Guide

Migration

Switch from Firecrawl — Drop-In Replacement Guide

Looking for a Firecrawl replacement? Switch from Firecrawl to AlterLab in minutes. Our drop-in compatible API lets you migrate from Firecrawl with minimal code changes.

Quick Start

Near Drop-in Replacement

Change the base URL and API key - that's it! Your existing Firecrawl integration will work with AlterLab's compatibility endpoint. Both v0 and v1 (current Firecrawl SDK) endpoints are supported.

Before (Firecrawl)

Bash

curl -X POST https://api.firecrawl.dev/v1/scrape \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer fc-xxxxxxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url": "https://example.com", "formats": ["markdown"]}'

After (AlterLab)

Bash

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

What Changes

Base URL

api.firecrawl.dev→api.alterlab.io

Endpoint

/v1/scrape→/api/fc/v1/scrape

API key

fc-xxx→sk_live_xxx

What Stays the Same

Request body format
Response structure
Auth header format (Bearer token)
Error response format

Compatibility Mapping

Endpoint Mapping

Firecrawl Endpoint	AlterLab Equivalent	Support	Notes
POST /v0/scrape	POST /api/v0/scrape	Supported	Drop-in replacement, same request/response shape
POST /v0/crawl	POST /api/v0/crawl	Supported	Async crawl; poll via GET /api/v0/crawl/{jobId}
POST /v0/map	POST /api/v0/map	Supported	Returns `links` array of discovered URLs
GET /v0/crawl/{jobId}	GET /api/v0/crawl/{jobId}	Supported	Poll crawl status and results
DELETE /v0/crawl/{jobId}	DELETE /api/v0/crawl/{jobId}	Supported	Cancel a crawl
v1 Endpoints (current Firecrawl SDK version)
POST /v1/scrape	POST /api/fc/v1/scrape	Supported	Same as v0 — current Firecrawl SDK default
POST /v1/crawl	POST /api/fc/v1/crawl	Supported	Async crawl; poll via GET /api/fc/v1/crawl/{jobId}
POST /v1/map	POST /api/fc/v1/map	Supported	Returns `links` array of discovered URLs
GET /v1/crawl/{jobId}	GET /api/fc/v1/crawl/{jobId}	Supported	Poll crawl status and results
DELETE /v1/crawl/{jobId}	DELETE /api/fc/v1/crawl/{jobId}	Supported	Cancel a crawl

Feature Mapping

Firecrawl Feature	AlterLab Support	Notes
`formats: ["markdown"]`	Supported	Returns clean markdown
`formats: ["html"]`	Supported	Processed HTML
`formats: ["rawHtml"]`	Supported	Original HTML
`formats: ["links"]`	Supported	Extracted hrefs from page
`formats: ["screenshot"]`	Partial	Requires JS rendering mode
`waitFor`	Supported	Milliseconds delay
`timeout`	Supported	Milliseconds (auto-converted)
`proxy: "stealth"`	Supported	Maps to JS rendering mode
`extract`	Supported	Structured data extraction
`onlyMainContent`	Supported	Default behavior in AlterLab

Authentication

The compatibility endpoint supports both Firecrawl-style and AlterLab-style authentication:

Firecrawl Style (Bearer)

Bash

Authorization: Bearer sk_live_xxx

AlterLab Style (X-API-Key)

Bash

X-API-Key: sk_live_xxx

Use Either Auth Method

Both authentication methods work with the compatibility endpoint. Use whichever is more convenient for your existing codebase.

Request Format

POST

/api/v0/scrape

Firecrawl-compatible scrape endpoint. Accepts Firecrawl request format, returns Firecrawl response format.

