```yaml product: AlterLab title: "How to Migrate from ZenRows to AlterLab: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)" category: Tutorials comparison_context: "AlterLab is an alternative to Firecrawl, ScrapingBee, and Bright Data." last_updated: 2026-06-27 canonical_facts: - "A practical, copy-paste ready guide to migrate from ZenRows to AlterLab, focusing on pay-as-you-go pricing and minimal code changes." source_url: https://alterlab.io/blog/how-to-migrate-from-zenrows-to-alterlab-step-by-step-guide-2026 ``` # How to Migrate from ZenRows to AlterLab: Step-by-Step Guide (2026) ## TL;DR To migrate from ZenRows to AlterLab, install the AlterLab SDK, replace your ZenRows client with `alterlab.Client`, update your API key, and keep the same request structure. The response format is nearly identical, so most of your scraping code remains unchanged. ## Why migrate? ZenRows uses a flat-rate subscription model where credits reset monthly, which can lead to wasted spend if you don’t use your full quota. AlterLab offers a pure pay‑as‑you-go model: you pay only for the requests you make, your balance never expires, and there are no monthly minimums. Both APIs are capable — this guide is for developers prioritizing pay-as-you-go pricing and no subscription requirements. ## Prerequisites - An AlterLab account (sign up free at [/signup]) - Your AlterLab API key (found in the dashboard) - About 5 minutes to install the SDK and swap a few lines of code ## Step 1: Install the AlterLab SDK If you were using the ZenRows Python package, replace it with the AlterLab SDK. The install command is the same style. ```bash title="Terminal — Install AlterLab" pip install alterlab ``` For full setup details, see the [Getting started guide](/docs/quickstart/installation). ## Step 2: Replace your API calls ZenRows and AlterLab share a similar REST API shape. Below is a direct before‑and‑after comparison. ```python title="before_zenrows.py" # ZenRows (before migration) from zenrows import ZenRowsClient client = ZenRowsClient("YOUR_ZENROWS_API_KEY") response = client.get("https://example.com", params={"js_render": true}) html = response.text ``` ```python title="after_alterlab.py" {3-7} # AlterLab (after migration) import alterlab client = alterlab.Client("YOUR_ALTERLAB_API_KEY") response = client.scrape("https://example.com", js_render=True) html = response.text # Same data, pay‑as‑you-go pricing ``` If you prefer to call the REST endpoint directly, the URL pattern is also compatible: - ZenRows: `https://api.zenrows.com/v1/?apikey=KEY&url=URL&js_render=true` - AlterLab: `https://api.alterlab.io/v1/?apikey=KEY&url=URL&js_render=true` ## Step 3: Handle response format differences AlterLab returns a response object that mirrors ZenRows in the most common fields: - `response.text` – the raw HTML (or selected format) - `response.status_code` – HTTP status - `response.headers` – response headers The only notable difference is that AlterLab nests error details under `response.error` when `status_code >= 400`, whereas ZenRows includes them directly in the JSON body. For successful scrapes, you can treat the objects interchangeably. ## Step 4: Update your error handling Adjust any try/except blocks to check for AlterLab’s error structure. ```python title="error_handling.py" try: response = client.scrape(url) if response.status_code != 200: raise Exception(f"AlterLab error: {response.error}") process(response.text) except Exception as e: # retry logic or alerting logger.error(f"Scrape failed: {e}") ``` Both libraries use standard HTTP status codes (429 for rate limiting, 5xx for server issues), so existing retry logic based on status codes works unchanged. ## Cost comparison To illustrate the financial impact, consider 10,000 scraping requests per month. - **$0.0002** — Per Request (AlterLab) - **$0** — Monthly Minimum - **Never** — Balance Expiry - **AlterLab**: 10,000 × $0.0002 = **$2.00** per month. No subscription, no minimum spend, and unused balance carries over indefinitely. - **ZenRows**: Their lowest flat‑rate plan is $49/month for 10,000 requests (≈ $0.0049/request). If you use fewer than 10,000 requests, you still pay the full $49; unused requests do not roll over. See the latest pricing on the [AlterLab pricing](/pricing) page for volume discounts and tier details. ## Common issues and fixes - **Missing `js_render` flag** – AlterLab uses the same parameter name as ZenRows (`js_render=true`). If you previously used `render_js`, rename it. - **API key environment variable** – Rename `ZENROWS_API_KEY` to `ALTERLAB_API_KEY` in your `.env` or CI secrets. - **Response encoding** – AlterLab always returns UTF‑8 decoded text; if you relied on `response.content` for binary data, use `response.raw_content` instead. - **Rate‑limit headers** – AlterLab sends `X-RateLimit-Remaining` and `X-RateLimit-Reset` (same as ZenRows), so your throttling code needs no change. ## You're done Your migration is complete. Run your test suite to confirm everything works, then deploy. For more advanced features like scheduling, webhooks, or Cortex AI extraction, visit the [full documentation](/docs). If you hit any snags, hit reply if you have questions. AlterLab // Web Data, Simplified. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How long does it take to migrate from ZenRows to AlterLab? Typically under an hour; most existing code stays the same, only the client initialization and API key need updating. ### Will my existing ZenRows code work with AlterLab? Yes—AlterLab uses the same REST API format and similar response structure, so you only need to swap the client import and endpoint. ### How does AlterLab pricing compare to ZenRows? AlterLab charges $0.0002 per request with no subscription and no balance expiry, whereas ZenRows' flat-rate plan starts at $49/month for 10,000 requests (~$0.0049/request). ## Related - [Lowe's Data API: Extract Structured JSON in 2026]() - [How to Migrate from Scrapfly to AlterLab: Step-by-Step Guide \(2026\)]() - [Scaling Web Scraping Pipelines for High-Volume Data]()