Cloudflare Vectorize vs Scrapfly
Comparing architecture, runtime limits, open-source licenses, and monthly costs for autonomous agent pipelines.
Detailed Specifications & Compatibility Matrix
Extracted directly from GitHub REST API & official developer documentation
| Technical Feature / Metric | Cloudflare Vectorize | Scrapfly |
|---|---|---|
| Developer / Organization | Cloudflare Inc. | Scrapfly SAS |
| Open-Source Engine | ✓ Open Source (Apache-2.0) | ✕ Proprietary Cloud |
| GitHub Stars (Repo/SDK) | ★ 4,660 GitHub Stars | Proprietary / Closed Core |
| Core Repository Language | TypeScript | Cloud API |
| Supported SDK Clients | ||
| Self-Hosted Deployment | Hosted Only | Hosted Only |
| Docker / Container Ready | Managed | Managed |
| Model Context Protocol (MCP) | ✓ Native MCP | ✓ Native MCP |
| Billing Architecture | usage based | usage based |
| Developer Free Tier | ✓ Yes 30M queried dimensions + 5M stored dimensions / mo | ✓ Yes 1,000 free API credits |
| Entry Paid Tier (Monthly) | $5 USD / mo | $30 USD / mo |
| Pricing & Cost Architecture | Free tier includes 30 million queried vector dimensions and 5 million stored vector dimensions per month. Paid Workers plan ($5/mo base) bills $0.01 per 1M queried dimensions. | Free trial provides 1,000 initial API credits. Discovery plan starts at $30/mo for 200,000 API credits (basic request = 1 credit; JS rendering + residential proxy = 5-25 credits). |
| Key Engineering Insight | Runs directly on Cloudflare's 300+ global edge data centers alongside Workers AI, eliminating cross-cloud network roundtrips during RAG retrieval. | Uses custom-patched Chromium instances to mimic real residential JA3/TLS browser fingerprints, bypassing Cloudflare Turnstile and DataDome automatically. |
Strengths & Trade-Offs
Objective engineering evaluation of both platforms
Cloudflare Vectorize Evaluation
Key Advantages
- ✓ Zero cold-start edge execution: queries execute within milliseconds in 300+ global data centers
- ✓ Co-located with Workers AI: run embeddings and vector lookups within the same edge runtime
- ✓ Generous free tier allowing millions of dimensional queries every month at zero cost
Limitations & Trade-Offs
- ✕ Maximum index size of 5 million vectors per index on standard plans (designed for distributed edge retrieval)
- ✕ Requires building within or interfacing through the Cloudflare Workers ecosystem
Scrapfly Evaluation
Key Advantages
- ✓ Advanced Anti-Scraping Protection (ASP) with automated residential proxy rotation and CAPTCHA solving
- ✓ Direct markdown format extraction parameter (&format=markdown) built specifically for LLM ingestion
- ✓ Full JavaScript rendering engine supporting custom pre-scrape evaluate scripts and scroll triggers
Limitations & Trade-Offs
- ✕ Advanced proxy and headless browser features consume between 5 and 25 API credits per request
- ✕ Strictly cloud-hosted API; no on-premise Docker deployment option
Source Quotes
Direct excerpts from official documentation backing our extracted specifications
Cloudflare Vectorize Documentation Proof
"Workers Paid plan starts at $5/month and charges $0.01 per million queried vector dimensions."
"Free tier includes 30 million queried dimensions and 5 million stored dimensions each month."
"Serverless cloud service natively integrated into the Cloudflare global network."
Scrapfly Documentation Proof
"Discovery plan starts at $30/mo with 200,000 API credits and unlimited concurrency."
"Free trial includes 1,000 credits to test all features and proxy networks."
"Fully managed cloud infrastructure; integrations available via SDKs and REST."
Frequently Asked Questions: Cloudflare Vectorize vs Scrapfly
Architectural trade-offs and decision criteria
Is Cloudflare Vectorize or Scrapfly cheaper for developers?
Cloudflare Vectorize has a starting price of $5/mo (usage based), while Scrapfly starts at $30/mo (usage based). Cloudflare Vectorize includes a free tier (30M queried dimensions + 5M stored dimensions / mo). Scrapfly offers a free tier (1,000 free API credits).
Can I self-host Cloudflare Vectorize and Scrapfly in my own infrastructure?
Cloudflare Vectorize is a cloud-managed service only. In comparison, Scrapfly is proprietary cloud infrastructure.
Do Cloudflare Vectorize and Scrapfly support the Model Context Protocol (MCP)?
Cloudflare Vectorize has native support for MCP servers. Scrapfly fully supports Model Context Protocol integrations.
Which programming languages have official SDKs for Cloudflare Vectorize vs Scrapfly?
Cloudflare Vectorize provides official SDKs in: typescript, javascript, python, curl. Meanwhile, Scrapfly supports: python, typescript, go, curl.