TL;DR
AlterLab is ideal for developers seeking a simple, pay-as-you-go scraping API with no subscription fees and balance that never expires. Zyte suits enterprise teams needing large proxy pools and advanced features, but requires navigating commitment-based pricing. Choose AlterLab for self-serve simplicity; choose Zyte for enterprise-scale dedicated support.
For a detailed feature-by-feature breakdown, see our AlterLab vs Zyte comparison page.
Pricing comparison
AlterLab uses a pure pay-as-you-go model: you purchase a balance that never expires and pay only for successful requests. Zyte offers credit packs and enterprise contracts, often with monthly minimums and balance resets.
As of 2026 public pricing:
- AlterLab: Starts at $0.0002/request for Tier 1 (basic HTML). No subscription, no minimums. See full pricing
- Zyte: Credit packs begin at $25 for 20,000 requests ($0.00125/request). Enterprise plans require annual commitments. Balance resets monthly if unused.
Feature comparison
Both platforms handle core scraping needs, but differ in approach and complexity.
AlterLab strengths:
- 5-tier smart routing (T1-T5) automatically escalates based on site difficulty
- Simple REST API with official Python/Node.js SDKs
- Instant sign-up, no sales call required
- Built-in proxy rotation and JavaScript rendering across all tiers
Zyte strengths:
- Larger proprietary proxy pool (particularly for geo-targeted requests)
- Advanced session management for complex login flows
- Dedicated account management for enterprise tiers
- Longer history in the enterprise scraping market
Both offer:
- Automatic anti-bot bypass (Cloudflare, Akamai, etc.)
- Structured data extraction options
- Webhook support for result delivery
- Usage monitoring and analytics dashboards
When to choose Zyte
Consider Zyte if you:
- Require guaranteed SLA-backed uptime for mission-critical pipelines
- Need access to specialized proxy types (residential, mobile) at massive scale
- Prefer negotiating custom enterprise contracts with dedicated support
- Are already integrated into Zyte's ecosystem (e.g., using their Crawlera or Smartproxy products)
When to choose AlterLab
Choose AlterLab if you:
- Are a solo developer, startup, or small team wanting predictable, usage-based costs
- Value immediate access without sales calls or minimum commitments
- Prefer a gentle learning curve with clear documentation and SDK examples
- Want your balance to roll over indefinitely (no use-it-or-lose-it pressure)
- Need straightforward JSON/Markdown/Text output formats without extra configuration
Migration guide
Switching from Zyte to AlterLab takes minutes. Both offer similar REST endpoints and SDK structures. Below is a minimal migration example showing equivalent scrape requests.
```python title="migrate_to_alterlab.py" {3-6}
Before: Zyte (using official SDK)
from zyte_project import Client
zyte_client = Client(api_key="YOUR_ZYTE_KEY")
response = zyte_client.get(url="https://example.com", http_response_body=True)
After: AlterLab
client = alterlab.Client("YOUR_ALTERLAB_KEY")
response = client.scrape(
url="https://example.com",
formats=["json"] # Optional: get parsed JSON instead of raw HTML
)
print(response.json if response.format == "json" else response.text)
```bash title="Terminal — Quick start"
curl -X POST https://api.alterlab.io/v1/scrape \
-H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"url": "https://example.com", "formats": ["json"]}'
For full SDK setup and advanced options, see our Getting started guide.
Key takeaways
- AlterLab eliminates subscription complexity: pay only for what you use, balance never expires
- Zyte serves enterprise needs with scale and support; AlterLab optimizes for developer speed and simplicity
- Migration is straightforward due to similar API concepts—no major architectural changes needed
Compare Other Alternatives
AlterLab // Web Data, Simplified.
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