#1 Spider Alternative
Scrape, crawl, map, and search the web through one API, with rendering and anti-bot proxies in every 1-credit page. Spider bills $1 per GB plus compute, with residential bandwidth listed at $2 to $4 per GB and no per-page cap: 1,000 protected 0.6 MB pages cost $1.26 to $2.46, against $0.90 on Context.dev Pro.
1,000 protected pages, rendered in a browser
Pro vs pay-as-you-go credits, October 2026 list prices
Assumes 0.6 MB per page, what Spider’s own meter recorded on retail product URLs, residential bandwidth at Spider’s listed $2 to $4 per GB, and 30 seconds of browser compute. Simple pages are far cheaper on Spider, at $0.02 to $0.16 per 1,000.
Powering agents and products with the world's data.
Why switch
Spider and Context.dev both scrape, crawl, and search the web for AI pipelines. Spider prices by the gigabyte, so cost rises with page weight and proxy pool; Context.dev bills 1 credit per page, with JSON extraction and zero data retention on the same plan.
- Key difference
One credit per page, not $2 to $4 per GB of residential bandwidth
Spider bills $1 per GB of page content plus browser compute, and its proxy reference lists residential bandwidth at 2x to 4x that rate, $2 to $4 per GB, with no per-page cap. At 0.6 MB per page, what Spider’s own meter recorded on retail product URLs, 1,000 protected pages cost $1.26 to $2.46, and at 3 MB they cost $6.06 to $12.06. Context.dev Pro bills 1 credit per page with proxies and anti-bot handling included: $0.90 per 1,000, whatever the page weighs.
- Independent benchmark
Usable Markdown on 92.1% of pages, against Spider’s 84.0%
In WebCrawlerAPI’s October 2026 test of 806 URLs, run with each API’s default Markdown settings, Context.dev returned usable content on 92.1% of pages and Spider on 84.0%, about 65 more usable pages. With mainContentOnly on, Context.dev still returned 89.7% and scored 0.567 extraction F1, against Spider’s 0.520. On Scrapingbench’s 40 agent scrape tasks, the agent finished 38 with Context.dev and 37 with Spider. See the dated results and source links on our benchmarks page.
- Extraction
JSON extraction without a second subscription
Spider runs prompt and schema extraction only on its /ai routes, which need an AI Studio plan from $6 to $600 a month, and each call also bills the model’s token cost to your balance. Spider Unlimited rejects AI parameters. On Context.dev, add your JSON Schema to any scrape for 5 credits per page, $4.50 per 1,000 on Pro, including in batches of up to 100,000 URLs.
- Privacy
Zero data retention without a 2.5x multiplier
Spider bills every request at 2.5x while zero data retention is on, bandwidth included, unless you have an Enterprise contract. At 0.6 MB per page, that takes 1,000 protected pages to $3.15 to $6.15. On Context.dev, zero data retention is enabled on request and adds no credits to any call.
- Monitoring
Change monitoring and document parsing in the same API
Context.dev watches pages and sitemaps for changes and calls your webhook, for 1 credit per run with up to 1,000 monitors on Pro. Spider’s API has no monitoring endpoint, only crawl-event webhooks. Context.dev also parses PDFs, DOCX, PPT, XLSX, and about 40 other formats; Spider documents PDF conversion through /transform and no office formats.
- Plans
A fixed monthly price without a smaller proxy pool
Spider Unlimited sells concurrency from $40 a month, but Spider says it runs on a smaller flat-rate proxy pool that may lower success on the hardest targets, with no geotargeting and no AI parameters. Context.dev Pro is $90 a month for 100,000 credits and 100 concurrent requests, with country targeting, browser actions, and JSON extraction on the same plan.
- Toolkit
Prebuilt parsers, saved logins, and SDKs in five languages
Prebuilt parsers return Google Maps places with up to 1,000 reviews, Google Play and App Store listings, G2 reviews, and Instagram profiles at the normal scrape price, and saved browser profiles handle signed-in pages on paid plans. Spider’s closest option, its AI-built Fetch API, is in alpha, and logins depend on cookies you pass. Context.dev ships PHP and Ruby SDKs as well as TypeScript, Python, and Go; Spider has neither PHP nor Ruby.
