The Apify alternative
herascrape is a real-time Instagram data API that returns structured JSON across 37 endpoints in a single REST call — no Actor run to queue and no dataset to collect afterward. Instead of running a separate asynchronous Actor per content type and paying per result, you call profiles, posts, reels, comments, followers and more directly and pay a flat $0.40 per 1,000, successful calls only.
Apify sits in the “general web-data & proxy platforms” tier. Scrape any website at scale; Instagram is one of hundreds of targets. Usually an async job you trigger and collect later, returning raw HTML or batch datasets — powerful for pipelines, heavy for a single live lookup.
Why teams switch from Apify
A synchronous REST endpoint, not an asynchronous Actor run that can take seconds to hours before results land.
Apify bills per result at about $1.50–2.70 per 1,000; herascrape is a flat $0.40 per 1,000 at any balance.
Profiles, followers, following, likers, comments, stories, highlights, tagged, reels, hashtags and locations — not one content type per Actor run.
You pay for successful (2xx) calls only, with no run overhead or dataset to collect.
herascrape vs Apify
| herascrape | Apify | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Instagram-only | General (marketplace) |
| Instagram data | Deep — 37 structured endpoints: profiles, followers, following, likers, comments, stories, highlights, tagged, reels, hashtags, locations | Per-Actor (profiles, posts, reels, comments…); results |
| Data format | Structured JSON | Structured results |
| API type | REST | Marketplace actor |
| Delivery | Synchronous | Async run |
| Response time (p90) | 1,720 ms | Seconds–hours (async) |
| Rate limit | 50 req/s (raisable) | Not published |
| Price / 1,000 | $0.40 flat | $1.50–2.70 |
| Pricing model | Flat per request at any balance; only successful (2xx) calls billed | Per result, Actor runs |
| Billing | Only successful (2xx) | Per result |
| MCP server | Yes | Yes |
| Client SDKs | Python, JavaScript | Python, JavaScript |
| Free tier | $1 free (~2,500 calls) | $5/mo credit |
Apify figures verified on their live pages on 2026-10-24; re-check before relying on a number. Trademarks belong to their owners.
Frequently asked questions
- Is herascrape an Apify alternative for Instagram scraping?
- Yes. Apify runs Instagram through a marketplace Actor — an async run that produces one content type (profiles, posts, reels, comments) at a time; herascrape exposes 37 composable REST endpoints you call directly and get a page back in about a second.
- How does the pricing differ?
- Apify bills per result from an Actor run, roughly $1.50–2.70 per 1,000; herascrape is a flat $0.0004 per request ($0.40 per 1,000) at any balance, with only successful (2xx) calls billed.
- Do I have to run an Actor and wait?
- No. An Apify Actor is an asynchronous run that can take seconds to hours; herascrape responds synchronously in a single request, so there is no run to queue or dataset to collect.
- What does herascrape cover that a single Actor doesn't?
- An Apify Actor typically produces one content type per run; herascrape covers profiles, followers, following, likers, comments, stories, highlights, tagged posts, reels, hashtags and locations from one API across 37 endpoints.
- Is there a free tier and SDKs?
- herascrape gives $1 free on signup (about 2,500 calls) plus Python and JavaScript SDKs and an MCP server; Apify offers a $5/month credit and also has Python and JavaScript SDKs and an MCP server.