MCP Comparison · 2026
Apify vs Oxylabs MCP Server
Comparing Apify and Oxylabs as MCP servers? Apify (run apify actors) is best when web scraping with pre-built actors. Oxylabs (scrape structured web data) is best when structured google + amazon scraping. Both run as Model Context Protocol servers and can coexist in the same client. Updated 2026.
Side-by-side specs
Pulled from each MCP's verified fact sheet.
| Apify | Oxylabs | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary function | Run Apify Actors | Scrape structured web data |
| Maintainer | Apify | Oxylabs |
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| Setup complexity | Low · ~5 min | Medium · ~5 min |
| Transport | stdio | stdio |
| Auth model | API key | API key |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Latest version | latest | latest |
| Compatible clients | Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Any MCP-compatible client, Apify account | Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Any MCP-compatible client, Oxylabs accounts |
| Last verified | 2026-05-27 | 2026-07-16 |
Which one should you pick?
Decision rubric drawn from each MCP's documented strengths.
Choose Apify
- Web scraping with pre-built Actors
- Google Maps / Search / Shopping extraction
- Social media scraping (TikTok, Instagram, X)
Choose Oxylabs
- Structured Google + Amazon scraping
- JavaScript-rendered page extraction
- Geo-restricted data (195+ countries)
Pick something else if…
- Custom one-off flows with no Actor
- Sites with an existing API
Feature breakdown
Key capabilities each server ships out of the box.
Apify
- Thousands of pre-built Actors
- Managed Chromium / proxy infrastructure
- Structured dataset output
- Run-history + scheduling
- Per-Actor pricing transparency
Oxylabs
- Universal scraper + Google/Amazon parsers
- JS rendering + CAPTCHA handling
- Geo-routing across 195+ countries
- Optional AI Studio tools (scraper, crawler, browser agent)
- Official Oxylabs, MIT, Python (uvx)
Install snippets
Open the detail page for ready-to-paste config for every major client.
FAQ
Apify vs Oxylabs: which MCP server should I use?
Pick Apify when web scraping with pre-built actors. Pick Oxylabs when structured google + amazon scraping. Apify is built for run apify actors, while Oxylabs focuses on scrape structured web data.
Can I run both Apify and Oxylabs together?
Yes. MCP clients run each server as a separate process and surface every server's tools simultaneously, so you can install both and let your agent decide which to call. Be deliberate with auth scopes when stacking servers.
Which is easier to set up, Apify or Oxylabs?
Apify has the lighter setup. Apify reports low complexity (~5 min); Oxylabs reports medium complexity (~5 min).
More Apify comparisons
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