vs Decodo
Decodo alternative with 98% on protected sites.
Looking for a Decodo alternative focused on web scraping? Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) is primarily a proxy infrastructure provider. Web scraping is not their core business. Scrapfly is built from the ground up for web scraping, delivering 98% success on protected sites.
Decodo works, until it doesn't.
Teams come to this page for one of three reasons: success rate degraded after an antibot vendor update, cost surprised them via credit multipliers or "premium domain" surcharges, or they need features Decodo doesn't ship (JS rendering, Extraction API, unified billing). Scrapfly addresses all three on the same key.
Sites Scrapfly actually handles.
Scrapeway benchmarks test every major scraping API with default, out-of-box configs.
E-commerce
Professional & Jobs
Real Estate
Social Media
Why Bypass Reliability Matters
Anti-bot systems like Cloudflare, DataDome, and PerimeterX constantly update their defenses. When bypasses break, how quickly they're restored determines your scraping reliability. Scrapfly owns the full technology stack (proxies, browsers, fingerprinting, and challenge solving), enabling us to restore bypasses in days, not weeks.
Full Stack Ownership
- Active anti-bot monitoring 24/7
- Bypass restoration in days, not weeks
- No third-party proxy dependencies
- Real browser TLS fingerprint matching
Protected Sites We Handle
- Cloudflare, DataDome, PerimeterX
- Akamai Bot Manager
- Custom enterprise solutions
- CAPTCHA challenges
Scrapfly vs Decodo, one row at a time.
What matters for production scraping: protected-site success, cost, reliability.
| Metric | Scrapfly | Decodo |
|---|---|---|
| Success Rate (Protected Sites) | 98% | Struggles with anti-bot bypass |
| Independent Benchmark Coverage | Scrapeway tracked | Not tracked |
| Free Trial | 1,000 API credits | Limited |
| JavaScript Rendering (Entry Plan) | Included | Advanced only |
| Geo-targeting (Entry Plan) | 50+ countries | 8 countries (Core) |
| Bandwidth Optimization | Proxy Saver (50% savings) | |
| Extraction API | AI-powered extraction | AI Parser |
How Scrapfly's Anti-Scraping Protection works.
Set asp=True. The engine handles everything else.
Adaptive bypass
Handles Cloudflare, DataDome, PerimeterX automatically. Detects the challenge type, submits a valid solution.
Session intelligence
Reuses unblocked stealth-browser sessions when the target allows it, cutting cost without sacrificing success rate.
Credits vary by actual complexity.
Scrapfly ASP costs 30+ credits (varies by target). You don't overpay for simple targets. Full pricing.
| Configuration | Scrapfly | Decodo |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | 1,000 API credits | Limited |
| JavaScript Rendering (Entry) | Included | Advanced only |
| Geo-targeting Coverage (Entry) | 50+ countries | 8 countries |
| Protected Site Cost | 30+ credits (varies by target) | $0.88-1.25/1K req (Advanced) |
Why Developers Choose a Dedicated Scraping API
Decodo is a proxy infrastructure provider that also offers scraping APIs. Scrapfly is built specifically for web scraping. Here's the difference.
Full Technology Ownership
Unlike providers relying on third-party proxy networks, Scrapfly owns the entire technology chain: proxies, browsers, fingerprinting, and challenge solving.
When anti-bot systems update, we restore bypasses in days, not weeks.
24/7 anti-bot monitoringIndependent Benchmark Verified
Scrapfly's performance is independently tracked by Scrapeway benchmarks, the industry's most comprehensive web scraping API comparison.
Decodo is not tracked, making it difficult to verify their "99.99% success rate" claims.
Transparent, verifiable resultsBandwidth Optimization with Proxy Saver
Residential proxies charge $6-15 per GB. At 1 million requests averaging 500KB, you're transferring ~500GB monthly.
Proxy Saver blocks junk traffic, stubs images/CSS, and caches responses, cutting bandwidth significantly.
Significant cost savings per million requestsExtraction API
Transform raw HTML into structured data automatically. Scrapfly's AI-powered Extraction API handles:
- Auto-extraction: Automatically detect and extract data
- LLM extraction: Natural language prompts for complex data
- Template extraction: Reusable extraction rules
What developers say.
4.9/5 · 219 reviewsWhat teams complain about with Decodo
- Silent success-rate degradation after antibot vendor updates
- Credit multipliers on "premium" targets blow up invoices
- Support tickets routed through tier-1 scripts before real answers
Three things that stop happening
- 5 engine deploys/day on real error telemetry — no silent rot
- Variable credit cost by actual target complexity — no premium-domain surprise
- Every support agent is a web-data developer — no tier-1 script
Most teams migrate in under 2 hours.
No downtime, no data loss. Run both vendors in parallel during evaluation.
- Sign up for 1,000 free credits No credit card. Full API access from minute one.
- Install the SDK Python, TypeScript, Go, or Scrapy.
- Update request parameters Parameter mapping in the getting-started guide.
- Test your critical targets Run Scrapfly alongside Decodo during evaluation.
# Decodo → Scrapfly: Similar parameter structure
from scrapfly import ScrapflyClient, ScrapeConfig
client = ScrapflyClient(key='YOUR_API_KEY')
result = client.scrape(ScrapeConfig(
url='https://example.com',
render_js=True, # Replaces headless=html
asp=True, # Anti-bot bypass
country='us', # Replaces geo parameter
proxy_pool='public_residential_pool'
))
print(result.content)Full parameter mapping, multiple language examples, and AI-assisted migration tool:
View Full Migration GuideFrequently Asked Questions
Does Scrapfly really hit 98% on protected sites?
Yes. Scrapeway benchmarks every major scraping API on identical protected targets — LinkedIn, Walmart, Zillow, Glassdoor. Scrapfly consistently hits 98%.
Can I test Scrapfly on my targets before committing?
Yes. The free plan is 1,000 API credits, no credit card. Test your exact targets before upgrading.
Why is Decodo expensive?
Decodo's pricing can run up due to high credit multipliers on premium features. Scrapfly's ASP costs 30+ credits (varies by target), varying by actual target complexity — you don't overpay for simpler sites.
How does Scrapfly handle heavy protection?
ASP adapts to Cloudflare, DataDome, PerimeterX, Akamai, and custom antibot systems. Real TLS handshake, matching fingerprints, adaptive challenge solving. No manual tuning.
Why is Decodo not working on my target?
Usually insufficient antibot bypass. Cloudflare, DataDome, and PerimeterX have all tightened detection recently. Scrapfly's ASP stays current via daily deploys and holds 98%.
What happens on a failed request?
Scrapfly returns detailed error diagnostics (block, timeout, target issue). Automatic retries handle transient failures. Failed requests don't cost credits.
Does Scrapfly support JavaScript rendering?
Yes. Dedicated cloud browser instances handle full JS execution for React, Vue, Angular, SPAs. Enable render_js.
What proxies does Scrapfly include?
Residential and datacenter proxies across 50+ countries, rotating by default. All included in API credits, no separate fees.
Does Scrapfly have an Extraction API?
Yes. The Extraction API transforms raw HTML into structured JSON. Auto-extract, LLM prompts, or reusable templates.
Run Scrapfly in parallel. Switch when ready.
1,000 free credits, full API access, migration support. Your Decodo integration stays live during evaluation.
Methodology: Scrapeway benchmarks test scraping APIs using default, out-of-box configurations — the real-world experience developers encounter on day one.