When you’re choosing a web scraping tool in 2025, it’s not just about raw power. You also want something that won’t drain your budget, is easy to manage, and can still scale when you need it. Oxylabs has been around for a while and is well-known, but plenty of developers run into the same problems. It feels complicated, and the costs add up fast. This is where Crawlbase shines, because the platform is a developer-friendly option that keeps things straightforward while still handling scraping at any size, without surprise charges.

In this comparison blog, we’ll focus on Crawlbase’s Crawling API compared to Oxylabs’ Web Scraper API looking at how both stack up in terms of features, pricing, and scalability.

Crawlbase vs. Oxylabs Comparison

Crawlbase’s Crawling API offers crawling and scraping capabilities with a developer-first approach. It’s built with simplicity in mind: send a request, get clean HTML or JSON back, fast. If a site needs JavaScript rendering, just swap to a JS token—no extra setup needed. With 1,000 free requests to start and a bonus of 9,000 more if you add your billing details before consuming any of the free credits, simple curl/SDK onboarding, and transparent pricing, Crawlbase is lightweight, reliable, and easy to scale.

Oxylabs’ Web Scraper API takes a full-service approach to data extraction. You send over a query, and it handles switching proxies, managing CAPTCHA, spinning up headless browsers, and parsing the results. It includes extras like job scheduling and OxyCopilot for AI-driven scraping logic. While powerful, this comprehensive approach comes with complexity and higher costs, making it better suited for larger organizations with bigger budgets and more complex scraping needs.

In short, Crawlbase keeps it simple, cost-effective, and developer-friendly, while Oxylabs offers a feature-packed but complex and pricey solution.

Feature Comparison

The easiest way to size up scraping tools is to put them next to each other. Below is a side-by-side look at Oxylabs and Crawlbase, showing how they differ in features, reliability, and the user experience.

General Features

FeatureOxylabs Web Scraper APICrawlbase Crawling API + Enterprise Crawler
Free Trial2,000 results1,000 free requests + 9,000 if you add your billing details
SetupDashboard setup + AI helpersSimple curl/SDK onboarding
JS RenderingHeadless browser + OxyCopilotSwap token (Normal ↔ JS)
SchedulingScheduler with cloud deliveryAsync Crawler + Cloud storage / Webhooks
ParsingCustom Parser + AI parsingRaw HTML/JSON + Data Scrapers
ReliabilityProxy + infra supportAuto retries, CAPTCHA handling
Enterprise ScaleOffered with advanced plansEnterprise Crawler: millions of requests
Developer ToolsPlayground, dashboards, AI builderSDKs, curl, webhook callbacks

Let’s also have a direct look at Oxylabs’ scrapers alongside Crawlbase’s scraper options, making it clear which platforms each service covers right away.

Dedicated Scrapers Comparison

WebsiteCrawlbaseOxylabs
Amazon Scraper✅✅
Google Scraper✅✅
Walmart Scraper✅✅
eBay Scraper✅✅
Lowes Scraper–✅
Target Scraper–✅
Bing Scraper✅✅
ChatGPT Scraper–✅
Facebook Scraper✅–
Instagram Scraper✅–
TikTok Scraper✅–
LinkedIn Scraper✅–
Quora Scraper✅–
Airbnb Scraper✅–
AliExpress Scraper✅–
Immobilienscout24 Scraper✅–
BestBuy Scraper✅–
G2 Scraper✅–
Eventbrite Scraper✅–
Generic Scraper✅✅
Email Extractor✅–

Crawlbase is aimed at developers and teams who don’t want to wrestle with complexity, need pricing that’s easy to understand, and still expect a wide range of scrapers that scale from a small test run to millions of pages.

Code Examples

Seeing real code makes it easier to understand how both platforms work. Below are quick examples for Crawlbase and Oxylabs.

Crawlbase (curl)

A simple request returns clean HTML. Switching to JavaScript rendering is as easy as swapping your token.

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# Normal request
curl "https://api.crawlbase.com/?token=YOUR_NORMAL_TOKEN&url=https://example.com"
# JS-rendered request
curl "https://api.crawlbase.com/?token=YOUR_JS_TOKEN&url=https://example.com"

Crawlbase (Python)

Fetch any page in just a few lines of code.

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import requests

TOKEN = "YOUR_NORMAL_TOKEN"  # or YOUR_JS_TOKEN for JS pages
url = "https://api.crawlbase.com/"
params = {"token": TOKEN, "url": "https://example.com"}
response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text[:500])

Crawlbase provides SDK support for all major programming languages.

Crawlbase (Async with Webhook)

Handle millions of pages with asynchronous Crawler via webhooks.

