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SpecStream vs Apify

One plain-words request builds the dataset from every site with no Actor to pick or maintain, keeps only the rows that meet each condition, and bills 5¢, 15¢ or $1 per matching row and 1¢ for each unchanged row on a rerun.

Sign upPricing
SpecStreamApify
Web searchSearches the live web for every matchThrough Store Actors such as RAG Web BrowserA5
Scrape and crawlReads each page, PDF or scan neededWebsite Content Crawler and site ActorsA10A2
Extract structured fieldsTyped rows with the fields you nameDatasets export as JSON, CSV or ExcelA4
Datasets we already holdForm D, grants, contracts, rules, nonprofits, placesS2Your runs' datasets; unnamed kept 7 daysA4
Enrich a list you haveFills the missing facts in your listStore Actors built for lead enrichmentA12
Monitor and rerun on a scheduleHourly to yearly, each row change labeledActors and tasks run on a scheduleA9
Map and area filtersResults on a map, filtered by areaGoogle Maps Scraper Actor for placesA2
Deliver to your toolsSheets, CRMs, Slack, Teams, n8n, Zapier, webhooksZapier, Make, n8n, Airtable, HubSpot, Google DriveA11
Agents and MCPMCP, A2A, REST API, SDKs, pay per requestHosted and local MCP serversA3
Price per result5¢, 15¢ or $1 per matching rowS1Set per Actor, by result, event or computeA1
Quote before the runMaximum shown and approved before anything runsA maximum charge limit you set when you start a runA13
Source URL on each valueSource URL and read time on every valueNot stated.

Where SpecStream does more

One request in place of an Actor

On Apify you pick one of more than 107,000 Store Actors and run itA2A8. On SpecStream you describe the records once: the conditions every row must meet and the facts to bring back. SpecStream picks the sources and reads the page, the filing, the PDF or the scan.

One record from every site

SpecStream joins the facts from every site that has them into one record, ranks the entity's own site above a directory, and keeps records of two kinds apart, so a grant and its agency stay two rows. The columns are the facts you named, with the source URL and read time on every value.

One price for every source

Each Actor's author sets its price: Instagram Scraper is $2.30 per 1,000 results, and compute units cost $0.13 to $0.20A1. SpecStream charges 5¢, 15¢ or $1 per matching row on every source and every plan, and a run that finds nothing costs nothingS1.

Reruns that bring back the changes

Apify runs Actors and tasks on a scheduleA9. A saved SpecStream request reruns hourly to yearly and labels every row changed, unchanged or no longer matching, with old and new values side by side. A changed or new row costs half its rate and an unchanged row 1¢S1.

One row from our federal grants data, each value with the notice it was read from and when.Open the page
Grant
John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grantgrants.gov
Opportunity number
NOAA-NMFS-PRPO-2026-31863grants.gov
Agency
DOC NOAA - ERA Production (Department of Commerce)grants.gov
Status
Posted, opengrants.gov
Posted
September 23, 2026grants.gov
Closes
December 1, 2026grants.gov
Award ceiling
$150,000grants.gov
Cost sharing
Requiredgrants.gov

Pricing side by side

SpecStreamApify
How it billsEach matching row: 5¢, 15¢ or $1, plus 5¢ for an email and 15¢ for a phoneS1Set per Actor by its author: per result, per event or compute units at $0.13 to $0.20A1
Free start$10 of work on sign-up for your first 30 days, no cardFree plan with $5 to spend in the Store, no cardA1
A typical job100 matching rows at 5¢ each: $5Instagram Scraper, 1,000 results: $2.30A1
Not chargedA run that finds nothing, rows left out, rows you already own, and reading or pricing a requestSet per Actor; RAG Web Browser does not charge a failed searchA5

Switch from Apify

  1. Write the Actor's input and output columns as one sentence: the records you want, the conditions they must meet and the facts to bring back.
  2. Read how SpecStream reads the request back, and edit any condition or fact.
  3. Approve the most the run can cost. Nothing runs before you do.
  4. Send the rows to your sheet, CRM, Slack or agent, and save the request to rerun it on your schedule.
claude mcp add --transport http specstream https://api.specstream.ai/mcp

How we checked

We read every Apify figure on Apify's own pages on Nov 3, 2026, and each marker links to its page. Where those pages say nothing, the cell reads "Not stated". Our own figures come from specstream.ai/pricing.

Changes

  • Nov 3, 2026: page published; every figure read on Apify's own pages that day.

Tarek Etman, Founder & CEO, SpecStream

Sources, each checked Nov 3, 2026

  1. S1specstream.ai/pricing
  2. S2specstream.ai/data
  3. A1apify.com/pricing
  4. A2apify.com/store
  5. A3docs.apify.com/mcp
  6. A4docs.apify.com/storage/dataset
  7. A5apify.com/apify/rag-web-browser
  8. A8docs.apify.com/actors
  9. A9docs.apify.com/actors/running/schedules
  10. A10apify.com/apify/website-content-crawler
  11. A11docs.apify.com/integrations
  12. A12apify.com/store?search=lead+enrichment
  13. A13docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store.md

Frequently asked questions

Something we didn't answer? Talk to a human

What is the best Apify alternative?
SpecStream. You describe the records once in plain words and get rows that meet every condition, with the source URL and read time on every value. The most a run can cost is approved first, only matching rows are billed, and the saved request reruns on your schedule into your CRM, sheet or Slack.
Do I need to pick, configure or maintain an Actor?
No. The request is the whole setup: the records, their conditions and the facts you want as columns. SpecStream picks the sources each time it runs, so there is no input to fill and no code to keep working.
How does the price compare with Apify Actors?
Apify Actors charge what their authors set, per result or event, such as $2.30 per 1,000 results on Instagram Scraper, or compute units at $0.13 to $0.20A1. SpecStream charges 5¢, 15¢ or $1 per matching row, the same on every plan, and a run that finds nothing costs nothing.
Can I see the price before a run starts?
Yes. The most a run can cost is shown and approved before it runs, and a schedule runs inside the spending limits you set for each member, project and key.
How do scheduled reruns work?
A saved request reruns hourly to yearly. Each row is labeled changed, unchanged or no longer matching, a changed or new row costs half its rate, and an unchanged row costs 1¢, so a row that stays the same costs 1¢ to keep up to date.
Where do the rows land?
In HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Attio, Zoho CRM or Ashby, matched to the records you already have; in Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable or Notion; in Slack or Teams; through Zapier, Make, n8n or a webhook; and through the API and MCP.

Describe the dataset you want kept up to date

Write the records you need in one sentence. SpecStream reads it back, shows the most the run can cost, and builds the dataset when you approve. Begin with $10 of work on sign-up for your first 30 days, no card.

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