A free Simplescraper alternative: Grabby vs Simplescraper (2026)
Simplescraper is a polished scraper with a browser extension and a cloud side. Here is who it suits, why people look for an alternative, where it is the better choice, and where a free, no-account browser tool fits.
Simplescraper is a capable scraper with a Chrome extension on the front and a cloud service behind it. If you landed here searching for a Simplescraper alternative, you probably hit one of a few specific walls, and this page tries to name them honestly. We build Grabby, a free point-and-click scraper that runs entirely in your browser, so read the Grabby parts skeptically. The Simplescraper parts come from its own site and docs, checked in October 2026.
Quick verdict
- Stay with Simplescraper if you need cloud runs, scheduling, an API or webhooks, or you already have recipes that work.
- Try Grabby if you want to scrape on your own machine, with no account and no credits, and you are fine running it by hand while the browser is open.
- Look elsewhere if you need to scrape on a schedule while your computer is off, or at large scale. See our roundup of free web scraper Chrome extensions and the Instant Data Scraper alternatives page for other options.
Who Simplescraper is for, and what it does well
Simplescraper suits people who want to turn a web page into structured data without code and then, if the job grows, move it to a managed service. Its docs describe two modes. Browser scraping runs from the extension and gives instant results, and it can use your existing logged-in session for pages behind a login. Cloud scraping is the automation side, built for scale and scheduled work, and it is metered in credits. Per the docs, a cloud page costs 2 credits with JavaScript rendering or 1 without. That path from a quick one-off to an automated job in one product is the real strength, and it is something a browser-only tool cannot match.
Why people look for a Simplescraper alternative
The reasons we see most often are practical rather than complaints about quality.
- An account and credits. Simplescraper is built around an account, and its cloud scraping is credit-metered. If you only want a one-off table in a spreadsheet, that can feel like more setup than the job deserves.
- Free tier boundaries. Free plans on any cloud service have limits, and people want to know where they sit before they build a workflow. Check the current free limits on the vendor’s pricing page, because they change.
- Data leaving the machine. Cloud runs mean pages are fetched from a server. Some people prefer a tool where everything happens in their own browser session.
- Multi-page jobs. Paging, infinite scroll and detail pages are the usual stress test for any scraper. Before committing, test your actual site on whichever tool you choose and confirm what your plan allows.
Simplescraper vs Grabby at a glance
| Feature | Simplescraper | Grabby |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Free plan with cloud credits (third-party sources say 100; check the vendor page) | Free while in early access, every feature unlocked |
| Account / sign-in | Account-based | No account |
| Where it runs | Browser extension locally, plus cloud scraping | Your browser only |
| Pagination and infinite scroll | Supported; confirm what your plan includes | Yes |
| Detail pages | Supported through its crawl features; confirm plan | Yes, follow a link column and merge fields |
| Exports | CSV, JSON, plus API and webhooks | CSV, JSON, Excel (TSV), Markdown, Google Sheets |
| Cloud and scheduling | Yes, on the cloud side | No |
| Learning curve | Low for the extension; more to learn for cloud and API | Low: auto-detect, then click to adjust fields |
Where Simplescraper is the better choice
- Cloud runs. It can scrape while your computer is off. Grabby cannot.
- Scheduling and monitoring. Recurring jobs and change monitoring are core to the product. Grabby has no scheduler.
- API and webhooks. If scraped data should flow into another system automatically, Simplescraper is built for that.
- Scale. Thousands of pages are better handled by a managed service than by one open browser tab.
- Logged-in pages with automation. Both tools can work in your session by hand, but only a service gives you repeatable unattended runs.
Where Grabby fits
Grabby is for the person who wants data in a spreadsheet this afternoon. You open a page, it auto-detects the list or table, and you point and click to add, rename or drop fields. It handles pagination and infinite scroll, follows links into detail pages, and puts everything in an editable table where you can dedupe, drop empty rows and hide columns before export. There are built-in extractors for emails, images and social links. Nothing is uploaded: the scrape runs in your browser, and there is no account to create or credits to track. It is free while in early access with every feature unlocked. The trade-off is plain. It only works while Chrome is open and you are driving it. For more on this approach see the no-code website to Excel guide and the homepage for a free no-code web scraper overview.
How to switch from Simplescraper
- Install Grabby from the Chrome Web Store. There is nothing to sign up for.
- Open the page you were scraping and start Grabby. Let auto-detect pick the list, and switch tables if the first guess is wrong.
- Click the fields you had in your Simplescraper recipe and rename them. Recipes cannot be imported, so this replaces them.
- Turn on pagination or infinite scroll and set a page or row limit. If you need extra fields from profile pages, point Grabby at the link column.
- Clean the table, then export to CSV, JSON, Excel or Google Sheets. Export your existing Simplescraper data first if you want to keep it.
Test with a small run on your real site. If the job needs unattended scheduling, keep it on Simplescraper and use Grabby for the ad hoc scrapes.
FAQ
Is Simplescraper free?
Simplescraper has a free plan. At the time of writing (October 2026), third-party listings say it includes 100 cloud credits, but we could not confirm that figure on the vendor’s own pricing page, so check simplescraper.io/pricing. Its docs say scraping from the browser extension happens in your browser, while cloud scraping uses credits.
Does Grabby need an account?
No. Grabby installs from the Chrome Web Store and works without signing up. Your scraped data stays in your browser until you export it.
Is Grabby really free?
Grabby is free while in early access, with every feature unlocked. Terms can change when early access ends, so treat it as free for now rather than free forever.
Can Grabby follow pagination, infinite scroll and detail pages?
Yes. Grabby can page through results, keep scrolling on infinite-scroll lists, and follow a column of links into detail pages to merge extra fields back into each row. Hard sites can still fail, so test a few pages first.
Can Grabby run on a schedule or in the cloud?
No. Grabby runs only in your open Chrome browser, so there are no scheduled runs, no cloud runs and no API. If you need those, Simplescraper is the better fit.
Can I import my Simplescraper recipes into Grabby?
No. There is no import. You rebuild the scrape by clicking the fields again, which for a typical list takes a few minutes.