Apify vs CommentGrab
A
vs
CommentGrab

The free Apify alternative
for YouTube and Reddit comments

Apify is a cloud platform where you run scrapers called actors and pay for usage plus, often, per result. If you only need comments and reviews from sites you can open in Chrome, CommentGrab exports them for free without an account. Figures below come from Apify's own pages.

Add to Chrome, it's free Jump to the table
Last checked 13 Oct 2026Sourced from their public pagesNo account needed

Skip Apify's $19/mo Starter plan $228 a year, for everyday comment exports

At a glanceApifyCommentGrab
Price$5 free usage a month, then $19/mo and upFree on every platform
Per-result feese.g. YouTube comments from $0.90 per 1,000None
AccountRequiredNone
Where it runsApify's cloudYour browser
Source codePlatform closed, some actors openPublic on GitHub
VerdictBuilt for scraping at scale, on a schedule, from code.Pick CommentGrab for research exports with no setup.
Where CommentGrab wins

Open the thread, click once
with nothing to configure

On Apify you pick an actor, paste URLs, run it in the cloud and download the dataset. The YouTube Comments Scraper starts at $0.90 per 1,000 comments, and the Google Maps Reviews Scraper at $0.30 per 1,000 reviews, on top of the plan.

CommentGrab works on the page you already have open. Click the widget, watch the count climb, and download CSV, JSON or Markdown. There's no account, no meter and no proxy to set up.

A CommentGrab CSV export in a spreadsheet with author, time, score, depth, reply and permalink columns
What users report

Common complaints
about Apify

Apify is well reviewed (TrustScore 4.8 from 794 reviews). These themes come from the 16 negative reviews visible on Trustpilot, checked 13 Oct 2026.

Overall, Apify is well liked: TrustScore 4.8 from 794 reviews. The cards below are the recurring themes in the 16 negative reviews we could see, with one sourced example each.

8 of 16 negative Trustpilot reviews

Pricing that's hard to predict

Plan credit ran lower than expected, and unused credit expired.

“This is not clear at all before signing up.”Trustpilot review, source, 24 Jun 2026

CommentGrab: There's no usage to predict. Every export is free.

6 of 16 negative Trustpilot reviews

Chat support with no answer

Users report in-app chat going unanswered.

“their chat support has zero respond”Trustpilot review, source, Sep 2025

CommentGrab: Questions go straight to the developer through the contact form.

4 of 16 negative Trustpilot reviews

Actors that stop working

Third-party actors break after site updates, with no reply from their authors.

“now I am finding so many actors just not working”Trustpilot review, source, 19 Jun 2026

CommentGrab: One maintained extension covers all 13 sites, and its changelog is public.

2 of 16 negative Trustpilot reviews

Sign-up and account blocks

Some users couldn't sign up, or were blocked over alleged multiple accounts.

“Can't even signup”Trustpilot review, source, 11 Apr 2025

CommentGrab: There's nothing to sign up for.

Apify
vs CommentGrab, side by side

Checked on 13 Oct 2026 against Apify's own pages. Something changed? Tell us.

ApifyCommentGrab
YouTube commentsActor, from $0.90 per 1,000Free
Google Maps reviewsActor, from $0.30 per 1,000Free
Reddit commentsThird-party actorsFree, threads and user profiles
SetupAccount, actor, input URLsInstall, open the page, click
Bulk and scheduled runsBuilt inReddit batches from search and subreddit pages
Export formatsJSON, CSV, Excel, XML, HTMLCSV, JSON, Markdown, clipboard
AI analysisNone on the actor pages checkedNine kinds of insight on your own OpenAI key
Where data is storedApify datasets in the cloudYour browser
Source codePlatform closed, some actors openPublic (PolyForm Shield)

Apify pricing
vs CommentGrab pricing

Apify charges a monthly plan for platform usage, and most actors add a price per result on top.

Apify

  • Free: $5 of usage a month$0
  • Starter$19 / mo
  • Scale$199 / mo
  • YouTube Comments Scraper actorfrom $0.90 / 1,000
  • Google Maps Reviews Scraper actorfrom $0.30 / 1,000

Source: Apify pricing page, 13 Oct 2026.

CommentGrab

  • Every platform, every export$0
  • Account or sign-upNone
  • AI analysisYour OpenAI key

For everyday comment exports you can skip the $19/mo Starter plan ($228 a year).

With AI analysis you pay OpenAI directly for the tokens you use.

What Apify
is built for

Apify is the better pick for engineering teams scraping at scale.

Scale, schedules and an API

Run thousands of URLs on a schedule from code, with proxies, webhooks and datasets. CommentGrab works one page at a time, plus Reddit batches.

Thousands of ready-made actors

If a site has no dedicated tool, there's often an actor for it, from Apify or from the community.

How to switch
from Apify

It takes a couple of minutes, and you don't need an account.

01

Install CommentGrab.

Add it from the Chrome Web Store. No account, no API token.

02

Open the page you were scraping.

The YouTube video, Reddit post or Google Maps place you used to paste into an actor.

03

Click the widget and export.

Pick CSV, JSON or Markdown and the fields you want.

Apify
alternative FAQ

What's the best free Apify alternative for YouTube comments?

For exporting the comments of videos you can open in Chrome, CommentGrab is free with no account, and replies come included. Apify's YouTube Comments Scraper starts at $0.90 per 1,000 comments plus platform usage, and it suits bulk jobs better.

Is there a free Apify alternative for YouTube comments?

Yes. CommentGrab exports YouTube comments, replies included, for free in your browser. Apify's YouTube Comments Scraper starts at $0.90 per 1,000 comments plus platform usage.

How much does Apify cost?

On 13 Oct 2026: a free plan with $5 of usage a month, Starter at $19 a month, Scale at $199 and Business at $999. Many actors add a per-result price.

Do I need an account to scrape Google Maps reviews?

On Apify, yes. With CommentGrab you open the place on Google Maps and export the reviews without a CommentGrab account. You do need to be signed in to Google, because Google limits what signed-out visitors see.

When should I use Apify instead?

When you need to scrape thousands of URLs on a schedule from code, or a site CommentGrab doesn't support.

Is there a free Google Maps review scraper?

CommentGrab exports the reviews of the Google Maps place you have open, for free. Apify's Google Maps Reviews Scraper starts at $0.30 per 1,000 reviews.

Apify vs a Chrome extension: which should I use?

Use a Chrome extension like CommentGrab when you research threads one page at a time and want no setup. Use Apify when you need thousands of URLs on a schedule from code.

Other comparisons

ExportComments alternative100 free results, then a paid plan Instant Data Scraper alternativeFree, collects browsing data per its policy Thunderbit alternativeCredits per row, no refunds

Export comments free,
with no account

Install CommentGrab, open a supported thread and export every reply in seconds.

Add to Chrome