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
url	`string`	Required	The URL to scrape
formats	`array`	Optional	Output formats: markdown, html, rawHtml, links, screenshot, extract. Defaults to ['markdown'].
onlyMainContent	`boolean`	Optional	Only return main content (default behavior)Default: `true`
waitFor	`integer`	Optional	Wait time in milliseconds before fetchingDefault: `0`
timeout	`integer`	Optional	Timeout in millisecondsDefault: `30000`
proxy	`string`	Optional	Proxy mode: basic, stealth, auto
extract	`object`	Optional	Schema for structured data extraction

Request Example

Bash

curl -X POST https://api.alterlab.io/api/v0/scrape \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_xxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://example.com",
    "formats": ["markdown", "html"],
    "waitFor": 1000,
    "timeout": 30000
  }'

Response Format

Responses match Firecrawl's format with an optional alterlab extension containing additional metadata:

JSON

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "markdown": "# Example Domain\n\nThis domain is for use...",
    "html": "<h1>Example Domain</h1><p>This domain is for use...</p>",
    "rawHtml": "<!doctype html><html>...</html>",
    "links": [
      "https://iana.org/domains/example"
    ],
    "metadata": {
      "title": "Example Domain",
      "description": "Example description",
      "sourceURL": "https://example.com/",
      "statusCode": 200
    }
  },
  "alterlab": {
    "tier_used": "1",
    "credits": 1,
    "response_time_ms": 842,
    "cached": false
  }
}

Code Examples

Python

import requests

# Minimal change: just update the base URL and API key
response = requests.post(
    "https://api.alterlab.io/api/v0/scrape",  # Changed from api.firecrawl.dev
    headers={
        "Authorization": "Bearer sk_live_xxx",  # Your AlterLab key
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
    },
    json={
        "url": "https://example.com",
        "formats": ["markdown", "html"]
    }
)

data = response.json()
if data["success"]:
    print(f"Markdown: {data['data']['markdown'][:100]}...")
    print(f"Cost: {data['alterlab']['credits']}")
else:
    print(f"Error: {data.get('error')}")

SDK Migration

If you use the official Firecrawl Python or JavaScript SDK, you can point it at AlterLab with a one-line configuration change. AlterLab is compatible with the v1 SDK (`firecrawl-py` v4.x via V1FirecrawlApp, and `@mendable/firecrawl-js` v4.x via the v1 client).

Use the v1 SDK Client

The default Firecrawl SDK client (v2) uses /v2/* endpoints which are not yet supported. Use the v1 client class instead: V1FirecrawlApp in Python or the v1 constructor in JavaScript.

Python SDK (`firecrawl-py`)

Compatible version: v4.x (using V1FirecrawlApp)

Python

from firecrawl import V1FirecrawlApp

app = V1FirecrawlApp(api_key="fc-xxxxxxx")

# Scrape a page
result = app.scrape_url("https://example.com", params={
    "formats": ["markdown", "html"]
})
print(result["data"]["markdown"])

JavaScript SDK (`@mendable/firecrawl-js`)

Compatible version: v4.x (using v1 client)

JAVASCRIPT

import FirecrawlApp from '@mendable/firecrawl-js';

const app = new FirecrawlApp({ apiKey: 'fc-xxxxxxx' });

const result = await app.scrapeUrl('https://example.com', {
  formats: ['markdown', 'html']
});
console.log(result.data.markdown);

Why `/api/fc` in the URL?

The Firecrawl SDK appends /v1/scrape to your base URL. Setting api_url="https://api.alterlab.io/api/fc" makes the SDK hit /api/fc/v1/scrape which is AlterLab's Firecrawl v1 compatibility endpoint.

Unsupported SDK Features

The following Firecrawl SDK features are not available through the compatibility layer. Use AlterLab's native API for equivalent functionality where noted.

SDK Feature	Status	AlterLab Alternative
`scrape_url()`	Supported	Via v1 client + compat endpoint
`crawl_url()`	Supported	Async crawl with polling
`map_url()`	Supported	Returns flat URL list
`batch_scrape_urls()`	Not Supported	Use /api/v1/batch
`extract()` (async jobs)	Not Supported	Use `formats: ["extract"]` in scrape
`deep_research()`	Not Supported	No equivalent
`generate_llms_txt()`	Not Supported	No equivalent
WebSocket crawl streaming	Not Supported	Use polling via GET /crawl/{id}
v2 SDK client (default)	Not Supported	Use v1 client class

Key Differences

1. Endpoint Path

AlterLab uses /api/v0/scrape instead of/v0/scrape due to API routing conventions.

