Quick answer
Web Scraper - Web Scraper wins for most builders who want a free tier they can keep using, while Outscraper wins only if you specifically need bundled data extraction credits for Google Maps, contacts, or verification jobs.
How the free tiers compare
These products solve different free-tier problems. Outscraper gives you capped free usage across several data-extraction workflows, with useful extras like API access, exports, enrichments, and specific allowances for businesses, reviews, contacts, emails, phones, images, products, and traffic data. It is better if you want to test real scraping jobs on real datasets and then pay as usage grows. Web Scraper is the more builder-friendly free tier for ongoing use because the browser extension is free and local-only, with no recurring quota pressure. Its paid path is about moving into cloud automation, scheduling, and concurrency, not unlocking basic scraping. So Outscraper is a usage credit starter, while Web Scraper is a forever-free local tool with a paid cloud upgrade path.
Outscraper vs Web Scraper free tier, side by side
| OutscraperFTV 32 | Web ScraperFTV 95 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier shapeOutscraper is capped by usage; Web Scraper is free for local extension use. | Free access for the first 500 businesses (places), reviews, contacts, images, products, and requests depending on the scraper | Local use only with the browser extension |
| API access | Included in free access for some scrapers | Not listed in the free tier items |
| Export formats | CSV, Excel, Parquet, JSON on business data; CSV and XLSX on reviews | Not listed in the free tier items |
| Email and phone free usage | First 25 emails and first 25 phones free | Not listed |
| Credit card required for free startOnly state this because the field is present for both products. | False | True |
After you outgrow the free tier
Outscraper is usage-based after the free caps, with per-1,000-record pricing that drops at high volume. Web Scraper starts with a free local tier, then moves to flat monthly cloud plans: $50, $100, and from $200, plus enterprise custom pricing. That means Outscraper stays cheaper for tiny or occasional jobs, while Web Scraper is cheaper only if local use is enough and you do not need cloud automation. Once you need hosted runs and concurrency, Web Scraper becomes a subscription product rather than a metered one.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Outscraper | Web Scraper |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 businesses/moOutscraper pricing shown here is for Google Maps Scraper only. | ~$30/mo | $50/mo |
| 100,000 businesses/moOutscraper rates are $3/1,000 records up to 100,000, then $1/1,000 after that; this scenario stays in the higher band. | ~$300/mo | $50/mo |
| 5,000 reviews/moUsing Google Maps Reviews Scraper pricing at $3/1,000 reviews. | ~$15/mo | $50/mo |
| 20,000 URL credits/mo in cloud automationOutscraper does not provide a comparable URL-credit cloud subscription in the input. | No equivalent flat cloud plan listed | $100/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Outscraper when…
- You need Google Maps business listings, reviews, contacts, emails, phones, or images and want to validate real output before paying.
- You want API access and exports included in the free usage to test an integration workflow.
- You are doing a one-off or short pilot where a capped free credit is enough to confirm fit.
- You care about structured public data extraction more than running a long-term local scraper.
- You are comfortable with usage-based costs and expect to pay only when volume grows.
Pick Web Scraper when…
- You want a free option you can use indefinitely for local scraping without hitting a usage cap.
- You are building scrapers yourself in the browser extension and do not need cloud automation yet.
- You want to avoid paying until you need scheduling, parallel tasks, or cloud runs.
- You prefer a general-purpose scraping workflow for dynamic sites and multi-level navigation.
- You want a no-card-free starting point for local work and can defer cloud costs until later.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, Web Scraper is the safer pick if you want a free tier you can actually keep using while you prototype or run local jobs. Outscraper is the better fit if your goal is to pull specific public datasets at low volume and you are fine with usage caps and metered costs once you pass them. In short: Web Scraper wins for durable free use, Outscraper wins for targeted data extraction tests.
Read the full listings: Outscraper and Web Scraper. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.