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# Firecrawl vs Jina Reader in 2026: one key answers both calls

Compared on Nov 10, 2026. The page: https://specstream.ai/compare/firecrawl-vs-jina-reader

On Nov 10, 2026, Firecrawl sells page reads in monthly credit plans, from $19 a month for 5,000 credits at 1 credit a page. Jina Reader bills tokens by the length of each page, and its Reader page prints no dollar rate.

SpecStream answers both calls on one key. Firecrawl code calls `https://api.specstream.ai/firecrawl` in place of `https://api.firecrawl.dev`, and Jina code calls `https://api.specstream.ai/jina` in place of `https://r.jina.ai/`. The bodies and the parsers stay.

Every page costs $0.80 per 1,000, whatever its length. The Extract API behind both routes scores 0.908 F1 on WCXB, and search on the same key 97.9 F-score on SimpleQA Verified. New accounts get $10 of credit, no card.

[Get an API key](https://specstream.ai/signup?src=alternatives-firecrawl-vs-jina-reader&utm_source=alternatives-md&utm_campaign=firecrawl-vs-jina-reader&returnTo=%2Fworkspace%2Fagents%3Ftab%3Dkeys) New accounts get $10 of credit, no card. It covers 2,000 searches.

## SpecStream, Firecrawl and Jina Reader side by side

| | SpecStream | Firecrawl | Jina Reader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your code today | Runs as it is on both. Firecrawl's `POST /v2/scrape` and `/v2/search` answer at `https://api.specstream.ai/firecrawl`, and Jina's `POST` with `url` answers at `https://api.specstream.ai/jina`, with a SpecStream key as the Bearer token | `POST https://api.firecrawl.dev/v2/scrape` and `/v2/search`, with a Firecrawl key as the Bearer token | `POST https://r.jina.ai/` with `url` in the body, or the page address after `https://r.jina.ai/`, with a Jina key as the Bearer token |
| Price of a page read | $0.80 per 1,000 pages, $0.0008 a page, whatever its length. PDF, Word and Excel files are read at the same rate | 1 credit a page for Scrape and Crawl. Plans: Hobby $19 a month for 5,000 credits, Standard $99 for 100,000, Scale $749 for 1,000,000 | Tokens, charged by content length. The Reader page prints no dollar rate |
| How you pay | From a balance, with no monthly plan. Credit you buy never expires, and a key's `spend_cap_cents` is the most it can spend | A monthly plan of credits, from $19 to $749 a month | Tokens topped up as you go. Auto top up recharges your saved payment method below your threshold, and purchased credits are not refundable |
| What comes back | Each API's own reply. On `/firecrawl`, `success` with `data.markdown` and `data.metadata`. On `/jina`, Jina's `Title:`, `URL Source:` and `Markdown Content:` text, or its JSON with `Accept: application/json` | `data.markdown`, `data.html`, `data.rawHtml` and `data.metadata` | The page as text, or JSON with the URL, title, content and timestamp when the page has one |
| A page with no text | Not charged. A busy call gets a `429` with `Retry-After` and charges nothing | A call that returns a document is billed. A call that returns no document is 0 credits | Tokens are not deducted for failed requests |
| Search | $5 per 1,000 searches of up to 10 results, on `/firecrawl/v2/search` or `GET /v1/web-search`, which returns up to 100 results for one search | 2 credits per search | `s.jina.ai` returns the top five results with their URLs and contents, for a fixed number of tokens a request, from 10,000 |
| Map and crawl a site | Firecrawl's `/v2/map` and `/v2/crawl` answer at `https://api.specstream.ai/firecrawl` in Firecrawl's JSON. A map is one page read, and each crawled page with text is one page read | Map 1 credit a call, Crawl 1 credit a page | Reader reads the URL you put after `https://r.jina.ai/` |
| Rate limits | No monthly cap. Calls spend from your balance inside the limit you set on the key | 10 requests a minute on the free plan | 100 requests a minute on a free key, 500 on paid, 5,000 on premium, and 10,000 requests per 60 seconds per IP |
| Free to start | $10 of credit, no card: 12,500 pages or 2,000 searches | 1,000 free credits a month, about 1,000 pages, no card | 10M free tokens on every new API key |
| Published accuracy | 97.9 F-score on all 1,000 official SimpleQA Verified questions (978 correct). 64.0 item F1 and 43.4 row F1 on all 200 official WideSearch tasks. Extract API 0.908 F1 on WCXB. Method at [specstream.ai/benchmarks](https://specstream.ai/benchmarks?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=firecrawl-vs-jina-reader) | No accuracy score on its pricing page | No accuracy score on its Reader page |
| Every match as structured rows | Deep Search: a request in plain words returns every match on the live web as rows at 5¢, 15¢ or $1 a row, with a source URL on every value. The most a run can cost is quoted before it starts | Pages, at 1 credit each. Your code joins the facts into records | The content of the URL you send. Your code joins the facts into records |

