Crawlee (Apify) review
Updated September 28, 2026 · ForgeCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Crawlee is Apify's free open-source automation library, and it suits developers and small teams who want to write their own scrapers rather than rent a hosted tool. A free plan is available, and entry cost sits at the bottom of the automation category, where the median starting price is €19.65.
Key facts
- Best for
- Developers who want a free open-source library for web scraping
- Free plan
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Usage limits
- Free open-source library (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Tool type
- Automation (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Apify Technologies s.r.o. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Czechia (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2015 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Audience
- Small business, Enterprise
- Pricing model
- Free plan
- Official website
- crawlee.dev
Apps and profiles
- Elsewhere
- discord.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- A free open-source library, and a free plan, so nothing is owed at entry
- Aimed at small business and enterprise
- Backed by Apify Technologies s.r.o., founded in 2015
Cons
- Support runs on help centre and community only, with no direct contact channel listed
- Usage limits are stated as Free open-source library, so no hosted quota is spelled out
Who it suits
- Developers who want to build and maintain scraping and automation code themselves
- Small businesses and enterprises, the audiences named in small business and enterprise
Who should look elsewhere
- Teams wanting ready-made connectors, where IFTTT caps plans at 2 Applets
- Buyers who need a product with a free plan, since Shafrik and Infloww do not offer one
- Teams that want managed, hosted automation without running the code themselves
The company behind it
Crawlee comes from Apify Technologies s.r.o., registered in Czechia, and the project dates back to 2015. Apify builds the library and its hosting platform together, so a crawler written on Crawlee runs on the same infrastructure the company sells. Support is listed on help centre and community, which puts self-service documentation and peer answers at the centre. That suits teams who read the docs before opening a ticket.
How Crawlee (Apify) compares
- 9.1 vs 9.3
- 9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 8.7- 9.1 vs 9.2
- 9.1 vs 9.3
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 8.5- 9.1 vs 9.2
- 9.1 vs 8.7
- 9.1 vs 8.0
- 9.1 vs 9.5
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.4- 9.1 vs 9.3
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1- 9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 9.0- 9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 8.8- 9.1 vs 8.7
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.0
9.1 vs 8.0
9.1 vs 8.0
Frequently asked questions
Does Crawlee cost anything to start with?+
Yes, nothing at all. Crawlee ships as a free open-source library, and a free plan is available, so no payment is owed before the first script runs. Free plans are common in automation, with 53.9% of listed tools offering one, and the median starting price is €19.65.
What are the usage limits?+
Limits are stated as Free open-source library. The code runs on infrastructure you control, so the practical ceiling is the compute you supply rather than a hosted quota or task count. Teams that need managed capacity or scheduled runs will want a hosted platform instead.
Who is Crawlee built for?+
It is aimed at small business and enterprise. Developers lead the audience, yet small businesses and enterprises both appear as target users, since the same library can run on a company platform or on a laptop. Expect to write and maintain the crawler code yourself.
Where is the company behind it based?+
The legal entity is Apify Technologies s.r.o., based in Czechia, and the project dates back to 2015. That puts a company behind the library rather than a single maintainer, and the same company sells the hosting platform that crawlers can be deployed to.
How do I get help?+
Support comes through help centre and community. There is a help centre for documentation and a community for questions, which suits developers who prefer to search and read rather than wait on a support desk. Anyone wanting a named contact or a phone line will not find one in these channels.
Is there a free trial to consider?+
No trial is needed, since the library is free to use outright. Trials remain the norm elsewhere in the category, with a median of 14 days on tools that do charge. There is no expiry to track and nothing to cancel.
Sources
- apify.com/about checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Audience, Founded, Support channels
“Apify for Enterprise, Startups, Universities, Nonprofits”
- crawlee.dev/js/docs/introduction checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Tool type
“Crawlee covers your crawling and scraping end-to-end”
- github.com/apify/crawlee/blob/HEAD/docs/deployment/apify_... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free plan, Pricing model
“Crawlee is and will always be open source”
- github.com/apify/crawlee/blob/HEAD/docs/introduction/09-d... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Usage limits
“It's free and open source”
- or.justice.cz/ias/ui/print-pdf checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Legal entity
“Obchodni firma: Apify Technologies s.r.o.”
- use-apify.com/docs/what-is-apify/apify-review checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters
“headquartered in Prague since 2016”
Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Price from.
Related by the facts
Crawlee (Apify)
Developers who want a free open-source library for web scraping