Curious Coder (Apify) vs Bright Data: which Ad Library scraper should you use?
Curious Coder (Apify) and Bright Data side by side on price per 1,000 ads with EU reach, the data they return and MCP support
By: Oleg Glanz|Updated:
Short answer: The Curious Coder actor returns EU reach for $0.75 per 1,000 ads; Bright Data charges $1 per 1,000 records and does not document EU reach. Bright Data wins at enterprise scale, with 5,000 free records per month and delivery to cloud storage.
Cheapest with EU reach
Best for enterprise scale
Curious Coder (Apify) vs Bright Data: side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Curious Coder (Apify) | Bright Data |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 4.70 / 5 | 4.37 / 5 |
| 1,000 ads with EU reach | $0.75 | No EU reach |
| With EU reach, at volume | $0.75 | — |
| 1,000 ads, list only | $0.75 | $1.00 |
| How EU reach is returned | Included with every ad | Not in documented fields |
| MCP server | Via the Apify MCP server (the actor becomes a tool) | Bright Data MCP server (general web data tools) |
| Claude sign-in | OAuth sign-in or Apify API token | API token in the server URL |
| Best for | Cheap bulk exports with EU reach, no code needed | Large-volume collection with enterprise compliance |
| Entry plan | $0.75 per 1,000 ads | From $1 per 1,000 records (promotions as low as $0.75) |
| Pricing model | Pay per ad on Apify (platform usage included) | Pay per record, volume discounts |
| Free tier | $5 free Apify credit every month (no card) | 5,000 free records per month, no card |
| Search by | Ad Library search URL, list of Facebook page URLs | Ad Library URL, keyword discovery |
| Data returned | Ad IDs, page, copy, creatives snapshot, start/end dates, platforms, EU transparency data and EU total reach (with ad details on), collation counts | Library ID, status, start/end dates, total active time, ad category, creatives and copy |
| Other ad libraries | Meta only (separate actors exist for Google and LinkedIn) | Meta Ad Library plus 1,200+ other scraper APIs and datasets |
| Integrations | Apify API, JSON/CSV/Excel export, Make, Zapier, n8n, webhooks | REST API, webhooks, delivery to S3, GCS or Azure |
| Maintained by | Curious Coder (community developer on Apify) | Bright Data (enterprise data provider) |
| Visit | Learn More | Learn More |
Scores by criterion
| Criterion | Curious Coder (Apify) | Bright Data | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per 1,000 ads | 5.0 | 4.2 | Curious Coder (Apify) |
| Data depth & EU reach | 4.8 | 3.9 | Curious Coder (Apify) |
| Reliability & maintenance | 4.4 | 4.8 | Bright Data |
| Ease of use | 4.6 | 3.9 | Curious Coder (Apify) |
| AI & MCP readiness | 4.6 | 4.4 | Curious Coder (Apify) |
| Integrations & exports | 4.7 | 4.6 | Curious Coder (Apify) |
| Free tier & trial | 4.8 | 4.8 | Tie |
Curious Coder (Apify) vs Bright Data for Claude and AI agents
Curious Coder (Apify) · AI & MCP 4.6/5
Via the Apify MCP server (the actor becomes a tool)
Auth: OAuth sign-in or Apify API token
https://mcp.apify.com?tools=curious_coder/facebook-ads-library-scraperclaude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=curious_coder/facebook-ads-library-scraper"Results follow Meta's verbose raw format, so ask the agent to keep only the fields it needs, or let it read the finished dataset instead of the full run output.
Bright Data · AI & MCP 4.4/5
Bright Data MCP server (general web data tools)
Auth: API token in the server URL
https://mcp.brightdata.com/mcp?token=<YOUR_API_TOKEN>claude mcp add --transport http brightdata "https://mcp.brightdata.com/mcp?token=<YOUR_API_TOKEN>"5,000 free MCP requests per month, but there is no dedicated Ad Library tool, so agents read Ad Library pages through the generic scraping tools.
When to choose each
Choose Curious Coder (Apify) if…
You want the lowest price per 1,000 ads with EU reach and are happy with CSV exports or the Apify MCP server.
Skip it if you need guaranteed support response times or pre-enriched data such as spend estimates.
Read the full Curious Coder (Apify) reviewChoose Bright Data if…
You collect millions of records and need procurement-friendly compliance.
Skip it if you need EU reach per ad or want a tool you can learn in ten minutes.
Read the full Bright Data reviewCompare all Facebook Ad Library scrapers
About the author
Oleg Glanz is a performance marketer who builds direct-response funnels for e-commerce brands through FullFunnelSetup.com. Meta Ad Library research is part of his daily work, which is why he built AdSpends, an ad intelligence tool that turns Ad Library data into searchable ads, landing pages and ad spend estimates.
He writes AdLibraryScraper.com to document what each scraper and API actually returns, what it costs, and where it breaks, so marketers and developers can pick the right data source without trial and error.