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

# SpecStream vs Firecrawl (2026): the live web data engine

Checked Nov 3, 2026

# SpecStream vs Firecrawl

One plain-words request to SpecStream returns up to 10,000 finished records, searched, extracted, enriched and delivered to your sheet, CRM or agent, and you pay only for the rows delivered.

[Describe your dataset](https://specstream.ai/workspace/signup?returnTo=%2Fworkspace%2Fask%3Fq%3DEvery%2520US%2520company%2520that%2520filed%2520a%2520Form%2520D%2520in%2520the%2520last%252030%2520days%2520reporting%2520%2524100%2520million%2520or%2520more%2520sold%252C%2520with%2520its%2520city%252C%2520state%252C%2520the%2520amount%2520sold%252C%2520the%2520offering%2520size%252C%2520the%2520number%2520of%2520investors%252C%2520the%2520date%2520of%2520first%2520sale%2520and%2520the%2520filing&utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=firecrawl-alternatives)[Pricing](https://specstream.ai/pricing?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=firecrawl-alternatives)

|  | SpecStream | Firecrawl |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Web search | Searches the live web for every match | Search, 2 credits per 10 results[F1](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing) |
| Scrape and crawl | Reads each page, PDF or scan needed | Scrape, Crawl and Map endpoints[F6](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/introduction) |
| Extract structured fields | Typed rows with the fields you name | JSON by schema, 4 more credits a page[F1](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing)[F3](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/scrape) |
| Datasets we already hold | Form D, grants, contracts, rules, nonprofits, places[S2](https://specstream.ai/data?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=firecrawl-alternatives) | Alexandria connects outside providers and indexes[F7](https://www.firecrawl.dev/alexandria) |
| Enrich a list you have | Fills the missing facts in your list | Lead enrichment use case built on its APIs[F8](https://www.firecrawl.dev/use-cases/lead-enrichment) |
| Monitor and rerun on a schedule | Hourly to yearly, each row change labeled | Monitor from 1 credit per page per check[F1](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing) |
| Map and area filters | Results on a map, filtered by area | Not stated. |
| Deliver to your tools | Sheets, CRMs, Slack, Teams, n8n, Zapier, webhooks | API responses and webhooks[F9](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/llms.txt) |
| Agents and MCP | MCP, A2A, REST API, SDKs, pay per request | Remote MCP server, API and SDKs[F4](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/mcp-server)[F9](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/llms.txt) |
| Price per result | 5¢, 15¢ or $1 per matching row[S1](https://specstream.ai/pricing?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=firecrawl-alternatives) | Credits per page, error pages included[F1](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing) |
| Quote before the run | Maximum shown and approved before anything runs | Agent caps at 2,500 credits by default[F2](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/agent) |
| Source URL on each value | Source URL and read time on every value | Crawl results keep page URLs[F8](https://www.firecrawl.dev/use-cases/lead-enrichment) |

## Where SpecStream does more

### Records from every site

Firecrawl returns pages as Markdown, HTML, screenshots or JSON, and its Agent returns roughly 150 to 200 rows a run[F3](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/scrape)[F2](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/agent). One SpecStream request returns up to 10,000 records that meet every condition you wrote, with the facts from every site joined into one record.

### Billed per row delivered

Firecrawl bills 1 credit a page, 4 more for JSON, and a page that answers with an error such as 403 or 404 costs a credit[F1](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing). SpecStream bills only delivered rows, 5¢, 15¢ or $1 each, under a maximum you approve, and a run that finds nothing costs nothing[S1](https://specstream.ai/pricing?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=firecrawl-alternatives).

### The whole job with no code

Firecrawl's endpoints are called through its API, and its SDKs wrap that API[F6](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/introduction)[F9](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/llms.txt). On SpecStream one request finds every match, reads each page, PDF or scan, enriches the rows and delivers them to Sheets, your CRM, Slack, n8n or Zapier.

