When to Use APIs
Use APIs when you need:- Fast, real-time responses
- One-off requests with a known URL or query
- Integration into apps, bots, dashboards, or workflows that expect immediate data
When to Use Scraper Jobs
Use Scraper Jobs when you need to:- Scrape a large number of pages or listings
- Crawl through paginated results
- Extract data from complex platforms (e.g. Google Maps, Zillow)
- Run structured scraping at scale
- Receive the result via webhook
- Or poll for status and download the result when it’s ready
Summary
| Feature | API | Scraper Job |
|---|---|---|
| Execution | Real-time | Queued / background |
| Response | Sync (immediate) | Async (webhook or polling) |
| Best for | Single queries | Multi-page or high-volume scraping |
| Credit Model | Per request | Per data row |