Crawlbase Review
Crawlbase, formerly ProxyCrawl, is a solid mid-tier scraping API with a useful drop-in Smart Proxy endpoint and honest pay-as-you-go pricing.
Review last updated 2026-08-20 · How we rate providers
Scorecard
Pros
- Simple pay-as-you-go pricing with a low entry point
- Includes storage, screenshots and a leads API alongside crawling
- Smart Proxy endpoint works as a drop-in proxy for existing code
- Formerly ProxyCrawl, so it has a long operating history
Cons
- Success rates on the hardest targets trail the leaders
- Documentation is adequate but dated in places
- US jurisdiction
- Smaller pool than the top platforms
Privacy, jurisdiction & audits
Who the company answers to legally, what it keeps, and whether anyone independent has checked.
| Legal jurisdiction | United States in the 5 Eyes |
|---|---|
| Logging policy | Not a privacy service; operational logs by design |
| Independent audits | None published |
| Anonymous payment | Card / PayPal only |
| How IPs are sourced | Aggregated residential and datacenter supply. |
Crawlbase plans & pricing
Advertised rates as of August 20, 2026. VPN promo rates normally require the prepaid term shown and renew at the higher rate; proxy pricing falls with volume. Confirm on Crawlbase's own site before buying.
| Plan | Price | Min spend | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free trialScraping APIs | Freeone-off trial | Free | 1,000 free requests |
| Crawling APIScraping APIs | $0.50/1k requestspay as you go | $29 | |
| Smart ProxyResidential Proxies | $5/GBmonthly | $29 |
Features
Our Crawlbase review
Crawlbase renamed from ProxyCrawl and has been running since 2017, offering a crawling API, a storage layer, screenshot capture and a Smart Proxy endpoint that behaves like an ordinary proxy while handling rotation and anti-bot work behind the scenes.
The Smart Proxy is the practical selling point: point existing code at one endpoint and it starts working through managed infrastructure without rewriting anything around an API client.
Pricing is straightforward pay as you go from about $29, which is friendly to small projects, and the free trial covers a thousand requests.
Success rates on aggressively defended sites are behind ZenRows and Zyte, and the documentation shows its age in places.
A reasonable middle option, particularly when you want to keep existing proxy-based code and simply upgrade the infrastructure behind it.
Notable facts
- Formerly known as ProxyCrawl
- Smart Proxy endpoint works as a drop-in replacement for a normal proxy
- Includes screenshot and storage features
At a glance
| Founded | 2017 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Dover, Delaware, US |
| Service types | Scraping APIs, Residential Proxies |
| IP pool | 25M addresses |
| Country coverage | 100 |
| Proxy protocols | HTTP(S) |
| Rotation | Automatic per request |
| Starting price | $5/GB |
| Free tier | Yes |
| Support | email, chat |
Frequently asked questions
What is Smart Proxy?
A single proxy endpoint that handles rotation, retries and anti-bot handling internally, so existing proxy-based code works unchanged.
Is Crawlbase good for hard targets?
It is adequate but behind ZenRows and Zyte on the most aggressive protections.
Was it called something else?
Yes, it was ProxyCrawl before the rebrand.
Bottom line
Crawlbase, formerly ProxyCrawl, is a solid mid-tier scraping API with a useful drop-in Smart Proxy endpoint and honest pay-as-you-go pricing.
Check current Crawlbase pricing →
