Import.io Alternative

The Self-Serve Alternative to Import.io

Real-time web data extraction without enterprise contracts or implementation timelines.

  • Instant access — no enterprise sales process
  • Real-time API — not batch processing
  • Pay-as-you-go — no annual contracts

Why Teams Switch from Import.io

1

Instant access

Sign up and extract data in minutes. No implementation timeline, no account manager, no contract negotiation.

2

Real-time extraction

AlterLab returns data in real-time via API response. No waiting for batch jobs or scheduled runs to complete.

3

Developer-controlled

You control the extraction logic, the schedule, and the output format. No managed service black box.

Feature Comparison

FeatureAlterLabImport.io
Self-serve accessEnterprise only
Real-time APIBatch
Pay-as-you-goAnnual contracts
Anti-bot bypassLimited
JavaScript rendering
Structured extraction
Custom training
Managed datasets
CAPTCHA solving
MCP server integration

Migration Takes Minutes

Estimated time: 10 minutes

Import.io (conceptual)
// Import.io uses managed extraction
// 1. Contact sales team
// 2. Implementation period (weeks)
// 3. Receive batch datasets on schedule
// Enterprise pricing: $$$$/month
AlterLab
import requests

# Start extracting immediately — no setup period
response = requests.post(
    "https://api.alterlab.io/v1/scrape",
    headers={"X-API-Key": "YOUR_KEY"},
    json={
        "url": "https://target-site.com/data",
        "extract": {
            "items": ".data-row",
            "fields": {"name": ".col-1", "value": ".col-2"}
        }
    }
)

Frequently Asked Questions

Your first scrape.
Sixty seconds.

$1 free balance. No credit card. No SDK.Just a POST request.

terminal
curl -X POST https://api.alterlab.io/v1/scrape \
-H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"url": "https://example.com", "formats": ["markdown"]}'

No credit card required · Up to 5,000 free scrapes · Balance never expire