2. Additional Response Data

AlterLab includes an optional alterlab object in responses with billing info, tier used, and performance metrics. This doesn't break Firecrawl compatibility.

3. Anti-Bot Capabilities

AlterLab has more aggressive anti-bot bypass capabilities with automatic tier escalation. Sites that fail on Firecrawl may succeed on AlterLab.

4. Pricing Model

AlterLab uses pay-as-you-go pricing instead of subscriptions. Check the pricing page for details.

AlterLab Extensions

While maintaining Firecrawl compatibility, you can also leverage AlterLab-specific features by using our native /api/v1/scrape endpoint:

Native Features

Cost controls (max tier, force tier, max cost)
OCR for image-based content
PDF extraction
Async/webhook mode
Bring Your Own Proxy (BYOP) with 20% discount
Batch scraping (up to 1,000 URLs)
Scheduler with cron expressions
Session management (authenticated scraping)
Natural language extraction prompts
Multi-format output (text, json, markdown, rag)

When to Use Native API

Need advanced cost controls
Processing PDFs or images
Using webhooks for results
Integrating with your own proxies
Running scheduled/recurring scrapes
Scraping sites that require login

Gradual Migration

Start with the compatibility endpoint to verify AlterLab works for your use case, then gradually migrate to the native API to unlock additional features.

Versioning From Apify

Last updated: June 2026

Guide

Migration

Switch from Firecrawl — Drop-In Replacement Guide

Looking for a Firecrawl replacement? Switch from Firecrawl to AlterLab in minutes. Our drop-in compatible API lets you migrate from Firecrawl with minimal code changes.

Quick Start

Near Drop-in Replacement

Change the base URL and API key - that's it! Your existing Firecrawl integration will work with AlterLab's compatibility endpoint. Both v0 and v1 (current Firecrawl SDK) endpoints are supported.

Before (Firecrawl)

Bash

curl -X POST https://api.firecrawl.dev/v1/scrape \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer fc-xxxxxxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url": "https://example.com", "formats": ["markdown"]}'

After (AlterLab)

Bash

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

What Changes

Base URL

api.firecrawl.dev→api.alterlab.io

Endpoint

/v1/scrape→/api/fc/v1/scrape

API key

fc-xxx→sk_live_xxx

What Stays the Same

Request body format
Response structure
Auth header format (Bearer token)
Error response format

Compatibility Mapping

Endpoint Mapping

Firecrawl Endpoint	AlterLab Equivalent	Support	Notes
POST /v0/scrape	POST /api/v0/scrape	Supported	Drop-in replacement, same request/response shape
POST /v0/crawl	POST /api/v0/crawl	Supported	Async crawl; poll via GET /api/v0/crawl/{jobId}
POST /v0/map	POST /api/v0/map	Supported	Returns `links` array of discovered URLs
GET /v0/crawl/{jobId}	GET /api/v0/crawl/{jobId}	Supported	Poll crawl status and results
DELETE /v0/crawl/{jobId}	DELETE /api/v0/crawl/{jobId}	Supported	Cancel a crawl
v1 Endpoints (current Firecrawl SDK version)
POST /v1/scrape	POST /api/fc/v1/scrape	Supported	Same as v0 — current Firecrawl SDK default
POST /v1/crawl	POST /api/fc/v1/crawl	Supported	Async crawl; poll via GET /api/fc/v1/crawl/{jobId}
POST /v1/map	POST /api/fc/v1/map	Supported	Returns `links` array of discovered URLs
GET /v1/crawl/{jobId}	GET /api/fc/v1/crawl/{jobId}	Supported	Poll crawl status and results
DELETE /v1/crawl/{jobId}	DELETE /api/fc/v1/crawl/{jobId}	Supported	Cancel a crawl

