What Bright Data is
Bright Data is a proxy network with scraping APIs and ready-made datasets. It is known for huge proxy network, scraping APIs and datasets, enterprise scale. Pricing is usage-based, with enterprise plans. It suits engineering teams running large scraping projects.
Why people look for Bright Data alternatives
- An API needs code, proxies, retries and storage before you have a single lead.
- Search results alone don't include emails or owner names; enrichment is a second project.
- Engineering time is often the biggest hidden cost.
None of this makes Bright Data a bad tool — it means the best choice depends on who you are trying to reach.
The best Bright Data alternatives at a glance
| Tool | What it is | Pricing model | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prospect Cheap | Live leads from Google Maps, YouTube, Facebook Ads, Product Hunt, TrustMRR and Skool, with emails, owners and socials | Credits: one per lead, from $29/month; 100 free credits | Building outreach-ready lists of local businesses, creators, advertisers and founders |
| LeadSwift | Google Maps lead tool | Monthly subscription | Agencies that want prospecting and outreach in one tool |
| LeadsGorilla | Google Maps lead tool | Licence or subscription | Agencies that pitch with audit reports |
| LocalProspects | Google Maps lead tool | Subscription and credit plans | Agencies focused on Google Maps leads |
| SerpApi | Scraping API | Monthly plans by number of searches | Developers building products on search results |
| Apify | Scraping and automation platform | Usage-based platform credits with monthly plans and a free tier | Technical teams who want to scrape many different websites and tune every setting |
Pricing models change; check each vendor's site for current prices.
1. Prospect Cheap — best for live, enriched lead lists
Prospect Cheap gives you the finished list in the browser — no code — with enrichment included and simple per-lead pricing.
- Six lead sources: Google Maps, YouTube, Facebook Ad Library, Product Hunt, TrustMRR and Skool.
- Contact details included: every email found on the business website, the owner's name and title with a confidence score, mobile numbers with carrier, and Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube and TikTok links.
- Bulk searches: dozens of keywords and cities in one search; it runs on our servers while you do something else.
- Exports: CSV, an Instantly-ready file or a GoHighLevel import.
- Simple pricing: one credit per lead, failed searches are free. Starter is $29/month for 10,000 credits, Growth $79 for 50,000 and Scale $199 for 200,000. New accounts get 100 free credits.
2. LeadSwift — best for agencies that want prospecting and outreach in one tool
LeadSwift is lead-generation software aimed at agencies and freelancers that finds local businesses and flags signals such as website or ad issues, with outreach features. Its strengths are agency-focused prospecting signals, built-in outreach tools, local business focus. Pricing is monthly subscription.
3. LeadsGorilla — best for agencies that pitch with audit reports
LeadsGorilla is local lead-finding software for agencies that also produces audit reports for prospects. Its strengths are local business searches, prospect audit reports, agency focus. Pricing is licence or subscription.
4. LocalProspects — best for agencies focused on Google Maps leads
LocalProspects is a Google Maps lead tool that adds emails and owner names to local business results. Its strengths are Google Maps lead lists, owner-name enrichment, agency-friendly exports. Pricing is subscription and credit plans.
5. SerpApi — best for developers building products on search results
SerpApi is an API that returns structured results from search engines, including Google Maps. Its strengths are clean JSON results, many search engines, reliable API. Pricing is monthly plans by number of searches.
6. Apify — best for technical teams who want to scrape many different websites and tune every setting
Apify is a web-scraping and automation platform with a marketplace of ready-made scrapers ("Actors"), including several for Google Maps, that run in the cloud. Its strengths are thousands of scrapers for different websites, scheduling, storage and integrations, full control for developers. Pricing is usage-based platform credits with monthly plans and a free tier.
How to choose
- Who are you selling to? Local businesses, creators, advertisers and early-stage founders are found best at the source. Larger B2B companies are well covered by contact databases.
- Do you need the list, the emails, or both? Email finders and enrichment tools need a list first; lead scrapers build it.
- How predictable must the cost be? Per-lead credits make a 2,000-lead list cost the same every time.
- Where will you send from? If you already use Instantly or GoHighLevel, choose a tool that exports to them directly.
When to stay with Bright Data
Stay with Bright Data if you are building your own product on top of search or scraping data. If you want fresh, enriched leads from more than one source without technical setup, try Prospect Cheap with 100 free credits.
See also: Prospect Cheap vs Bright Data · All alternatives