What one request really costs
What 1,000 requests cost on Context.dev Pro and on Spider’s pay-as-you-go credits. Spider’s price follows page weight and proxy pool; Context.dev’s does not.
| Request | Context.dev | Spider | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple page, HTTP modeStatic docs, blogs, and feeds, at Spider’s published average | $0.90 | $0.02–$0.10 | 9–45x less |
| Simple page rendered in ChromeJavaScript pages without bot protection, published average | $0.90 | $0.04–$0.16 | 6–23x less |
| Protected page, 0.6 MB, residential proxiesRetail product pages, at the weight Spider’s meter recorded | $0.90 | $1.26–$2.46 (0.6 GB) | 1.4–2.7x more |
| Protected page, 3 MB, residential proxiesHeavier JavaScript-built pages; Spider has no per-page cap | $0.90 | $6.06–$12.06 (3 GB) | 7–13x more |
| Protected 0.6 MB page with zero data retentionSpider bills the whole request at 2.5x | $0.90 | $3.15–$6.15 | 3.5–7x more |
| JSON extraction against your schemaA typed object back from each page | $4.50 (5 credits) | AI Studio plan + tokens | Extra plan |
Context.dev Pro ($90 for 100,000 credits) at monthly billing against Spider pay-as-you-go credits ($1 per 10,000, with no bonus below $500), per 1,000 requests. Simple-page rows are Spider’s published average cost per 100 pages, times 10. Protected rows add residential bandwidth at $2 to $4 per GB (spider.cloud/docs/api/proxy) and 30 seconds of browser compute.
Full comparison
| Feature | Context.dev | Spider |
|---|---|---|
| Scraping & Crawling | ||
| Scrape to Markdown or HTML | Yes | Yes |
| JavaScript rendering | Always included | Billed as compute |
| Residential proxies and anti-bot handling | Always included | $2–$4 per GB |
| Price independent of page size | Yes | No |
| Screenshots | Yes | Yes |
| JSON extraction against your schema | 5 credits | AI Studio add-on |
| Prebuilt parsers (Maps, app stores, G2) | Yes | Fetch API (alpha) |
| Crawl a site | 1 credit/page | Yes |
| Map site URLs | Yes | Yes |
| Async batch scraping | Up to 100,000 URLs | Yes |
| Change monitoring with webhooks | Yes | No |
| Parse PDFs and office documents | Yes | PDF only |
| Country geotargeting | Yes | Not on Unlimited |
| Signed-in scraping with saved logins | Browser profiles | Your own cookies |
| Interaction & Search | ||
| Browser actions before capture | Up to 5, 2 credits | Yes |
| Web search with page content | Yes | Yes |
| Research answers with sources | 10 credits | AI Studio add-on |
| Cloud browser over CDP | No | $0.0001/min + $1/GB |
| Pricing & Billing | ||
| Billing unit | 1 credit per page | Per GB plus compute |
| Separate plan for AI extraction | Not needed | $6–$600 a month |
| Failed requests free | Except target 404s | Docs conflict |
| Free plan | 1,000 credits/mo | Keyless, 4 req/min |
| Credits roll over | No | Never expire |
| Unlimited requests by concurrency | No | From $40/mo |
| Deployment | ||
| Managed scraping API | Yes | Yes |
| Proxy endpoint for your own tools | No | Residential and ISP |
| Self-hosted open source | No | MIT (Rust crate) |
| Zero data retention | On request, +0 credits | 2.5x credits |
| Developer Experience | ||
| Public OpenAPI spec | Yes | Yes |
| TypeScript, Python, and Go SDKs | Yes | Yes |
| PHP and Ruby SDKs | Yes | No |
| Rust SDK | No | Yes |
| CLI | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes | Hosted, 21 tools |
| Also Included: Brand & Company Data | ||
| Brand profile by domain, name, email, or ticker | Yes | No |
| Logo CDN for direct embedding (Logo Link) | Yes | No |
Cost per 1,000 pages
Spider has no monthly credit plans, so each tier sets a Context.dev plan against a Spider credit top-up or its Unlimited plan at a similar price, broken down to the cost of 1,000 pages.