### Every row rechecked on your schedule

Firecrawl Monitor bills from 1 credit per page per check[F1](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing). A saved SpecStream request reruns hourly to yearly, labels each row changed, unchanged or no longer matching, and charges half the rate for a changed row and 1¢ for an unchanged one[S1](https://specstream.ai/pricing?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=firecrawl-alternatives).

### Data already built

Firecrawl's Alexandria connects outside data providers and indexes[F7](https://www.firecrawl.dev/alexandria). SpecStream already holds Form D filings since 2008, places, bank failures, federal rules, nonprofits, and open federal contracts and grants, with signals for US funding rounds, layoffs and new executives[S2](https://specstream.ai/data?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=firecrawl-alternatives)[S3](https://specstream.ai/signals?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=firecrawl-alternatives).

One row from our Form D data, each value with the filing it was read from and when.[Open the page](https://specstream.ai/data/form-d/company/angle-health-inc-2157581?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=firecrawl-alternatives)

Company

Angle Health, Inc.[sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2157581/000215758126000001/0002157581-26-000001-index.htm)Read Oct 30, 2026, 07:30 UTC

Location

San Francisco, CA[sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2157581/000215758126000001/0002157581-26-000001-index.htm)Read Oct 30, 2026, 07:30 UTC

Filing

Form D new notice filed Oct 29, 2026[sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2157581/000215758126000001/0002157581-26-000001-index.htm)Read Oct 30, 2026, 07:30 UTC

Amount sold

$591,524,799[sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2157581/000215758126000001/0002157581-26-000001-index.htm)Read Oct 30, 2026, 07:30 UTC

Offering size

$600,000,001[sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2157581/000215758126000001/0002157581-26-000001-index.htm)Read Oct 30, 2026, 07:30 UTC

Investors

10[sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2157581/000215758126000001/0002157581-26-000001-index.htm)Read Oct 30, 2026, 07:30 UTC

First sale

Oct 15, 2026[sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2157581/000215758126000001/0002157581-26-000001-index.htm)Read Oct 30, 2026, 07:30 UTC

## Pricing side by side

|  | SpecStream | Firecrawl |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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=firecrawl-alternatives) | Credits: 1 a page, 4 more for JSON, 2 per 10 search results[F1](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing) |
| Plans | No seats; one balance for people and agents | $19 to $749 a month, billed monthly[F1](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing) |
| Free start | $10 of work on sign-up for your first 30 days, no card | 1,000 credits a month, no card[F1](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing) |
| A typical job | 100 matching rows at 5¢ each: $5 | 1,000 pages as JSON: 5,000 credits, a $19 Hobby month[F1](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing) |
| Not charged | A run that finds nothing, rows left out, rows you already own, and reading or pricing a request | A scrape with no result and a failed Agent run; an error page costs 1 credit[F1](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing)[F2](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/agent) |

## Switch from Firecrawl

1.  Write the data you want in plain words, in place of the URLs and endpoints you would call, with the conditions every row must meet.
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 Firecrawl figure on Firecrawl'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=firecrawl-alternatives).

### Changes

-   Nov 3, 2026: page published; every figure read on Firecrawl'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=firecrawl-alternatives)
2.  S2[specstream.ai/data](https://specstream.ai/data?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=firecrawl-alternatives)
3.  S3[specstream.ai/signals](https://specstream.ai/signals?utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=firecrawl-alternatives)
4.  F1[firecrawl.dev/pricing](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing)
5.  F2[docs.firecrawl.dev/features/agent](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/agent)
6.  F3[docs.firecrawl.dev/features/scrape](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/scrape)
7.  F4[docs.firecrawl.dev/mcp-server](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/mcp-server)
8.  F5[github.com/firecrawl/firecrawl](https://github.com/firecrawl/firecrawl)
9.  F6[docs.firecrawl.dev/introduction](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/introduction)
10.  F7[firecrawl.dev/alexandria](https://www.firecrawl.dev/alexandria)
11.  F8[firecrawl.dev/use-cases/lead-enrichment](https://www.firecrawl.dev/use-cases/lead-enrichment)
12.  F9[docs.firecrawl.dev/llms.txt](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/llms.txt)

## Frequently asked questions

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

What is the best Firecrawl alternative?

