Two ways to get web data
- Raw proxies: you run the scraper (HTTP client or browser) and route it through proxies. You control everything and handle blocks yourself.
- Scraping API: you send a URL to a service, and it fetches the page for you, handling proxies, retries and optionally JavaScript rendering.
Webshare sells raw proxies only. Geonode sells raw proxies and scraping APIs. Background in scraping API vs proxies.
What Geonode's APIs do
| API | What it does |
|---|---|
| Scraper API | Fetches a URL and returns HTML or Markdown, with optional JavaScript rendering |
| Map API | Discovers a site's URLs |
| Crawl API | Crawls a site and extracts pages |
| Search API | Returns structured search results |
At the time of writing, the Scraper API has a free tier of 1,500 requests a month and paid per-request plans (for example, 10,000 requests for a few dollars a month), plus unlimited plans by concurrency. Map and Crawl were in a free beta. See Geonode Scraper API.
Cost comparison
Raw proxies are usually cheaper per page if your scraper works well. Scraping APIs cost more per request but include rendering, retries and unblocking.
| Scenario | Cheaper option |
|---|---|
| Lenient sites, HTML only | Raw datacenter proxies (Webshare lists are very cheap) |
| Protected sites, you have a solid scraper | Raw residential proxies (compare per-GB on both) |
| Protected sites, small volume, no scraper | Scraping API (Geonode) |
| JavaScript-heavy pages, no browser fleet | Scraping API with rendering (Geonode) |
| Feeding LLMs with clean page text | Scraping API returning Markdown (Geonode) |
Control and effort
| Raw proxies | Scraping API | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup effort | Higher | Low |
| Control over headers, sessions, timing | Full | Limited to API options |
| Maintenance when sites change defences | Yours | Mostly the provider's |
| Debugging | You see everything | Fewer details |
A hybrid that works
Many teams use raw proxies for the bulk of easy targets and a scraping API for the handful of hard or JavaScript-heavy ones. With Webshare for cheap datacenter lists and Geonode's Scraper API for hard pages, you get low cost on most traffic and low effort on the rest. See using both together.
Proxy tip: If you need managed scraping rather than raw proxies, Geonode also sells a Scraper API with a free monthly allowance, which Webshare doesn't offer. More in the Geonode Scraper API.
Verdict
- Need a managed scraper? Geonode; Webshare doesn't offer one.
- Running your own scraper on lenient sites? Webshare's lists are hard to beat on price.
- Somewhere in between? Combine them.
Decision table
| Question | If yes |
|---|---|
| Do you already run a reliable scraper? | Raw proxies (either provider) |
| Do you need JavaScript rendering at low volume? | Geonode Scraper API |
| Do you need clean Markdown for LLMs? | Geonode Scraper API |
| Do you need fine control over sessions and headers? | Raw proxies |
| Is per-page cost the top priority at high volume? | Raw proxies, datacenter where possible |
Trying both approaches on the same target
Fetch 200 pages from a hard target using a raw residential proxy with your own browser setup, and 200 using Geonode's Scraper API. Compare success rate, total cost and engineering time. Include the time you spent debugging; it's often the deciding factor.
Integrating an API alongside proxies
Treat the scraping API as another "provider" in your routing layer: for listed domains, call the API instead of fetching through a proxy. Keep parsing downstream identical so you can switch domains between methods freely.
Budget tip: Many teams end up using both: Webshare for cheap per-IP datacenter and static residential lists, Geonode for per-GB residential traffic that doesn't expire. Start with Webshare geo-targeting.
Limits of scraping APIs
They give you less control and visibility, can be slower per request, and may not handle logged-in flows. For those, raw proxies with sessions remain the right tool.
A real-world example
A small research team needs data from 200 sites. Their requests-based scraper with Webshare datacenter proxies works on 185. The other 15 need JavaScript rendering, and building a reliable browser setup would take weeks. They send those 15 to Geonode's Scraper API with rendering enabled and receive Markdown that feeds straight into their parser. The API costs more per page, but those sites account for only a small share of total requests.
For the bigger picture beyond these two providers, read our best proxies buyer's guide, and see cheap proxies for ways to cut cost per successful request.
Key takeaways
- Geonode offers Scraper, Map, Crawl and Search APIs; Webshare offers proxies only.
- Raw proxies are cheaper per page when your scraper works well.
- Scraping APIs save engineering time on hard, JavaScript-heavy or low-volume pages.
- A hybrid of cheap proxies for most traffic and an API for the hardest pages works well.
- APIs give less control over sessions, headers and timing.
FAQ
Does Webshare have a scraping API?
No. Webshare provides proxies; you run the scraper.
Can Geonode's Scraper API render JavaScript?
Yes, optionally, and it can return HTML or Markdown.
Is a scraping API always more expensive?
Per request, usually. Per successful result on hard targets, it can be cheaper once you count your own time and retries.
Can I combine Webshare proxies with a scraping API?
Yes. Use proxies for most sites and an API for the hardest.
Does a scraping API handle CAPTCHAs?
Managed APIs aim to return the page successfully, which can include handling challenges; results vary by site.
Can I use Geonode's Scraper API without coding?
It's an HTTP API, so it works from no-code tools that can make HTTP requests.
Editorial note: Proxy providers change their pools, features and prices often, so treat any figures here as typical ranges at the time of writing and confirm current terms with the provider before you buy.