Crawlbase Review: Is This All-in-One Scraping and Proxy Solution Worth Your Money?

Looking for a service that handles both web scraping and proxies without juggling multiple subscriptions? You're not alone. Most people end up paying two different companies just to get their data collection pipeline running smoothly. But there's a different approach worth considering.

Crawlbase (formerly ProxyCrawl) promises to be that rare one-stop shop where you can grab data, route it through proxies, and even store it—all under one roof. The company went through a rebrand at the end of 2022, but the core service remains the same. Let's dig into whether it actually delivers on that promise.

What's the Story Behind Crawlbase?

Founded back in 2017, Crawlbase operates entirely with remote teams scattered across the globe. There's no fancy headquarters to visit, and honestly, not much public information about the company structure. But here's what we do know: they're serving over 70,000 clients worldwide with a team of 500+ employees. Those numbers suggest they're doing something right.

The rebrand from ProxyCrawl to Crawlbase wasn't just a cosmetic change. It came with improvements to their product lineup, which now includes seven different tools. That's a lot for one company, so let's break down what you're actually getting.

The Product Lineup: Seven Tools Under One Account

Crawling API: The Foundation

This is where everything starts. The Crawling API does exactly what you'd expect—it crawls websites and pulls data without getting blocked. No dealing with CAPTCHAs, no worrying about your IP getting flagged, no browser crashes at 3 AM when you're trying to meet a deadline.

What makes it interesting is the straightforward pricing: you pay per successful request. Regular pages cost 0.3 cents each, while JavaScript-heavy pages run 0.6 cents. The more requests you buy upfront, the lower your per-request cost drops. If you're considering whether 👉 web scraping services that handle JavaScript rendering and proxy rotation automatically fit your workflow, they offer 1000 free requests to test it out.

The API works with pages built on JavaScript, Angular, Vue, Meteor, and other modern frameworks. Crawlbase handles all the infrastructure setup—you just call the API and let it run.

Crawler: For Those Who Don't Code

Not everyone writing scrapers knows how to code, and that's fine. The Crawler gives you a graphical interface that talks to the Crawling API behind the scenes. You enter the websites you want to scrape, specify what data you need, and it handles the technical bits.

Since it's using the Crawling API under the hood, pricing works the same way. You get the same 1000 free requests to try it out.

Scraper API: Pre-Built Templates for Popular Sites

Here's where things get more specialized. Instead of building scrapers from scratch, Crawlbase offers ready-made options for sites like Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter. This saves you from reverse-engineering these platforms' structures yourself.

The pricing shifts to a package model here—three tiers with different monthly credit allocations. The basic plan skips premium proxies and JavaScript rendering, while the top tier includes everything. You still get 1000 free credits to test drive the service.

Screenshots API: Visual Documentation

Sometimes you need actual screenshots instead of raw data. Maybe you're monitoring competitor pricing, tracking design changes, or documenting compliance issues. The Screenshots API captures full pages or specific viewports in whatever resolution you need, using Chrome as the rendering engine.

Built-in anti-bot detection keeps your screenshot requests from getting flagged. When you're managing projects that require 👉 automated screenshot capture with cloud storage integration, this becomes particularly useful—though the first two pricing tiers don't include cloud storage access. You'll need the premium package for that. They offer 50 free credits to test it out.

Storage API: Keep Your Data Organized

Grabbing data is one thing. Storing it somewhere useful is another. The Storage API gives you cloud storage that integrates directly with Crawlbase's other tools. Data gets saved automatically, and you can search through it without downloading everything locally first.

Four pricing tiers are available, starting with a free option that's pretty limited. The paid packages offer more storage, longer retention periods, and higher request limits. There's also a custom tier if you need something beyond the standard packages.

Leads API: Find the Right Contact

If you're doing business development or sales outreach, the Leads API searches over 1000 pages to find accurate email addresses. It's backed by AI that figures out who the best contact person is for your specific situation.

There's also a Leads Finder interface that works like the Crawler—enter a domain, and it does the searching for you. The free tier gives you 100 credits. Paid packages scale up from there with more credits, extended lookup capabilities, and better support response times.

Smart Proxy: Traditional Proxy Service

Even though proxies are built into the other products, Crawlbase also offers standalone proxy access. You get over 1 million proxies across 45+ countries with unlimited bandwidth and customizable geo-location.

Three packages are available with different thread counts, credit allocations, and rotation options. The free tier runs for a month and isn't heavily restricted, so you can properly test it before committing.

Actually Using the Service

The dashboard design is minimal but functional. Each product shows you what you need—usually a graph tracking your monthly usage and how much credit you have left. If you know your way around APIs, you'll find everything straightforward. If you don't, the Crawler and Leads Finder interfaces are simple enough to figure out in a few minutes.

Documentation is accessible both from your dashboard and publicly on their website. That's smart—you can review how everything works before creating an account. Each product has its own documentation section with code examples, making it easier to find what you need.

Support Options: The Weak Spot

Here's where Crawlbase stumbles a bit. There's no phone support or live chat. Your only option is the "Contact Support" button in the dashboard, which is basically an email ticketing system. Response time depends on your package—premium plans get faster replies.

They do have a comprehensive FAQ section organized by product, which helps if you're trying to solve something quickly. You can search by keyword to find specific answers without waiting for support to respond.

The Bottom Line

Crawlbase isn't trying to be the cheapest option out there, but it's definitely not the most expensive either. What makes it worth considering is the convenience factor—instead of managing separate subscriptions for scraping, proxies, and storage, you're dealing with one account.

The product range covers both technical users who want API access and non-coders who need the graphical interfaces. Pricing is flexible enough that small projects and enterprise operations can both find something that fits.

The lack of live support is a downside, especially if you run into urgent issues. But for most scraping workflows, the documentation and free trial periods give you enough runway to test everything before you're committed.

If you're already juggling multiple services and feeling the subscription fatigue, Crawlbase might streamline your setup. The free trials across all products mean you can actually test whether it works for your specific use case before spending anything.