SpecStream. It reads the live web as Firecrawl does and does the rest of the job in the same request: you describe the data in plain words with every condition, approve the most the run can cost, and get structured records that meet all of them in your sheet, your CRM, Slack or your agent. It enriches your own lists, reruns on your schedule, and bills only delivered rows.

Is there a cheaper alternative to Firecrawl?

Compare the price of a finished row. Firecrawl bills credits for every page it reads, from $19 a month for 5,000 credits billed monthly, and an error page costs a credit too[F1](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing), so the pages that never become a row are billed along with the ones that do. SpecStream bills only delivered rows, 5¢, 15¢ or $1 each, under a maximum you approve, and a run that finds nothing costs nothing.

Is there an open-source Firecrawl alternative?

Firecrawl's code is open source under AGPL-3.0[F5](https://github.com/firecrawl/firecrawl). Run it yourself and you get pages; finding the records, checking each one against your conditions, joining facts from many sites, delivering them and keeping them up to date is still code you write and run. SpecStream does all of it as a hosted service and delivers the finished rows through the API, the MCP server, the workspace or your own tools, starting with $10 of work on sign-up for your first 30 days, no card.

Which Firecrawl alternatives have an MCP server?

Firecrawl runs a remote MCP server[F4](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/mcp-server). SpecStream's is at `api.specstream.ai/mcp`, with OAuth or an API key, alongside A2A, the REST API, SDKs and a CLI. Through it an agent sends the data it needs in plain words, sees the most the run can cost, and reads rows that meet every condition under the maximum you approved.

Which alternative returns structured data?

Firecrawl returns JSON by your schema for the pages you give it, and its Agent returns roughly 150 to 200 rows a run[F3](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/scrape)[F2](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/agent). SpecStream returns up to 10,000 records a request that meet every condition you wrote, with facts from many sites joined into one record and the source URL and read time on every value.

Can I see the price before a run starts?

Yes. Firecrawl Agent caps spending with `maxCredits`, 2,500 credits by default[F2](https://docs.firecrawl.dev/features/agent). SpecStream shows the most a run can cost, nothing runs until you approve it, and reading and pricing a request cost nothing.

Can the data stay up to date?

Yes. Firecrawl Monitor bills 1 credit per page per check, or 7 with deterministic extraction[F1](https://www.firecrawl.dev/pricing). A saved SpecStream request reruns hourly to yearly, with old and new values side by side, and each row comes back labeled changed, unchanged or no longer matching; a changed or new row costs half its rate and an unchanged row 1¢.

## Describe the data you need

Write the request today and see how SpecStream reads it and the most it can cost, before anything runs. New accounts get $10 of work on sign-up for your first 30 days, no card: at 5¢ a row, that is up to 200 rows that meet every condition you wrote, in the tool where your team works.

[Sign up](https://specstream.ai/workspace/signup?returnTo=%2Fworkspace%2Fask%3Fq%3DEvery%2520US%2520company%2520that%2520filed%2520a%2520Form%2520D%2520in%2520the%2520last%252030%2520days%2520reporting%2520%2524100%2520million%2520or%2520more%2520sold%252C%2520with%2520its%2520city%252C%2520state%252C%2520the%2520amount%2520sold%252C%2520the%2520offering%2520size%252C%2520the%2520number%2520of%2520investors%252C%2520the%2520date%2520of%2520first%2520sale%2520and%2520the%2520filing&utm_source=compare&utm_campaign=firecrawl-alternatives)[Talk to a human](https://specstream.ai/talk-to-a-human.md)