## Why teams read pages with SpecStream

### Both calls on one key

A team does not have to pick one API and rewrite the other. Each call keeps its path, its body and its parser; the address and the key change.

```
# Firecrawl, before and after
curl -X POST https://api.firecrawl.dev/v2/scrape \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FIRECRAWL_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url": "https://example.com/pricing"}'
curl -X POST https://api.specstream.ai/firecrawl/v2/scrape \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPECSTREAM_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url": "https://example.com/pricing"}'

# Jina Reader, before and after
curl -X POST https://r.jina.ai/ -H "Authorization: Bearer $JINA_API_KEY" -d "url=$URL"
curl -X POST https://api.specstream.ai/jina -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPECSTREAM_API_KEY" -d "url=$URL"
```

The address form works too: `https://r.jina.ai/<url>` becomes `https://api.specstream.ai/jina/<url>`. Each page read on either route is one Extract API page at $0.0008.

### What stays the same

On `/firecrawl`, a scrape returns `success: true`, `data.markdown` with the main text of the page and `data.metadata` with `sourceURL`, `url`, `statusCode`, `title` and `publishedTime` when the page gives one. `data.html` and `data.rawHtml` are not returned. A search returns `data.web[]` with `url`, `title`, `description` and `position`. Every parameter is in the [Firecrawl migration guide](https://specstream.ai/migrate/firecrawl?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=firecrawl-vs-jina-reader).

On `/jina`, the reply starts with `Title:` and `URL Source:`, then `Markdown Content:`, as Jina's does. With `Accept: application/json` it carries `code`, `status` and `data` with `title`, `url`, `content` and `publishedTime`; `links`, `images` and `usage.tokens` are not returned. Every parameter is in the [Jina Reader migration guide](https://specstream.ai/migrate/jina?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=firecrawl-vs-jina-reader).

### One price a page, in dollars

Firecrawl sells credits by the month: Hobby is $19 for 5,000 and Standard $99 for 100,000, at 1 credit a page. Jina charges tokens by the length of each page, so a long page costs more than a short one. On SpecStream every page costs $0.0008, whatever its length, from a balance that never expires. A page with no text is not charged, and a busy call gets a `429` with `Retry-After` and charges nothing.

### Scored on the official benchmarks

The Extract API that answers both routes scores 0.908 F1 on WCXB. The Search API on the same key scores a 97.9 F-score on all 1,000 official SimpleQA Verified questions, 978 of them correct, and 64.0 item F1 and 43.4 row F1 on all 200 official WideSearch tasks. Every score and its method is on the [benchmarks](https://specstream.ai/benchmarks?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=firecrawl-vs-jina-reader) page.

A search on `/firecrawl/v2/search` runs the fast search unless it asks for page text. On November 9, 2026 production took 1 to 20 fast searches a second and answered 718 of 720, with a median of 0.82 s at 1 a second and 1.07 s at 20 a second.

### You decide what is kept, on each key

Create a key with `zero_retention` and a call made with it keeps no request text and no answer after the reply. `spend_cap_cents` is the most the key can spend.

```
curl -X POST https://api.specstream.ai/v1/account/keys \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPECSTREAM_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "production", "scopes": ["account:read", "finds:spend"], "spend_cap_cents": 500000, "zero_retention": true}'
```

### Search, pages and rows on one key

The same key reads up to 20 pages or documents a call with the [Extract API](https://specstream.ai/extract-api?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=firecrawl-vs-jina-reader) at $0.80 per 1,000 pages, searches the live web at $5 per 1,000 searches, and runs [Deep Search](https://specstream.ai/deep-search?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=firecrawl-vs-jina-reader), which returns every match for a request in plain words as structured rows at 5¢, 15¢ or $1 a row. Save a request and it reruns hourly to yearly, with each row labeled changed, unchanged or no longer matching.

## Other ways to read pages for an LLM

### SpecStream

The live web data engine for teams and agents. Pages at $0.80 per 1,000 through the Extract API or the Firecrawl, Jina, Crawl4AI, Tavily Extract and Exa Contents routes, search at $5 per 1,000, and every match as structured rows at 5¢, 15¢ or $1 a row.

### Crawl4AI

An Apache 2.0 crawler you can host yourself, with a hosted API from $10 a month at 120 calls a minute. SpecStream answers a Crawl4AI server's `/crawl` and `/md` at `https://api.specstream.ai/crawl4ai`, with no server to run. [Firecrawl vs Crawl4AI](https://specstream.ai/compare/firecrawl-vs-crawl4ai?utm_source=alternatives&utm_campaign=firecrawl-vs-jina-reader).

