ScrapeCreators vs SearchAPI: which Ad Library scraper should you use?
ScrapeCreators and SearchAPI 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: Both need one details call per ad for EU reach: about $1.94 per 1,000 ads on ScrapeCreators and $4.13 on SearchAPI's entry plan. ScrapeCreators is cheaper for Meta-only work and its credits never expire; SearchAPI is better if you also need Google, LinkedIn, TikTok and Reddit ad libraries with an SLA.
Best developer API
Best multi-library API
ScrapeCreators vs SearchAPI: side-by-side comparison
| Feature | ScrapeCreators | SearchAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 4.69 / 5 | 4.46 / 5 |
| 1,000 ads with EU reach | $1.94 | $4.13 |
| With EU reach, at volume | $1.03 | $1.55 |
| 1,000 ads, list only | $0.06 | $0.13 |
| How EU reach is returned | One extra details call per ad | One extra details call per ad |
| MCP server | Official hosted MCP server plus an agent skill | Hosted MCP endpoint |
| Claude sign-in | OAuth in Claude and Cursor, or x-api-key header | OAuth bearer token or X-MCP-Token header |
| Best for | Developers and Claude Code users who want a real-time REST API | Teams that also need Google, TikTok, LinkedIn and Reddit ad libraries |
| Entry plan | $47 for 25,000 credits (~$1.88 per 1,000 requests) | $40/month for 10,000 searches ($4 per 1,000) |
| Pricing model | Prepaid credits, 1 credit per request, never expire | Monthly subscription, pay per successful search |
| Free tier | 100 free credits (up to 7,000 more via bonuses), no card | 100 free requests, no card |
| Search by | Keyword, advertiser/company, ad ID or URL | Keyword, page ID, location, ad type, platform, media type, language, dates |
| Data returned | Ad creatives, copy, images, videos, advertiser details, active status, platforms, EU total reach and demographic breakdown (ad details), video transcripts | Ads with page details, copy, creatives, dates, platforms; EU and UK transparency (reach by age, gender, country) via the ad details engine |
| Other ad libraries | Meta, Google, LinkedIn and TikTok ad libraries plus 20+ social platforms | Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok and Reddit ad libraries, Google Ads Transparency Center, 50+ search engines |
| Integrations | REST API, CLI, n8n, Apify | REST API, SDKs, HTML/JSON result archive |
| Maintained by | ScrapeCreators (commercial API, Austin, TX) | SearchApi (commercial API) |
| Visit | Learn More | Learn More |
Scores by criterion
| Criterion | ScrapeCreators | SearchAPI | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per 1,000 ads | 4.6 | 4.1 | ScrapeCreators |
| Data depth & EU reach | 4.7 | 4.5 | ScrapeCreators |
| Reliability & maintenance | 4.7 | 4.8 | SearchAPI |
| Ease of use | 4.7 | 4.5 | ScrapeCreators |
| AI & MCP readiness | 4.8 | 4.4 | ScrapeCreators |
| Integrations & exports | 4.6 | 4.5 | ScrapeCreators |
| Free tier & trial | 4.7 | 4.4 | ScrapeCreators |
ScrapeCreators vs SearchAPI for Claude and AI agents
ScrapeCreators · AI & MCP 4.8/5
Official hosted MCP server plus an agent skill
Auth: OAuth in Claude and Cursor, or x-api-key header
https://api.scrapecreators.com/mcpclaude mcp add --transport http scrape-creators https://api.scrapecreators.com/mcptrim=true shrinks responses for the context window, and the social-media-research agent skill teaches Claude Code which endpoint to use and what each call costs.
SearchAPI · AI & MCP 4.4/5
Hosted MCP endpoint
Auth: OAuth bearer token or X-MCP-Token header
https://www.searchapi.io/mcpThe same JSON shape across Meta, Google, TikTok and LinkedIn ad libraries keeps multi-library prompts simple.
When to choose each
Choose ScrapeCreators if…
You are building a product or a Claude Code workflow and want a stable real-time REST API and MCP server.
Skip it if you need EU reach for tens of thousands of ads, where the Curious Coder actor or AdSpends is cheaper.
Read the full ScrapeCreators reviewChoose SearchAPI if…
You already use SERP APIs or need several ad libraries, including UK reach, through one integration.
Skip it if you only need Meta data in occasional bursts, where expiring monthly quotas waste money.
Read the full SearchAPI 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.