Overview
Pick the group before you compare quotas. An API suits a script or an AI agent that already has a list of URLs. A no-code scraper suits someone who wants a spreadsheet from a few pages and does not want to write selectors. Browser automation suits pages that need a login, a form, or a click before the data appears. A plan that is generous for one job is often useless for another. A no-code scraper takes longer to set up, but you write no script and fix no selectors when a page layout changes.
What to look for in free web scraping tools
The API plans count credits. Tavily gives 1,000 API credits a month and needs no credit card. Firecrawl gives 1,000 credits a month with 2 concurrent requests. WebScraping.AI gives 2,000 API credits a month, also capped at 2 concurrent connections. Geekflare gives 500 credits a month. A credit is not always a request, so check what one call costs before you size a project. Two concurrent requests also stop an agent that fetches pages in parallel.
Other plans use a different unit. Microlink allows 25 requests a day, so it has no monthly pool to save up. That suits link previews and screenshots, not a nightly crawl. Screenshotbase allows 300 screenshots a month. Apify's Free plan holds $5 of prepaid usage, and Actor runs draw it down. Browse AI, a no-code scraper, gives 50 credits a month, 2 websites and 3 users.
Common gotchas in web scraping free tier plans
Read the limits next to the headline number: the concurrency cap, the reset period, and what happens at zero. For a first test, run one real target through the plan and note how many credits it used. Free plans suit prototypes and small recurring jobs, such as a weekly price check on a few pages. Once a job runs every day against many pages, expect to pay. For the search and fetch tools that AI agents call, see [free web search and scraping APIs for AI agents](/articles/free-web-search-scraping-apis-2026).
8 free web scraping tiers compared
| Product | Type | Free tier includes | Est. value | Card required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TavilyFTV 54 | Free tier | 1,000 API credits per month. | $4.00 / month | No |
| FirecrawlFTV 49 | Free tier | 1,000 free credits per month. | $1.00 / month | No |
| WebScraping.AIFTV 66 | Free tier | Access to 2,000 API credits per month for free. | $24 / month | No |
| GeekflareFTV 64 | Free tier | 500 monthly credits included in the free tier. | $19 / month | No |
| ApifyFTV 38 | Free credit | $5 in prepaid usage for Apify Store or your own Actors. | $5 one-time credit | No |
| Browse AIFTV 49 | Free tier | Access to 50 credits per month for free. | $1.00 / month | No |
| MicrolinkFTV 70 | Free tier | 25 requests per day on the free plan. | $49 / month | No |
| ScreenshotbaseFTV 54 | Free tier | 300 free screenshots per month. | $3.00 / month | No |
Best free web scraping picks by use case
Best for: You are building an AI agent that needs live web search results.
1,000 API credits a month with no credit card, and the balance resets on the first of each month.
Best for: You have a list of URLs and want each page as clean text.
1,000 credits a month with no credit card, but only 2 concurrent requests.
Best for: You want a larger monthly allowance for page fetches.
2,000 API credits a month with no credit card, and a cap of 2 concurrent connections.
Best for: You want data from a few pages without writing code.
50 credits a month, 2 websites and 3 users on the free plan, with no credit card.
Best for: You need link previews or screenshots from a small tool.
25 requests a day with no card. The cap resets daily, so it fits on-demand calls better than batch jobs.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best free web scraping tools?
It depends on the job. Tavily, Firecrawl and WebScraping.AI offer APIs with 1,000 to 2,000 credits a month. Browse AI is a no-code scraper with 50 credits a month. Microlink handles previews and screenshots at 25 requests a day.
Does a web scraping free tier need a credit card?
Not for the tools in the table. Tavily, Firecrawl, WebScraping.AI, Geekflare, Apify, Browse AI, Microlink and Screenshotbase all say no card is needed for the free plan.
How many free credits does a scraping API give?
Tavily and Firecrawl give 1,000 credits a month. WebScraping.AI gives 2,000 API credits a month. Geekflare gives 500 credits a month. Check the cost of one call, because a search or a rendered page can use more than one credit.
Are there free browser automation tools?
Some scraping platforms run a real browser on the free plan, but the allowance is small. Apify's Free plan holds $5 of prepaid usage for Actor runs. Test one login or form flow on your target site before you plan around it.
Which free data extraction tool works without code?
Browse AI is a point-and-click scraper. Its free plan gives 50 credits a month, 2 websites and 3 users. You train a robot on a page and it extracts the fields you chose.
What is the difference between a scraping API and a no-code scraper?
A scraping API takes a URL from your code and returns the page. A no-code scraper lets you pick data on the page with clicks. Use the API when software calls it, and the no-code tool when a person runs it.