| Tier | Context.dev | Spider |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free $0/mo 1,000 credits 2 concurrent requests $0 per 1K pages, any page | Keyless $0/mo /scrape only, free proxy pool 4 requests a minute Not available for protected pages: no stealth or residential |
| Entry | Developer $20/mo 5,000 credits 10 concurrent requests $3.33–$4.00 per 1K pages, any page | Pay as you go $25 top-up 250,000 credits, never expire 10,000 requests a minute $1.26–$2.46 per 1K protected pages (0.6 MB) $0.02–$0.16 per 1K simple pages |
| Mid | Pro $90/mo 100,000 credits 100 concurrent requests $0.75–$0.90 per 1K pages, any page | Pay as you go $100 top-up 1,000,000 credits, never expire 10,000 requests a minute $1.26–$2.46 per 1K protected pages (0.6 MB) $0.02–$0.16 per 1K simple pages |
| Growth | Growth $300/mo 500,000 credits 250 concurrent requests $0.50–$0.60 per 1K pages, any page | Unlimited $350/mo Unlimited scrape, crawl, and links 25 concurrent requests Smaller proxy pool Spider says success may drop on hard sites $0.11 per 1K 10-second pages at 50% use |
| High volume | Scale $500/mo 1,000,000 credits 500 concurrent requests $0.42–$0.50 per 1K pages, any page | Pay as you go $500 top-up 5,250,000 credits with 5% bonus 10,000 requests a minute $1.20–$2.34 per 1K protected pages (0.6 MB) $0.02–$0.15 per 1K simple pages |
- Spider has no per-page price. Protected pages assume 0.6 MB per page, what Spider’s own cost meter recorded for retail product URLs on October 18, 2026, through the residential pool at $2 to $4 per GB, plus 30 seconds of browser compute at $0.0001 a minute; each Spider range runs from $2 to $4 per GB. At 3 MB per page the same 1,000 pages cost $6.06 to $12.06. Context.dev bills 1 credit per page, and its ranges run from yearly to monthly billing.
- Simple-page figures are Spider’s published average cost per 100 pages in HTTP and Chrome modes, times 10. Spider’s own pages print different residential multipliers; this page uses the $2 to $4 per GB in its proxy reference (spider.cloud/docs/api/proxy), so check the costs object Spider returns with each response.
- Spider credits cost $1 per 10,000 and never expire. Top-ups start at $5, and purchases of $500 or more add 5% to 15% in bonus credits. Spider Unlimited is priced by concurrency (2 for $40 a month up to 1,538 for $19,994), covers scrape, crawl, and links only, and has no geotargeting or AI parameters; its cost per page depends on how busy you keep it.
- Zero data retention bills Spider requests at 2.5x, and AI extraction needs an AI Studio plan ($6 to $600 a month) on top of credits. Sources: spider.cloud/pricing, spider.cloud/docs/api/proxy, spider.cloud/guides/pricing-and-plans, and spider.cloud/ai/pricing, accessed October 18, 2026.
Prices and plans checked on .
Which one fits
Both scrape, crawl, and search the web through an API. These are the cases where the choice is clear. For formats, pricing, and code, see the Context.dev web scraping API.
Choose Context.dev if
- You scrape protected or JavaScript-heavy pages and want 1 credit per page, whatever the page weighs and whatever proxy it needs.
- You need JSON against your schema, browser actions, and country targeting on one plan, without an AI Studio subscription.
- You want change monitoring with webhooks, document parsing, and batches of up to 100,000 URLs.
- You need zero data retention without a 2.5x price multiplier.
Choose Spider if
- Most of your targets are simple or static pages. Spider’s published averages run $0.02 to $0.16 per 1,000 pages, against $0.90 on Context.dev Pro.
- You want a prepaid balance that never expires and no monthly plan. Spider top-ups start at $5.
- You need a residential or ISP proxy endpoint, or a CDP cloud browser for your own Playwright or Puppeteer code.
- You want to self-host. Spider’s core crawler is an open-source, MIT-licensed Rust crate, and Spider ships a Rust SDK.
A few things to know.
More details in the API documentation.
What is the best Spider alternative?
Context.dev is a Spider alternative for teams that scrape protected or JavaScript-heavy sites and want a per-page price. Every scrape costs 1 credit with rendering, managed proxies, and anti-bot handling included, so a heavy, protected retail page costs the same as a blog post. It also covers crawl, map, search, batches of up to 100,000 URLs, monitoring, JSON extraction, and document parsing on one key. If most of your pages are simple, or you need a raw proxy endpoint or self-hosting, Spider is the better fit.
