Apify
If you’re hunting for fresh, qualified leads using scraping tools, chances are you’ve come across Apify.
Apify is a well-known scraping platform with thousands of prebuilt “actors” — but is it really worth it for lead gen in 2025?
Written by
Moiz Khurram
Published on
May 28, 2925
13
min
We tested it. We’ve compared it. And we’ve moved on.
In this post, we’ll break down why Apify might not be the best fit for cold emailers and growth hackers — and why Scrapeamax is emerging as a no-brainer alternative.
Scrapeamax > Apify for Lead Scraping
Feature / Need | Apify | Scrapeamax |
|---|---|---|
Pricing | High (Pay per run, credits, or monthly actor cost) | Flat rate, unlimited scraping |
Data Freshness | Varies, actor-dependent | Direct-to-source, real-time scraping |
Complexity | Requires setup, coding knowledge, or actor tweaking | Plug-and-play via Slack command |
Lead Source Variety | Limited unless you build custom actors | 10+ battle-tested lead platforms (BuiltWith, Clutch, StoreLeads, GMB, etc.) |
Output Control | Raw data, often unstructured | Clean CSVs built for Clay, Smartlead, and cold email workflows |
Learning Curve | Medium–High | Zero (Slack + keyword = lead dump) |
Support | Forum-based, no instant help | Active Slack support + SOPs |
Cold Email Use Case | Not purpose-built | Built specifically for cold emailers |
Why Apify Isn’t Ideal for Cold Emailers in 2025
Apify is great if you’re scraping for academic research, SEO analysis, or custom data automation. But for B2B lead generation, it starts to fall short:
❌ Too Developer-Heavy
Most Apify actors require setup, configuration, or custom scripts. Unless you’re technical (or want to hire someone), it’s time-consuming.
❌ Pay-Per-Run = Costly for Volume
Scraping at scale (which cold outreach demands) gets expensive fast. You’ll either need credits or subscribe to individual actors.
❌ Actor Inconsistency
You’re relying on 3rd party actors. If something breaks, you wait. Many actors get outdated or blocked.
❌ No Focus on Cold Email
Apify doesn’t format or filter data based on outbound needs. You’ll need multiple tools just to make scraped data usable for outreach.
Why Scrapeamax Is Built for Cold Email in 2025
Scrapeamax isn’t just another scraper. It’s a Slack-based SaaS tool built specifically for cold email agencies, freelancers, and growth hackers.
Here’s why it works better:
✅ Unlimited Scraping at a Fixed Cost
Use it daily. Weekly. Hourly. No caps, no credits.
✅ No Code. No Chrome Extensions.
Just type in your keyword + location inside Slack — e.g., web design agencies in Austin — and get leads in seconds.
✅ Built for Cold Outreach
Clean, structured CSVs ready for Clay enrichment, Apollo lookup, and inbox-ready campaigns. No cleanup needed.
✅ Real Sources That Convert
Scrapeamax pulls from proven high-intent directories like:
Clutch
GMB (Google Maps)
BuiltWith
Store Leads
Agency Vista
GoodFirms
Latka
…and more
✅ Trusted by the Best
Cold emailers from Eric Nowaslawski, Cold IQ, and 100+ agencies already use Scrapeamax to fuel their lead engines.
Final Verdict: Is Apify Worth It?
If you’re a developer or building a custom scraping system, Apify might make sense.
But if you’re a:
Cold email agency
Solo founder doing outbound
SDR looking for plug-and-play lead data
Then Scrapeamax beats Apify hands down.
It’s faster, cheaper, and designed for your exact use case.
Want to Try Scrapeamax for Free?
We’ll give you a free lead list demo, no strings attached. Pick your niche + location, and we’ll show you how fast it works.
Or join our free Slack community for workflows + templates:
👉 Join the Leadamax Cold Email Hub
PS: Already scraping? Skip the guesswork and use our cold email SOPs:
Moiz Khurram
🏆 Winner SaaS Bootstrapper of the year 2024 Award by Tekpon | Growing Expandi towards $10M ARR | Prioritizing health -9% body fat year-round 🏋️♂️ | Sharing Real Stories in Public
Related articles