Feature Mapping

Firecrawl Feature	AlterLab Support	Notes
`formats: ["markdown"]`	Supported	Returns clean markdown
`formats: ["html"]`	Supported	Processed HTML
`formats: ["rawHtml"]`	Supported	Original HTML
`formats: ["links"]`	Supported	Extracted hrefs from page
`formats: ["screenshot"]`	Partial	Requires JS rendering mode
`waitFor`	Supported	Milliseconds delay
`timeout`	Supported	Milliseconds (auto-converted)
`proxy: "stealth"`	Supported	Maps to JS rendering mode
`extract`	Supported	Structured data extraction
`onlyMainContent`	Supported	Default behavior in AlterLab

Authentication

The compatibility endpoint supports both Firecrawl-style and AlterLab-style authentication:

Firecrawl Style (Bearer)

Bash

Authorization: Bearer sk_live_xxx

AlterLab Style (X-API-Key)

Bash

X-API-Key: sk_live_xxx

Use Either Auth Method

Both authentication methods work with the compatibility endpoint. Use whichever is more convenient for your existing codebase.

Request Format

POST

/api/v0/scrape

Firecrawl-compatible scrape endpoint. Accepts Firecrawl request format, returns Firecrawl response format.

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
url	`string`	Required	The URL to scrape
formats	`array`	Optional	Output formats: markdown, html, rawHtml, links, screenshot, extract. Defaults to ['markdown'].
onlyMainContent	`boolean`	Optional	Only return main content (default behavior)Default: `true`
waitFor	`integer`	Optional	Wait time in milliseconds before fetchingDefault: `0`
timeout	`integer`	Optional	Timeout in millisecondsDefault: `30000`
proxy	`string`	Optional	Proxy mode: basic, stealth, auto
extract	`object`	Optional	Schema for structured data extraction

Request Example

Bash

curl -X POST https://api.alterlab.io/api/v0/scrape \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_xxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://example.com",
    "formats": ["markdown", "html"],
    "waitFor": 1000,
    "timeout": 30000
  }'

Response Format

Responses match Firecrawl's format with an optional alterlab extension containing additional metadata:

JSON

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "markdown": "# Example Domain\n\nThis domain is for use...",
    "html": "<h1>Example Domain</h1><p>This domain is for use...</p>",
    "rawHtml": "<!doctype html><html>...</html>",
    "links": [
      "https://iana.org/domains/example"
    ],
    "metadata": {
      "title": "Example Domain",
      "description": "Example description",
      "sourceURL": "https://example.com/",
      "statusCode": 200
    }
  },
  "alterlab": {
    "tier_used": "1",
    "credits": 1,
    "response_time_ms": 842,
    "cached": false
  }
}

Code Examples

Python

import requests

# Minimal change: just update the base URL and API key
response = requests.post(
    "https://api.alterlab.io/api/v0/scrape",  # Changed from api.firecrawl.dev
    headers={
        "Authorization": "Bearer sk_live_xxx",  # Your AlterLab key
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
    },
    json={
        "url": "https://example.com",
        "formats": ["markdown", "html"]
    }
)

data = response.json()
if data["success"]:
    print(f"Markdown: {data['data']['markdown'][:100]}...")
    print(f"Cost: {data['alterlab']['credits']}")
else:
    print(f"Error: {data.get('error')}")

SDK Migration

Use the v1 SDK Client

The default Firecrawl SDK client (v2) uses /v2/* endpoints which are not yet supported. Use the v1 client class instead: V1FirecrawlApp in Python or the v1 constructor in JavaScript.

Python SDK (`firecrawl-py`)

Compatible version: v4.x (using V1FirecrawlApp)

Python

from firecrawl import V1FirecrawlApp

app = V1FirecrawlApp(api_key="fc-xxxxxxx")

# Scrape a page
result = app.scrape_url("https://example.com", params={
    "formats": ["markdown", "html"]
})
print(result["data"]["markdown"])

JavaScript SDK (`@mendable/firecrawl-js`)

Compatible version: v4.x (using v1 client)

JAVASCRIPT

import FirecrawlApp from '@mendable/firecrawl-js';

const app = new FirecrawlApp({ apiKey: 'fc-xxxxxxx' });

const result = await app.scrapeUrl('https://example.com', {
  formats: ['markdown', 'html']
});
console.log(result.data.markdown);

Why `/api/fc` in the URL?

