Apify alternative
The whole Google menu plus LinkedIn, one clean API, paid funds that never expire.
One request, real response
No actor to pick, no compute units to size. You send one GET request and get clean JSON back in about a second. The example below is a Maps search:
The same businesses come as CSV, so they drop straight into Sheets or a CRM:
Swap type=maps for news, shopping, reviews, and the rest. The key and the schema stay the same across every type.
How do you get started?
No actor to pick and nothing to configure. From zero to data in about two minutes:
- 1
Create a free account. Try it free, no card needed.
- 2
Type a search in the playground. Pick a type like maps or news and the results land in a table.
- 3
Export the CSV, or copy your key and run the curl above. Same data, JSON or CSV.
What data do you get?
Every result comes complete, so you build a list or a dataset with no second call and no dataset to download later. The same business as CSV, ready for Sheets or a database:
Or the same record as clean JSON from the API:
Apify vs CrustAPI
Apify is a marketplace of scrapers built by many authors. CrustAPI is one clean API for Google, LinkedIn profiles, and local business leads, so the difference shows up in billing and in what you manage.
| Apify | CrustAPI | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing model | Per-actor pricing that can combine platform usage with the actor's own charge | Pay only for results; no compute or storage fees |
| Free tier | Free plan with a limited monthly platform allowance | Free to try, no card |
| Balance expiry | Subscription allowance resets each month | Prepaid funds never expire |
| Data and output | You export the dataset you run; it lives on the platform | Clean JSON in the response, or the same rows as CSV; no storage limits, keep and export it |
| Site coverage | Thousands of actors across many sites, quality varies by author | One clean API for the whole Google menu, plus LinkedIn profiles and local business leads |
| Google surfaces | Depends on which actor you pick | Search, Maps, News, Shopping, Images, Videos, Scholar, Patents, Places, Reviews |
| Setup | Pick an actor, set inputs, run, wait, download | One GET request, JSON back in about a second |
How much does CrustAPI cost?
Every Google search bills the applicable price per successful search. Maps bills per business returned; other Google endpoints bill per successful request. Empty and failed requests are free.
| Deposit | Google Search / 1,000 requests | Maps / 1,000 businesses | LinkedIn reads / 1,000 requests | People, Jobs, Refresh / 1,000 units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10+ | $1.00 | $1.96 | $6.00 | $1.96 |
| $149+ | $0.76 | $1.49 | $4.50 | $1.49 |
| $549+ | $0.56 | $1.10 | $3.30 | $1.10 |
| $1,999+ | $0.41 | $0.80 | $2.45 | $0.80 |
| $6,500+ | $0.33 | $0.65 | $1.95 | $0.65 |
| $27,500+ | $0.28 | $0.55 | $1.65 | $0.55 |
| $50,000+ | $0.26 | $0.50 | $1.50 | $0.50 |
| $100,000+ | $0.20 | $0.40 | $1.50 | $0.40 |
Every eligible account gets $6 of free usage monthly. Each deposit keeps its prices until spent; paid funds never expire. People and Jobs bill per successful search, Refresh per accessible profile. Full profiles in People use the read rate per full profile. See all billing details.
Larger deposits unlock lower endpoint prices. Each deposit keeps its prices until spent. See the full deposit table on the pricing page. Prices in USD, ex-tax.
Funds are prepaid and never expire, so an unused pack is still yours next year. All self-serve, no sales call.
Every Google surface, one API
One key and one schema across the whole Google menu, plus LinkedIn profiles and local business leads. Each surface returns clean records you can keep, as clean JSON from the API or the same rows as CSV.
Related: Google Maps scraper API · Google Search API · Google News API · LinkedIn profile scraper · Docs
When Apify is the better pick: if you need a site CrustAPI does not cover, like Instagram, TikTok, Amazon, or Zillow, Apify's marketplace almost certainly has an actor for it. It is also a full platform for hosting your own custom scrapers. CrustAPI is narrower on purpose: Google, LinkedIn profiles, and local leads, priced one way. Plenty of teams use both.
Who uses CrustAPI?
- Lead gen teams. Pull every business in a niche with phone and website, export the CSV, and start outreach the same day.
- Developers. Replace a folder of actors with one GET request and one stable schema across every type.
- Agencies. Track clients across Search, Maps, News, and Reviews with one key and billing you can predict.
- AI builders. Feed agents live Google and LinkedIn data through MCP, LangChain, or n8n, with no runs to babysit.
Common questions
It is one clean API for the whole Google menu, Search, Maps, News, Shopping, Images, Videos, Scholar, Patents, Places, and Reviews, plus LinkedIn profiles and local business leads. Instead of picking an actor from a marketplace, you send one request and get clean records back. You pay the applicable endpoint price for successful data, and paid funds never expire.
CrustAPI charges the applicable endpoint rate for successful data. Maps bills per business returned and Google Search per successful request. There are no compute units, proxy fees or storage charges to add.
No. Prepaid funds never expire, and you can try it free with no card. An unused pack waits for your next project.
The whole Google menu: Search, Maps, News, Shopping, Images, Videos, Scholar, Patents, Places, and Reviews, plus LinkedIn profiles and local business leads. It covers that set rather than the thousands of sites Apify's marketplace spans.
Yes. The two are not exclusive. Many teams use CrustAPI for the Google surfaces because the billing is predictable, and keep Apify for sites CrustAPI does not cover or for custom scrapers they host themselves.
Yes. Data is returned in the response with no storage limits. Keep it, export it to a spreadsheet or a database, and build on it.
Clay
Try it on a search you run today
the free plan covers real work. Send one request and look at the JSON that comes back.
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