vs · scrapingbee
A structural comparison of the pricing math and signup flow, checked directly against ScrapingBee's own pricing page and documentation. As of August 16, 2026.
Search for a free screenshot API and ScrapingBee's 1,000 free credits looks like the biggest offer on the page — until you check what a free screenshot actually costs in credits. shotanvil's free screenshot tier doesn't carry that multiplier: every free screenshot costs exactly 1 credit-equivalent, not 5, so the advertised number and the real number are the same.
| Dimension | shotanvil | ScrapingBee |
|---|---|---|
| Signup | No CAPTCHA, no card | Google reCAPTCHA required at signup — blocks scripted/automated signup flows |
| Advertised free tier | 1,000 screenshots/mo | "1,000 free API credits" |
| What that free tier is worth in screenshots | 1,000 screenshots — 1 credit = 1 screenshot, no multiplier | ~200 screenshots — a JS-rendered screenshot costs 5 credits by default, per their own docs |
| Pricing model | 1 screenshot = 1 request, always | Credit-multiplier pricing — cost per call varies 1–75 credits depending on options used |
| SDK request timeout | N/A — plain HTTP, caller controls timeout | Official Node SDK defaults to no timeout (`timeout: config.timeout ?? 0`) unless the caller sets one, per its current published source |
| Pay-per-call, zero signup | Yes — x402 support, no account needed | No — API key + account required for every call |
| Response transparency | X-Quota-Remaining and X-Cost on every response | Credit balance not exposed as a response header |
Is ScrapingBee's free tier really 1,000 free screenshots?
No. ScrapingBee advertises "1,000 free API credits," but a screenshot with JavaScript rendering — the default — costs 5 credits per their own documentation, so the free tier is worth about 200 actual screenshots, not 1,000. Verified against scrapingbee.com's documentation as of August 16, 2026.
Does ScrapingBee's signup require a CAPTCHA?
Yes. As of August 16, 2026, ScrapingBee's account registration page loads a Google reCAPTCHA widget.
Does the ScrapingBee SDK have a default request timeout?
No. As of August 16, 2026, the published source of the official Node SDK sets `timeout: config.timeout ?? 0` — meaning a request hangs indefinitely unless the caller explicitly passes a timeout value.
How much bigger is shotanvil's effective free tier than ScrapingBee's?
shotanvil gives 1,000 real screenshots/mo at 1 credit-equivalent each. ScrapingBee's advertised 1,000 credits convert to roughly 200 screenshots once the JS-rendering multiplier is applied — about 5x the effective free volume in shotanvil's favor.
1,000 real screenshots/mo, free, no CAPTCHA to sign up.
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