ScraperAPI Free Plan and Trial
SaaS Startup Programs
$3 in credits
ScraperAPI offers a comprehensive free plan and trial designed for testing and small-scale web scraping projects.
Who qualifies
Every condition below is taken from the vendor’s own published criteria. Read them before you spend an afternoon on the application.
Startups
The programme is aimed at startups. Vendors read this loosely, but expect to describe the company and what you are building on the application.
ScraperAPI offers a comprehensive free plan and trial designed for testing and small-scale web scraping projects.
About ScraperAPI Free Plan and Trial
Quick answer
ScraperAPI offers a comprehensive free plan and trial designed for testing and small-scale web scraping projects.
ScraperAPI is a web scraping infrastructure service that handles proxies, JavaScript rendering, and CAPTCHA solving. The program offers a no-commitment 7-day trial (5,000 credits) plus a permanent free tier (1,000 monthly credits) designed for startups to test scraping workflows and small production use cases without upfront spend.
ScraperAPI Free Plan and Trial at a glance
ScraperAPI is a web scraping infrastructure service that handles proxies, JavaScript rendering, and CAPTCHA solving. The program offers a no-commitment 7-day trial (5,000 credits) plus a permanent free tier (1,000 monthly credits) designed for startups to test scraping workflows and small production use cases without upfront spend.
- 5,000Trial credits (7 days)
- 1,000Free tier credits/month (permanent)
- 5Max concurrent connections (free tier)
- No credit cardRequired to start trial
The ScraperAPI Free Plan and Trial offer explained
ScraperAPI credits represent API requests; each request consumes a variable number of credits depending on complexity (standard requests cost fewer credits than JavaScript-rendered or geotargeted requests). The 7-day trial front-loads 5,000 credits for rapid testing, then you drop to a permanent 1,000/month free tier. No expiration on the free tier, but trial credits expire after 7 days if unused.
Heads up: credit programs change their terms and caps regularly — confirm the current offer on the application page before you plan around it.
Apply to ScraperAPI Free Plan and TrialHow ScraperAPI Free Plan and Trial compares
Here's how ScraperAPI Free Plan and Trial stacks up against other discounted SaaS access in the same category:
| Program | Headline offer | Category |
|---|---|---|
| ScraperAPI Free Plan and Trial | $3 in credits | This page |
| Formaloo for Startups | $1,000 in credits | SaaS Startup Programs |
| Freshworks FreshStack Startup Program | $3,000 in credits | SaaS Startup Programs |
| GanttPRO Startup Program | $3,000 in credits | SaaS Startup Programs |
Who should apply — and who shouldn't
Apply if
- You're building a data aggregation, price monitoring, or lead generation feature and need to test scraping infrastructure without upfront cost.
- Your initial scraping volume is under 1,000 requests/month and you can operate indefinitely on the free tier.
- You want to evaluate geotargeting and JavaScript rendering before committing to a paid plan.
- You need a 7-day sprint to prototype and validate a scraping workflow before pitching to investors or customers.
Skip if
- Your production scraping needs exceed 1,000 requests/month—free tier will quickly become a bottleneck and you'll need paid plans.
- You require SLA guarantees, priority support, or dedicated infrastructure; free tier offers email support only.
- You're already committed to a competing scraping platform (Bright Data, Oxylabs, etc.) and switching costs are high.
More SaaS Startup Programs
If ScraperAPI Free Plan and Trial isn't the right fit, compare it against Formaloo for Startups, Freshworks FreshStack Startup Program, GanttPRO Startup Program, GitHub for Startups — or browse the full SaaS Startup Programs category.
What the credit covers
- Geotargeting (proxy rotation by country/region)
- JavaScript rendering (headless browser)
- CAPTCHA solving (automatic detection and bypass)
- Proxy rotation (residential and datacenter)
- Concurrent connections (up to 5 on free tier)
- Usage dashboard and metrics
- Email support
- No credit card required
- Permanent free tier
- Request-based billing (pay per API call)
Programme tracks
What ScraperAPI Free Plan and Trial publishes for each stage — confirm on the application, since credit programmes are re-cut more often than list pricing.
| Track | Value | Who it is for | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7-Day Trial | Free | One-time | 5,000 API credits · Full feature access (geotargeting, JS rendering, CAPTCHA, proxies) · Email support · Usage metrics · No credit card required |
| Free Tier (Permanent) | Free | Monthly | 1,000 API credits/month · Up to 5 concurrent connections · Geotargeting, JS rendering, CAPTCHA, proxy rotation · Email support · Usage dashboard |
| Paid Plans (Post-Free) | Variable | Usage-based or monthly | Unlimited concurrent connections · Priority/live chat support · SLA guarantees · Custom geotargeting and rendering options · Dedicated account management (higher tiers) |
How to apply
4 steps. The last one is the part most people skip.
- 1
Open ScraperAPI Free Plan and Trial through the link on this page
It carries our referral tag. The terms you get are identical either way, and it never changes what this page says about the programme.
- 2
Have the eligibility evidence ready
Applications are checked against one condition — startups. Incorporation date, cap table and a one-line description of what you are building cover most of it.
- 3
Size the migration against the 1 month window
Credits start burning from activation, not from when you get round to using them. Work out what you will genuinely consume in that window before you move production workloads across.
- 4
Know the rate you land on when it runs out
ScraperAPI offers a comprehensive free plan and trial designed for testing and small-scale web scraping projects.
Where this programme wins and loses
What works
- No credit card required Trial and free tier both activate without payment info, eliminating friction for cash-strapped startups.
- Generous trial allocation 5,000 credits in 7 days is substantial; enough to test geotargeting, JS rendering, CAPTCHA handling, and proxy rotation in realistic scenarios.
- Permanent free tier 1,000 monthly credits never expire, allowing indefinite operation for small-scale scraping or testing without paying.
- Full feature access in trial No feature gating—you get geotargeting, JS rendering, CAPTCHA solving, and proxy rotation during trial, not a crippled version.
- Email support during trial Can request additional credits or troubleshooting help; support team responsive to legitimate evaluation requests.
- Usage metrics included Dashboard shows credit consumption, success rates, and latency—transparency to understand cost before scaling.
What doesn't
- Trial credits expire after 7 days Unused trial credits are forfeited; you must plan and execute your test within the window or lose the allocation.
- Free tier is low-volume only 1,000 monthly credits and 5 concurrent connections are tight for production scraping; most startups will hit limits quickly and need paid plans.
- Email support only on free tier No live chat, Slack, or phone support; response times may be slower than paid tiers, risking production delays.
The bottom line
Zero friction, zero risk entry point for any startup evaluating web scraping. The 7-day trial is generous enough to validate core use cases, and the permanent free tier provides indefinite runway for low-volume scraping. Self-serve signup and no credit card requirement remove all barriers.
ScraperAPI Free Plan and Trial FAQ
The questions we actually get asked about this programme.
Ask us something elseAny startup or individual can sign up self-serve. No stage, funding, or sponsor requirement. Non-profits and students may also qualify.
Trial credits are valid for 7 days from signup. Unused credits expire after 7 days. Free tier credits (1,000/month) do not expire and renew monthly.
No. Signup is self-serve and instant. No application, sponsor, or approval process.
You automatically drop to the free tier (1,000 monthly credits). If you need more capacity, you can upgrade to a paid plan or request additional trial credits via email support.
Not explicitly stated. Contact ScraperAPI support to confirm stacking eligibility with other programs (e.g., AWS credits, Y Combinator packages).
Instant. Trial activates immediately upon signup; no waiting period.