Unsupported SDK Features

The following Firecrawl SDK features are not available through the compatibility layer. Use AlterLab's native API for equivalent functionality where noted.

SDK Feature	Status	AlterLab Alternative
`scrape_url()`	Supported	Via v1 client + compat endpoint
`crawl_url()`	Supported	Async crawl with polling
`map_url()`	Supported	Returns flat URL list
`batch_scrape_urls()`	Not Supported	Use /api/v1/batch
`extract()` (async jobs)	Not Supported	Use `formats: ["extract"]` in scrape
`deep_research()`	Not Supported	No equivalent
`generate_llms_txt()`	Not Supported	No equivalent
WebSocket crawl streaming	Not Supported	Use polling via GET /crawl/{id}
v2 SDK client (default)	Not Supported	Use v1 client class

Key Differences

1. Endpoint Path

AlterLab uses /api/v0/scrape instead of/v0/scrape due to API routing conventions.

2. Additional Response Data

AlterLab includes an optional alterlab object in responses with billing info, tier used, and performance metrics. This doesn't break Firecrawl compatibility.

3. Anti-Bot Capabilities

AlterLab has more aggressive anti-bot bypass capabilities with automatic tier escalation. Sites that fail on Firecrawl may succeed on AlterLab.

4. Pricing Model

AlterLab uses pay-as-you-go pricing instead of subscriptions. Check the pricing page for details.

AlterLab Extensions

While maintaining Firecrawl compatibility, you can also leverage AlterLab-specific features by using our native /api/v1/scrape endpoint:

Native Features

Cost controls (max tier, force tier, max cost)
OCR for image-based content
PDF extraction
Async/webhook mode
Bring Your Own Proxy (BYOP) with 20% discount
Batch scraping (up to 1,000 URLs)
Scheduler with cron expressions
Session management (authenticated scraping)
Natural language extraction prompts
Multi-format output (text, json, markdown, rag)

When to Use Native API

Need advanced cost controls
Processing PDFs or images
Using webhooks for results
Integrating with your own proxies
Running scheduled/recurring scrapes
Scraping sites that require login

Gradual Migration

Start with the compatibility endpoint to verify AlterLab works for your use case, then gradually migrate to the native API to unlock additional features.

Versioning From Apify

Last updated: June 2026

Switch from Firecrawl — Drop-In Replacement Guide

Quick Start

Before (Firecrawl)

After (AlterLab)

What Changes

What Stays the Same

Compatibility Mapping

Endpoint Mapping

Feature Mapping

Authentication

Firecrawl Style (Bearer)

AlterLab Style (X-API-Key)

Request Format

Parameters

Request Example

Response Format

Code Examples

SDK Migration

Python SDK (firecrawl-py)

JavaScript SDK (@mendable/firecrawl-js)

Why /api/fc in the URL?

Unsupported SDK Features

Key Differences

1. Endpoint Path

2. Additional Response Data

3. Anti-Bot Capabilities

4. Pricing Model

AlterLab Extensions

Native Features

When to Use Native API

Switch from Firecrawl — Drop-In Replacement Guide

Quick Start

Before (Firecrawl)

After (AlterLab)

What Changes

What Stays the Same

Compatibility Mapping

Endpoint Mapping

Feature Mapping

Authentication

Firecrawl Style (Bearer)

AlterLab Style (X-API-Key)

Request Format

Parameters

Request Example

Response Format

Code Examples

SDK Migration

Python SDK (firecrawl-py)

JavaScript SDK (@mendable/firecrawl-js)

Why /api/fc in the URL?

Unsupported SDK Features

Key Differences

1. Endpoint Path

2. Additional Response Data

3. Anti-Bot Capabilities

4. Pricing Model

AlterLab Extensions

Native Features

When to Use Native API

Python SDK (`firecrawl-py`)

JavaScript SDK (`@mendable/firecrawl-js`)

Why `/api/fc` in the URL?

Python SDK (`firecrawl-py`)

JavaScript SDK (`@mendable/firecrawl-js`)

Why `/api/fc` in the URL?