Is Spider cheaper than Context.dev?
On simple pages, yes. Spider’s published averages are $0.02 to $0.16 per 1,000 pages, against $0.90 on Context.dev Pro. On protected pages it reverses: Spider’s proxy reference lists residential bandwidth at $2 to $4 per GB, so at 0.6 MB per page, the weight Spider’s own meter recorded on retail product URLs, 1,000 pages cost $1.26 to $2.46. At 3 MB per page they cost $6.06 to $12.06. On Context.dev every page is 1 credit.
Does Spider charge extra for residential proxies, zero data retention, or AI?
JavaScript rendering and standard proxy rotation are part of Spider’s compute and bandwidth rates. Residential bandwidth costs more: Spider’s proxy reference lists it at $2 to $4 per GB, 2x to 4x the base rate, and stealth mode routes through the residential pool. Other Spider pages print lower residential multipliers, so check the costs object on your own responses. Zero data retention bills every self-serve request at 2.5x, and AI extraction needs an AI Studio plan from $6 to $600 a month plus per-call token costs. Context.dev has none of these multipliers.
Does Spider charge for failed requests?
Spider’s own pages disagree. Its pricing page and docs overview say failed requests, timeouts, and blocked pages cost nothing, while its API reference for agents says attempts are billed for the bytes and compute they used, error statuses included. Context.dev does not charge when every output of a scrape fails, except that a target 404 keeps the base credit; 429, 408, and 5xx errors are never charged, and failed batch pages are refunded when the batch settles.
How do Context.dev and Spider compare in independent benchmarks?
In WebCrawlerAPI’s October 2026 test of 806 URLs, Context.dev returned usable Markdown on 92.1% of pages and Spider on 84.0%, and with mainContentOnly on Context.dev scored 0.567 extraction F1 against Spider’s 0.520 while still returning 89.7%. On Scrapingbench’s 40 agent scrape tasks the agent finished 38 with Context.dev and 37 with Spider, a gap the report says could be chance. See the dated results and source links on our benchmarks page.
How do I migrate from Spider to Context.dev?
Spider’s /scrape, /crawl, /links, and /search map to Context.dev Scrape, Crawl, Map, and Web Search, and /screenshot becomes the screenshot output of Scrape. Drop the stealth and proxy parameters, since rendering and proxies are always on, and replace AI Studio extraction with the JSON output and your JSON Schema. Proxy mode, the CDP cloud browser, and the Rust SDK have no Context.dev equivalent. SDKs are available for TypeScript, Python, Ruby, Go, and PHP.
When is Spider the better choice?
Choose Spider for high-volume scraping of simple pages, where its published averages of $0.02 to $0.16 per 1,000 pages beat Context.dev’s $0.90. It also fits if you want a prepaid balance that never expires, a residential or ISP proxy endpoint, a CDP cloud browser for your own Playwright or Puppeteer code, or the MIT-licensed Rust crawler to self-host.
Does Context.dev bill by bandwidth or page size?
No. A scrape is 1 credit whatever the page weighs, with rendering, managed proxies, and anti-bot handling included. Browser actions bring it to 2 credits and JSON extraction to 5. That also means Context.dev is not a proxy network: there is no per-GB plan and no proxy port for your own browser automation.
Can I self-host Context.dev?
No. Context.dev is a managed, closed-source API, so there is no crawler to run or patch. Spider’s core crawler is an MIT-licensed Rust crate you can run yourself, which makes Spider the better fit if self-hosting is a requirement.
More comparisons
Other web scraping APIs that teams compare with Context.dev, or see every comparison.
- Context.dev vs Crawl4AIUsable content on 92.1% of 806 benchmark URLs against Crawl4AI Cloud’s 88.0%, with no browsers or proxies to run. One credit per page here.
- Context.dev vs Browse AIAny URL through one API, at 1 credit per page, instead of recorded robots and premium-site credit multipliers.
- Context.dev vs Jina AIJina bills by output tokens, so long pages cost more. One price per page here, and 38 of 40 agent scrape tasks finished on Scrapingbench against Jina Reader’s 6.
Ready to switch from Spider?
Send the same URLs to Context.dev without stealth or proxy flags and pay 1 credit per page, whatever it weighs, starting with the free plan’s 1,000 credits a month.