Bright Data vs ZenRows

by Gralio Feb 08, 2025

Bright Data and ZenRows both offer web scraping solutions, but cater to different needs. Bright Data provides a comprehensive platform with a wide array of tools and a vast proxy network, suitable for large-scale data collection. ZenRows simplifies web scraping through its user-friendly API and focus on bypassing anti-scraping measures, making it ideal for users who prioritize ease of use and tackling challenging websites.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 414 reviews and 60 websites, saving 2 hours, 48 minutes of reading.

Bright Data

Website LinkedIn

ZenRows

Website LinkedIn

About

Bright Data is a platform offering tools for businesses to gather and analyze public web data. It provides access to a large network of proxies, which allows users to collect data from websites without being blocked. Bright Data also offers web scraping tools to extract and organize data, as well as ready-to-use datasets. Trusted by large companies and small businesses alike, Bright Data prioritizes ethical data collection practices and user privacy.

ZenRows is a tool that helps you extract data from websites, even those with complex anti-scraping measures. It uses rotating proxies, headless browsers, and CAPTCHA solving to bypass these obstacles, allowing you to collect the data you need through a simple API. This makes it easier to gather information from the web for use in your business.

Summary

Main difference

Bright Data offers a broader suite of data collection tools, including dataset access and a larger proxy network. ZenRows focuses on simplifying web scraping, especially for websites with anti-scraping measures, through its easy-to-use API.

Relative strengths of Bright Data (compared to ZenRows)

Wider range of data collection tools beyond web scraping, including datasets.
Larger proxy network with diverse options (residential, mobile, data center).
Stronger emphasis on enterprise-grade features and scalability.

Relative weaknesses of Bright Data (compared to ZenRows)

Can be more complex to use for basic web scraping tasks.
Pricing may be less transparent and potentially higher for smaller projects.
Documentation could be more user-friendly for specific use cases.

Who should use Bright Data VS. ZenRows

Bright Data offers robust web data collection tools for businesses of all sizes. Users praise its reliable performance and diverse proxy options, while some note occasional proxy failures and a learning curve for advanced features. Its flexible solutions cater to diverse needs, from market research to lead generation.

ZenRows is a powerful web scraping API designed for businesses and developers needing reliable data extraction from websites with anti-scraping measures. Users praise its ease of use, excellent customer support, and ability to bypass complex protections. However, some find the pricing challenging. ZenRows excels at extracting data from websites, providing a flexible API with options for custom JS scripts and more.

Ideal for small, medium, and enterprise businesses seeking web data solutions.
A versatile tool suitable for various industries needing public web data analysis.

Best for medium to large businesses.
Ideal for Finance, Banking, Insurance, and Software companies.

Bright Data and ZenRows features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Proxy Network Access

Supported

Bright Data provides proxy network access with a large IP pool, diverse geo-locations, and flexible APIs.

Supported

ZenRows supports proxy network access through its residential proxy service with a large IP pool, geo-targeting, and flexible APIs.
Bright Data Enhanced Scraping

Supported

Bright Data enhances scraping with CAPTCHA solvers, browsers, and fingerprint management for improved success rates.

Not supported

ZenRows does not appear to directly support Bright Data's enhanced scraping features based on the provided context. ZenRows is presented as an alternative to Bright Data.
Dataset Access and Analysis

Supported

Bright Data offers both pre-made and custom-made datasets accessible through their marketplace or API, supporting various data formats and delivery methods.

Not supported

ZenRows focuses on data extraction from websites, not providing pre-made datasets for analysis. It requires users to extract and manage the data themselves.
Bright Data Account Automation

Supported

Bright Data supports customization and automation of account operations through its API and management tools.

Not supported

There is no direct evidence that ZenRows supports automating Bright Data accounts, the sources compare them instead.
High Success Rate

Supported

Bright Data ensures a high success rate for data requests by avoiding blocks and CAPTCHAs with its proxy network and features.

Supported

ZenRows ensures a high success rate using anti-bot bypass, CAPTCHA solver integration, rotating and residential proxies, and JavaScript rendering.
Request handling

Supported

Bright Data optimizes web requests via proxy rotation, API/SDK integration, dynamic content handling, and asynchronous requests, ensuring efficient scraping.

Supported

ZenRows manages and optimizes web requests via proxy rotation and advanced customization features.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

+0.05

Neutral sentiment

+0.14

Neutral sentiment
Customer Service

+0.87

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.9

Strongly positive sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.9

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.88

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

+0.77

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.82

Strongly positive sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+0.52

Rather positive sentiment

+0.87

Strongly positive sentiment
Scalability

+0.67

Rather positive sentiment

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

Bright Data and ZenRows Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

+0.05

See full Pricing page

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

+0.14

We couldn't find a pricing page for ZenRows.

Bright Data and ZenRows review insights

287 reviews analysed from and

Users love

Reliable and efficient data collection tool praised for its performance.
Wide range of proxy options available, including residential, mobile, and data center.
Excellent and responsive customer support team, frequently commended.
Flexible and customizable solutions tailored to specific user needs.