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import express from 'express';
const app = express();
app.use(express.json());

app.post('/crawlbase/webhook', (req, res) => {
  const { url, status, content } = req.body || {};
  if (status === 200) {
    // handle content here
  }
  res.sendStatus(200);
});

app.listen(3000, () => console.log('Webhook running on port 3000'));

Oxylabs (curl)

Oxylabs requests require credentials and JSON configuration.

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curl -u "USERNAME:PASSWORD" \
  "https://realtime.oxylabs.io/v1/queries" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
        "source": "universal",
        "url": "https://example.com",
        "render": "html"
      }'

Crawlbase keeps things simple. In most cases, all you need is a URL and a token to start pulling data. If a site relies on JavaScript, you can switch over to a different token. It’s light, easy to adopt for beginners, yet still capable of handling enterprise workloads when combined with features like cloud storage or webhooks.

For Oxylabs, their service expects authentication details, JSON bodies, and a more detailed configuration process before you can run your first query. In real-world use, developers who prioritize speed and a low learning curve tend to gravitate toward Crawlbase. Larger organizations that want a wide range of built-in options often go with Oxylabs.

Crawlbase Enterprise Crawler

If you’re dealing with massive workloads, think millions of requests, Crawlbase has the Async Crawler. Instead of setting up your own system for retries, queue management, or distributed crawling, you can let it handle the heavy lifting. Results get pushed to your webhook or saved in Crawlbase’s cloud storage. It’s a practical option for use cases like price monitoring, marketplace tracking, or large-scale research projects where reliability matters more than babysitting servers.

Oxylabs can cover enterprise needs too, but usually at the cost of a more advanced plan and additional setup work. Pricing and performance will also shift depending on the sites you’re targeting and whether you need full page rendering.

Crawlbase vs. Oxylabs at Enterprise Scale

AspectCrawlbase Enterprise CrawlerOxylabs Enterprise
ScalabilityMillions of requests, auto-managed queuesEnterprise-level with custom setup
DeliveryAsync via webhooks or Cloud storageCloud delivery with scheduler options
Ease of UsePlug-and-play, request-based, no infra neededRequires more setup & configuration
PricingTransparent, request-basedVaries by target & rendering needs
ReliabilityBuilt-in retries, CAPTCHA & block handlingProxy + infra support

Crawlbase’s Crawler gives you enterprise-level scalability without complexity, while Oxylabs offers power but demands more setup and budget flexibility.

Pricing Comparison

Pricing is often the deciding factor when choosing a scraping tool. Here’s how Oxylabs and Crawlbase stack up:

Crawlbase

  • 1,000 free requests upfront (no credit card needed) or get up to 10,000 free requests by adding your billing details.
  • Request-based pricing: you pay per successful request. No wasted credits.
  • 20 requests/sec by default. It can be increased even above 100, depending on user requirements.
  • Supports millions of requests seamlessly. No need to change or upgrade a package.
  • Pay-as-you-go model and cheaper at scale

Oxylabs

  • Web Scraper API starts at $49/month (VAT not included)
  • Up to $1.35 per 1,000 results (with JS)
  • Costs vary depending on the target domain and whether headless rendering is required
  • Need to upgrade or downgrade your plan if you want to save money.
  • Fixed monthly pricing

Pricing Quick View

Pricing AspectCrawlbaseOxylabs
Entry CostFree 10,000 requests (Add billing details at the start)$49/month
Billing ModelPay-per-successful request (no wasted credits)Subscription
Rate Limit20 requests /sec but can be increased if needed (flexible)Fixed base on plan
Scalability (8M requests)Amazon: $0.24/1K, Google: $0.32/1K$2,000/month → Amazon: $0.25/1K, Google: $0.50/1K
Cost EfficiencyFlexible: pay only for what you actually useFixed plans: unused quota = wasted money

Crawlbase’s key advantage is its per-successful-request billing. If your scraping volume fluctuates from month to month, you won’t waste money on unused credits. In contrast, Oxylabs charges a fixed monthly amount, so unused quotas become sunk costs.

Final Thoughts

Choosing between Oxylabs and Crawlbase really comes down to what you need. Oxylabs leans toward bigger companies and includes extras like AI parsing tools, scheduling, and browser management. That can be useful, but the flat monthly fee means you’ll pay the same whether you scrape a lot or a little.

Crawlbase focuses on simplicity. Its Crawling API and the Crawler give developers a straightforward way to collect clean data at scale without the extra complexity. Since pricing is based only on successful requests, you won’t waste money on unused capacity, making it a smarter fit if your scraping needs vary from month to month.

To put it simply:

  • Oxylabs works best for enterprises with steady, predictable scraping needs.
  • Crawlbase is ideal if you want a cost-efficient, developer-friendly setup that adapts to your workload.

If your team values efficiency and pricing that matches actual usage, Crawlbase is a smarter pick in 2025.

Start with 1,000 free requests now. No credit card required. Sign up, get your token, and start scraping in minutes.