Apify vs Octoparse — Cloud vs Desktop, and why Apify pays $2,500 CPA

Cloud vs desktop scraping

Web scraping in 2026 is split between two approaches:

• Cloud scraping (Apify): Scrapers run on remote servers 24/7. You do not need your computer on. Scales to millions of pages. API-first.
• Desktop scraping (Octoparse): You run scrapers on your own computer. Visual point-and-click interface. Better for one-off or moderate tasks.

Both work. The difference is scale, reliability, and the affiliate check you will collect each month.

What is Apify?

Apify is the leading cloud web scraping platform with a marketplace of over 2,000 pre-built scrapers (called Actors). Founded in 2015, it serves developers, data teams, and AI companies.

• Pre-built Actors: Scrape Google, Amazon, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and 2,000+ other sites
• Custom development: IDE for JavaScript and Python scrapers with Playwright support
• AI integration: Crawl4AI, browser automation for LLM training data
• Proxy network: Built-in residential and datacenter proxies with automatic rotation
• Scheduling: Run scrapers on a cron schedule — daily, hourly, real-time webhooks

Feature comparison table

Apify — deep dive

Best for: Developers, data teams, AI companies, and anyone who needs reliable 24/7 cloud scraping at scale.

Pricing

• Personal ($5/mo): 2 concurrent tasks, $5 platform free credit
• Starter ($49/mo): 3 concurrent tasks, $49 platform credit
• Business ($99-499/mo): 10-50 concurrent tasks, custom credits
• Enterprise: Custom pricing, dedicated infrastructure, SLA

Key strengths

• Scrapers run 24/7 in the cloud — no local computer needed
• 2,000+ pre-built Actors for popular websites
• Custom scrapable with full JS/Python IDE
• AI agent integration — perfect for LLM training data pipelines
• Webhook triggers, scheduling, and data export to S3, GCS, or webhook

Limitations

• Steeper learning curve for non-developers
• Usage-based pricing can be unpredictable at scale
• No native visual workflow builder

Octoparse — deep dive

Best for: Non-technical users who want a visual, point-and-click scraping experience on their desktop.

Pricing

• Standard ($89/mo): 1 concurrent task, 5,000 pages/mo
• Professional ($209/mo): 5 concurrent tasks, 50,000 pages/mo
• Enterprise ($289/mo): 10 concurrent tasks, unlimited pages, API

Key strengths

• Visual workflow builder — highlight elements to scrape
• Auto-detection of tables, lists, pagination
• No coding required for 80% of scraping tasks
• Built-in IP rotation and proxy management

Limitations

• Desktop-only: your computer must run for scraping to work
• No cloud execution (cloud service is separate, more expensive)
• Limited custom scraping for complex JavaScript sites
• No AI/LLM data pipeline integration

Affiliate earnings comparison

Apify wins on affiliate terms: higher commission ceiling (30% vs 20%), CPA bonuses up to $2,500, and 90-day cookies vs Octoparse's 30 days.

When to choose each

Choose Apify if...

• You need 24/7 cloud scraping
• You are a developer or can work with code
• You need AI/LLM data pipelines
• You want enterprise-level CPA bonuses
• You scrape at scale (thousands to millions of pages)

Choose Octoparse if...

• You are non-technical and want visual scraping
• You do one-off or moderate scraping tasks
• You prefer fixed monthly pricing
• You run scrapers only during work hours

Frequently asked questions