Excellent customer support, responsive and helpful.
Easy-to-use API and comprehensive documentation.
Effective at bypassing anti-bot protections, including Cloudflare.
Reliable and fast data extraction with a high success rate.
Flexible API with options for custom JS scripts, waiting for elements, and more.

Users dislike

Occasional issues with proxy failures and connection interruptions reported by some users.
Data center proxies sometimes blocked by target websites.
The documentation could be improved with more specific use case examples and tutorials.
Advanced features and custom setups can have a learning curve.

Pricing can be expensive, especially for high-volume requests or advanced features like JS rendering.
Occasional temporary issues accessing specific websites due to evolving anti-bot measures.
Limited control over proxy locations and types.
Some users desire more advanced analytics and user management features.

Bright Data and ZenRows Ratings

G2

4.6/5

(212)
TrustPilot

4.5/5

(121)

G2

5.0/5

(18)
Capterra

4.8/5

(67)
TrustPilot

4.2/5

(6)

Company health

Employee growth

19% increase in the last year

117% increase in the last year

Web traffic

15% increase in the last quarter

30% increase in the last quarter

Financing

January 2019 - $4M

March 2022 - $1M

How do Bright Data's pre-built datasets compare to ZenRows' API-driven scraping?

Bright Data offers pre-built datasets through its marketplace, providing ready-to-use data for various needs. ZenRows, on the other hand, focuses on API-driven scraping, giving users the tools and infrastructure to extract data themselves but not providing pre-built datasets. So, if you need ready-made data, Bright Data is the better choice. If you need a flexible tool to scrape specific data from complex websites, ZenRows is more suitable.

Which product offers better handling of complex anti-scraping measures?

ZenRows is specifically designed to handle complex anti-scraping measures, employing rotating proxies, headless browsers, and CAPTCHA solving. While Bright Data also offers robust scraping capabilities and a large proxy network, user reviews indicate occasional issues with proxy failures and websites blocking their data center proxies. ZenRows' focus and user reviews highlight its effectiveness in overcoming these challenges, making it the better choice for handling complex anti-scraping measures.

What are the advantages of Bright Data?

Bright Data offers a broader range of data collection tools beyond web scraping, including a large proxy network and pre-built datasets. This makes it a more comprehensive solution for businesses needing diverse data sources. Bright Data also emphasizes ethical data collection practices and user privacy, which may be a significant advantage for some organizations.

What are the disadvantages of Bright Data?

Bright Data's disadvantages include occasional proxy failures and connection interruptions, data center proxies being blocked by some websites, documentation that could be more detailed with specific use cases, and a learning curve for advanced features and custom setups. Some users also report that the pricing can be high.

Alternatives to Bright Data and ZenRows

Smartproxy

Smartproxy is a proxy network software offering over 40 million residential IP addresses across 195 locations, helping businesses access and gather data from around the world. This data access facilitates tasks like market research, brand protection, and SEO analysis. Its user-friendly platform features a pay-as-you-go pricing model, 24/7 customer support, and a variety of tools to manage and utilize the proxy network effectively.

Databricks Data Intelligence Platform

Databricks Data Intelligence Platform is a cloud-based platform designed to help mid-size to large businesses manage and analyze data. It offers a range of tools for data warehousing, data engineering, data science, and machine learning, all in one place. Databricks aims to simplify data processes, reduce costs, and enable companies to build and deploy AI solutions. They are well-known for their work with open-source technologies, making them a popular choice for businesses invested in those ecosystems.

Tableau

Tableau is a popular data analytics platform that helps businesses make sense of their data. It offers powerful, user-friendly tools for visualizing data, creating interactive dashboards, and sharing insights across your organization. Tableau is suitable for companies of all sizes and is known for its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, even for non-technical users. It allows you to connect to various data sources, analyze information visually, and discover trends to make better business decisions.

Oxylabs

Oxylabs helps businesses of all sizes collect information from websites. Their tools, called proxies, let you anonymously gather large amounts of public data like pricing information, product details, or online reviews without being blocked. This data can be used for market research, brand protection, cybersecurity, and more. Oxylabs is a trusted partner for many Fortune 500 companies and emphasizes user-friendliness, offering support and resources for easy integration.

Explo

Explo is a software tool that helps you create interactive dashboards and reports that you can embed directly into your own software product. This allows you to provide your customers with valuable insights into their own data without forcing them to leave your platform. Explo is designed to be user-friendly and customizable, so you can create a seamless experience for your customers that matches your brand. Explo promises fast implementation and offers strong customer support to help you throughout the process.

SOAX

SOAX is a data collection platform offering tools like proxy servers and web scrapers to help businesses gather information from the internet. They provide access to a large network of residential and mobile IP addresses, which can be used to bypass website restrictions and gather data without being blocked. SOAX is known for its fast response times, high success rates, and user-friendly interface. Companies use SOAX for tasks like market research, price monitoring, and brand protection.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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