### Tavily Extract

Every 5 successful URLs cost 1 credit on basic extract, at $0.008 a credit pay as you go. SpecStream answers `POST /tavily/extract` in Tavily's JSON, each page at $0.0008.

### Exa Contents

$1 per 1,000 pages, per content type. SpecStream answers `POST /exa/contents` in Exa's JSON, up to 20 URLs a call, at $0.80 per 1,000 pages.

## How to move Firecrawl and Jina Reader calls to SpecStream

1. Create a key under Agents & API in the workspace, with a spending limit. A new account gets $10 of credit, no card, which covers 12,500 pages.

2. Point the Firecrawl calls at `https://api.specstream.ai/firecrawl` and send the SpecStream key as the Bearer token.

```
import os, requests

BASE = "https://api.specstream.ai/firecrawl"  # was https://api.firecrawl.dev
KEY = os.environ["SPECSTREAM_API_KEY"]

page = requests.post(
    f"{BASE}/v2/scrape",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {KEY}"},
    json={"url": "https://example.com/pricing"},
).json()

print(page["data"]["metadata"]["title"], page["data"]["markdown"][:200])
```

3. Point the Jina Reader calls at `https://api.specstream.ai/jina`. Ask for JSON with `Accept: application/json`, or leave the header out for Jina's text form.

```
const reply = await fetch("https://api.specstream.ai/jina", { // was https://r.jina.ai/
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.SPECSTREAM_API_KEY}`,
    Accept: "application/json",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({ url: "https://example.com/pricing" }),
}).then((r) => r.json());

console.log(reply.data.title, reply.data.content.slice(0, 200));
```

4. Leave the rest. Each page is billed at $0.0008, and the reply's `specstream` field carries the call's `price_usd`.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Firecrawl better than Jina Reader?

Both read a page into text for a model; Firecrawl bills 1 credit a page from $19 a month, and Jina bills tokens by page length. SpecStream answers both calls on one key at $0.80 per 1,000 pages, so the choice no longer changes your code.

### Firecrawl vs Jina Reader pricing: what does each cost?

Firecrawl costs $19 a month for 5,000 credits on Hobby and $99 for 100,000 on Standard, at 1 credit a page. Jina Reader charges tokens by content length, with 10M free tokens on a new key and no dollar rate on its Reader page. SpecStream costs $0.0008 a page, whatever its length.

### Can I use both Firecrawl and Jina Reader?

Yes, on one SpecStream key since November 10, 2026. Firecrawl calls go to `https://api.specstream.ai/firecrawl` and Jina Reader calls to `https://api.specstream.ai/jina`, each in its own JSON, from one balance.

### Which is faster, Firecrawl or Jina Reader?

On SpecStream, one Firecrawl scrape answered in 1.96 s and one Jina Reader call in 2.58 s on production. A search on the Firecrawl route had a median of 0.82 s at 1 search a second on November 9, 2026.

### What happens to a page that returns no text?

On SpecStream it costs $0. Firecrawl bills a call that returns a document, and Jina does not deduct tokens for failed requests.

### Does SpecStream return HTML like Firecrawl?

No, a scrape returns `data.markdown` and `data.metadata`, the main text without menus, footers and ads, for $0.0008 a page. `data.html` and `data.rawHtml` are not returned.

### Is there a free tier?

New SpecStream accounts get $10 of credit, no card, which covers 12,500 pages. Credit you buy never expires.

## Sources

SpecStream wrote this page. Each figure for Firecrawl, Jina Reader and the other tools comes from that company's own page.

- [SpecStream pricing](https://specstream.ai/pricing), read Nov 10, 2026
- [SpecStream for agents](https://specstream.ai/agents.md), read Nov 10, 2026
- [SpecStream benchmarks](https://specstream.ai/benchmarks), read Nov 10, 2026
- [Firecrawl pricing](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing), read Nov 10, 2026
- [Firecrawl billing](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/billing.md), read Nov 10, 2026
- [Jina Reader](https://jina.ai/reader), read Nov 10, 2026
- [Jina legal](https://jina.ai/legal/), read Nov 10, 2026
- [Crawl4AI on GitHub](https://github.com/unclecode/crawl4ai), read Nov 10, 2026
- [Crawl4AI docs](https://docs.crawl4ai.com/), read Nov 10, 2026
- [Tavily API credits](https://docs.tavily.com/documentation/api-credits.md), read Nov 10, 2026
- [Exa pricing](https://exa.ai/docs/admin/pricing.md), read Nov 10, 2026