Trustpilot⭐ 4.5 / 5 (812 reviews)⭐  3.4 / 5 (7 reviews)⭐ 4.7 / 5 (40 reviews)

💬 What Users Are Saying:

Bright Data is praised for its powerful scraping capabilities and global IP coverage, especially by enterprise teams. However, many users report that the platform is too complex for smaller teams, and the pricing can escalate quickly. Support can also be inconsistent, especially on lower-tier plans.

ZenRows receives strong feedback for ease of use, fast setup, and helpful customer support—especially from individual developers and startups. However, users note that pricing increases quickly when advanced features like JavaScript rendering or premium proxies are used. Some reviews mention confusion around credit usage and a lack of transparency in how plans scale.

ScraperAPI is highly rated for being straightforward, predictable, and easy to integrate. Reviews frequently highlight its consistent performance, fast support, and generous pricing model. It’s especially popular among teams who want to avoid managing proxies, CAPTCHAs, or rendering issues independently.

Bright Data

👍 Pros:

  • Excellent customer service and high success rate.
  • Robust proxy network and scraping tools
  • Good for enterprise-scale operations

👎 Cons:

  • Frequent complaints about high prices and overcharges
  • Occasional proxy mismatches or blocked IPs
  • Lack of refunds or flexibility in pricing

Zenrows

👍 Pros:

  • User-friendly API and fast integration
  • Helpful documentation and responsive support
  • Works well for small to mid-size use cases

👎 Cons:

  • Costs rise quickly with advanced features
  • Lower request volume at higher price points
  • Occasional confusion around credit usage

ScraperAPI

👍 Pros:

  • Extremely easy to use and well-documented
  • Excellent value for money — generous features even on lower tiers
  • Responsive customer support praised across reviews
  • Handles proxies, CAPTCHA, and JS rendering 
  • Highly scalable with structured data support

👎 Cons:

  • Some users wanted pay-as-you-go billing options
  • Unused credits expire at the end of each billing cycle

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose BrightData if…

✔ You need the largest proxy network (195+ countries, 72M IPs)
 ✔ You want highly customized data collection workflows
 ✔ You prefer a hands-on support experience with dedicated account managers and have a large budget to work with

Choose Zenrows if…

 ✔ You need a user-friendly scraping tool with solid built-in anti-bot protection
 ✔ You want the flexibility to scale features like CAPTCHA solving or JS rendering
 ✔ You’re a solo developer or small team comfortable managing credits and request types

Choose ScraperAPI if…

✔ You want fast, reliable scraping with no setup
 ✔ You want high success rates, structured endpoints, and transparent pricing that scales with you
 ✔ You prefer flat pricing and high value per successful request

Why is ScraperAPI the best alternative to BrightData and Zenrows?

If you’ve looked into Bright Data or ZenRows, you’ve probably noticed they offer powerful scraping tools—but with a few catches.

Bright Data is built for large enterprises, which means steep pricing and a technical setup that can slow you down. ZenRows is easier to start with, but once you enable features like JavaScript rendering or premium proxies, your cost per request can spike, and your usage limits shrink fast.

That’s where ScraperAPI makes things easier.

With ScraperAPI, everything is included—CAPTCHA solving, JavaScript rendering, smart retries, and global proxies—at no extra cost. You don’t need to configure anything or upgrade just to get full functionality. You pay only for successful requests, so every dollar goes further.

If you want a tool that’s easy to use, scales with you, and doesn’t charge extra for the basics, ScraperAPI is built for you.

ScraperAPI is the better (yet affordable) alternative

ScraperAPI vs. Bright Data
ScraperAPI vs BrightData

What Our Customers
Are Saying

One of the most frustrating parts of automated web scraping is constantly dealing with IP blocks and CAPTCHAs. ScraperAPI gets this task off of your shoulders.

Capterra Badge

based on 50+ reviews

The team at ScraperAPI was so patient in helping us debug our first scraper. Thanks for being super passionate and awesome!
Cristina Saavedra
Cristina SaavedraOptimization Director at SquareTrade
A dead simple API plus a generous free tier are hard to beat. ScraperAPI is a good example of how developer experience can make a difference in a crowded category.
Ilya Sukhar
Ilya SukharFounder of Parse, Partner at YCombinator
I researched a lot of scraping tools and am glad I found ScraperAPI. It has low cost and great tech support. They always respond within 24 hours when I need any help with the product.
Alexander Zharkov
Alexander ZharkovFullstack Javascript Developer
BigCommerce

Simple Pricing. No Surprises.

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Upgrade to enable more features and increase scraping volume.

Hobby

Ideal for small projects or personal use.

Hobby

$49

/ month

$44

/ month, billed annually

  • 100,000 API Credits
  • 20 Concurrent Threads
  • US & EU Geotargeting
Start Trial

Startup

Great for small teams and advanced users.

Startup

$149

/ month

$134

/ month, billed annually

  • 1,000,000 API Credits
  • 50 Concurrent Threads
  • US & EU Geotargeting
Start Trial

Business

Perfect for small-medium businesses.

Business

$299

/ month

$269

/ month, billed annually

  • 3,000,000 API Credits
  • 100 Concurrent Threads
  • All Geotargeting
Start Trial

Scaling

Most popular

Perfect for teams looking to scale their operations.

Business

$475

/ month

$427

/ month, billed annually

  • 5,000,000 API Credits
  • 200 Concurrent Threads
  • All Geotargeting
Start Trial

Enterprise

Need more than 5,000,000 API Credits with all premium features, premium support and an account manager?

  • 5,000,000+ API credits and 200+ Concurrent Threads
  • Dedicated Account Manager
  • Slack Support
Contact Sales

Frequently Asked Questions

ScraperAPI is the most efficient choice. It handles JavaScript and CAPTCHA solving and retries automatically—no extra setup is required. ZenRows also supports dynamic sites, but enabling those features quickly increases costs. Bright Data offers similar capabilities but requires more manual configuration.

For startups or smaller teams, ScraperAPI offers the best value. You only pay for successful requests, and advanced features like JS rendering and proxy rotation are included in all plans. ZenRows starts at a lower price, but costs can rise sharply with premium features. Bright Data is priced for large enterprises and can get expensive fast, especially with pay-per-record billing.

Very simple. ScraperAPI uses a straightforward API format so that you can migrate in minutes—just update your request URLs and headers. There’s no need to manage infrastructure, proxies, or retries. Support and documentation are available to help you get up and running quickly.

5 Billion Requests Handled per Month

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