> SpecStream is the live web data engine for teams and agents. This is the Markdown copy of https://specstream.ai/vs/apify. Every page, with what SpecStream does and costs: https://specstream.ai/llms.txt

# SpecStream vs Apify (2026): datasets with no Actor to run

Checked Nov 3, 2026

# 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 up](https://specstream.ai/workspace/signup?returnTo=%2Fworkspace%2Fask%3Fq%3DEvery%2520open%2520federal%2520grant%2520on%2520Grants.gov%2520for%2520marine%2520mammal%2520or%2520marine%2520research%2520work%252C%2520with%2520its%2520opportunity%2520number%252C%2520the%2520agency%252C%2520the%2520date%2520posted%252C%2520the%2520closing%2520date%252C%2520the%2520award%2520ceiling%252C%2520whether%2520cost%2520sharing%2520is%2520required%2520and%2520the%2520notice&utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=apify-alternatives)[Pricing](https://specstream.ai/pricing?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=apify-alternatives)

|  | SpecStream | Apify |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Web search | Searches the live web for every match | Through Store Actors such as RAG Web Browser[A5](https://apify.com/apify/rag-web-browser) |
| Scrape and crawl | Reads each page, PDF or scan needed | Website Content Crawler and site Actors[A10](https://apify.com/apify/website-content-crawler)[A2](https://apify.com/store) |
| Extract structured fields | Typed rows with the fields you name | Datasets export as JSON, CSV or Excel[A4](https://docs.apify.com/storage/dataset) |
| Datasets we already hold | Form D, grants, contracts, rules, nonprofits, places[S2](https://specstream.ai/data?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=apify-alternatives) | Your runs' datasets; unnamed kept 7 days[A4](https://docs.apify.com/storage/dataset) |
| Enrich a list you have | Fills the missing facts in your list | Store Actors built for lead enrichment[A12](https://apify.com/store?search=lead+enrichment) |
| Monitor and rerun on a schedule | Hourly to yearly, each row change labeled | Actors and tasks run on a schedule[A9](https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/schedules) |
| Map and area filters | Results on a map, filtered by area | Google Maps Scraper Actor for places[A2](https://apify.com/store) |
| Deliver to your tools | Sheets, CRMs, Slack, Teams, n8n, Zapier, webhooks | Zapier, Make, n8n, Airtable, HubSpot, Google Drive[A11](https://docs.apify.com/integrations) |
| Agents and MCP | MCP, A2A, REST API, SDKs, pay per request | Hosted and local MCP servers[A3](https://docs.apify.com/mcp) |
| Price per result | 5¢, 15¢ or $1 per matching row[S1](https://specstream.ai/pricing?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=apify-alternatives) | Set per Actor, by result, event or compute[A1](https://apify.com/pricing) |
| Quote before the run | Maximum shown and approved before anything runs | A maximum charge limit you set when you start a run[A13](https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store.md) |
| Source URL on each value | Source URL and read time on every value | Not 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 it[A2](https://apify.com/store)[A8](https://docs.apify.com/actors). 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 $0.20[A1](https://apify.com/pricing). SpecStream charges 5¢, 15¢ or $1 per matching row on every source and every plan, and a run that finds nothing costs nothing[S1](https://specstream.ai/pricing?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=apify-alternatives).

### Reruns that bring back the changes

Apify runs Actors and tasks on a schedule[A9](https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/schedules). 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](https://specstream.ai/pricing?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=apify-alternatives).

One row from our federal grants data, each value with the notice it was read from and when.[Open the page](https://specstream.ai/data/grants/john-h-prescott-marine-mammal-rescue-assistance-grant-363929?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=apify-alternatives)

Grant

John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant[grants.gov](https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363929)Read Nov 2, 2026, 07:43 UTC

Opportunity number

NOAA-NMFS-PRPO-2026-31863[grants.gov](https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363929)Read Nov 2, 2026, 07:43 UTC

Agency

DOC NOAA - ERA Production (Department of Commerce)[grants.gov](https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363929)Read Nov 2, 2026, 07:43 UTC

Status

Posted, open[grants.gov](https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363929)Read Nov 2, 2026, 07:43 UTC

Posted

September 23, 2026[grants.gov](https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363929)Read Nov 2, 2026, 07:43 UTC

Closes

December 1, 2026[grants.gov](https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363929)Read Nov 2, 2026, 07:43 UTC

Award ceiling

$150,000[grants.gov](https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363929)Read Nov 2, 2026, 07:43 UTC

Cost sharing

Required[grants.gov](https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363929)Read Nov 2, 2026, 07:43 UTC

## Pricing side by side

|  | SpecStream | Apify |
| --- | --- | --- |
| How it bills | Each matching row: 5¢, 15¢ or $1, plus 5¢ for an email and 15¢ for a phone[S1](https://specstream.ai/pricing?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=apify-alternatives) | Set per Actor by its author: per result, per event or compute units at $0.13 to $0.20[A1](https://apify.com/pricing) |
| Free start | $10 of work on sign-up for your first 30 days, no card | Free plan with $5 to spend in the Store, no card[A1](https://apify.com/pricing) |
| A typical job | 100 matching rows at 5¢ each: $5 | Instagram Scraper, 1,000 results: $2.30[A1](https://apify.com/pricing) |
| Not charged | A run that finds nothing, rows left out, rows you already own, and reading or pricing a request | Set per Actor; RAG Web Browser does not charge a failed search[A5](https://apify.com/apify/rag-web-browser) |

## 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](https://specstream.ai/pricing?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=apify-alternatives).

### 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.  S1[specstream.ai/pricing](https://specstream.ai/pricing?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=apify-alternatives)
2.  S2[specstream.ai/data](https://specstream.ai/data?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=apify-alternatives)
3.  A1[apify.com/pricing](https://apify.com/pricing)
4.  A2[apify.com/store](https://apify.com/store)
5.  A3[docs.apify.com/mcp](https://docs.apify.com/mcp)
6.  A4[docs.apify.com/storage/dataset](https://docs.apify.com/storage/dataset)
7.  A5[apify.com/apify/rag-web-browser](https://apify.com/apify/rag-web-browser)
8.  A8[docs.apify.com/actors](https://docs.apify.com/actors)
9.  A9[docs.apify.com/actors/running/schedules](https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/schedules)
10.  A10[apify.com/apify/website-content-crawler](https://apify.com/apify/website-content-crawler)
11.  A11[docs.apify.com/integrations](https://docs.apify.com/integrations)
12.  A12[apify.com/store?search=lead+enrichment](https://apify.com/store?search=lead+enrichment)
13.  A13[docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store.md](https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store.md)

## Frequently asked questions

Something we didn't answer? [Talk to a human](https://specstream.ai/talk-to-a-human.md)

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 $0.20[A1](https://apify.com/pricing). 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.

[Sign up](https://specstream.ai/workspace/signup?returnTo=%2Fworkspace%2Fask%3Fq%3DEvery%2520open%2520federal%2520grant%2520on%2520Grants.gov%2520for%2520marine%2520mammal%2520or%2520marine%2520research%2520work%252C%2520with%2520its%2520opportunity%2520number%252C%2520the%2520agency%252C%2520the%2520date%2520posted%252C%2520the%2520closing%2520date%252C%2520the%2520award%2520ceiling%252C%2520whether%2520cost%2520sharing%2520is%2520required%2520and%2520the%2520notice&utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=apify-alternatives)[Talk to a human](https://specstream.ai/talk-to-a-human.md)