Proxy vs Spider Cloud

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings

Analysis reviewed Live tool data as of 2026-10-18
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At a glance

DimensionProxySpider Cloud
Core FunctionAI proxy to route LLM requests to cheapest modelWeb crawling & scraping API for AI agents
Target UsersTeams using coding agents (Claude Code, Cursor, Aider) to cut API costsDevelopers building RAG pipelines or agents needing web data
InstallationSelf-hosted local proxy (CLI, <6ms latency)Cloud API, also open-source self-host option
Key DifferentiatorSmart model routing + budget caps + anomaly detectionRust-based speed, AI extraction, 99.9% success rate
Latest News Impactv1.9.39: live cost ticker; v1.9.36: credential quarantineBrowser AI commands (Act/Extract/Observe) via WebSocket

If you're running AI coding agents like Claude Code and want to slash API costs while keeping full data control, Proxy is the clear choice — it's free, open-source, and actively adding cost-tracking features. If you need real-time web data for RAG or agent workflows, Spider Cloud's high-speed Rust crawling and AI extraction (including new Browser AI commands) are more relevant. The two tools solve different problems: Proxy optimizes LLM spend, Spider Cloud feeds agents with fresh external content.

Try ProxyTry Spider Cloud
Proxy
Proxy

Local LLM proxy that meters every agent request and caps runaway spend before the bill does.

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Spider Cloud
Spider Cloud

Spider Cloud is a web scraping, crawling, and search API that streams live pages as markdown or JSON for AI agents and RAG pipelines.

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Pricing
Freemium
Freemium
Plans
$0
$49/mo
$199/mo
$1/GB + $0.0001/CPU-min
From $6/mo
From $40/mo
Custom
Popularity
6 views
7.5k views
Skill Level
Intermediate
Intermediate
API Available
Platforms
CLIAPI
WebAPIPluginCLIDesktop
Categories
🚦 LLM Gateways & Model Routers
🌐 Web Scraping & Search APIs🖱️ Browser & Computer-Use Agents
Features
Local LLM proxy on localhost:4100 with per-request metering
Routing by task class: simple, moderate, complex, elite
Per-agent model pinning via JSON config edit, no code changes
Per-run cost attribution via relayplane run --label across agents, threads, and retries
Per-agent cost tracking via system-prompt fingerprinting, no annotation
Local dashboard at localhost:4100 with per-model and per-agent spend
relayplane watch terminal cost ticker backed by local /v1/stats/live
Sliding-window anomaly detection for velocity spikes and repetition loops
Token-explosion guard that blocks the next call after a runaway thinking loop
Rolling daily, hourly, and per-request budget caps with 429 budget_exceeded
Configurable breach actions: block, downgrade, warn, alert
Kill switch: relayplane kill and relayplane resume
Credential pool with round-robin rotation and quarantine after 2 consecutive 401s
Quota-aware failover and circuit breaker before 429s cascade
Cache-aware accounting for Anthropic prompt caching; exportable SQLite request ledger
Scrape a single page into markdown, JSON, HTML, raw, or plain text
Crawl entire sites with each page streamed as one JSONL line in order as it finishes
Web search endpoint returns SERP results plus the scraped pages behind them
Custom browser renders like a user: scripts run, lazy images load, infinite scroll reaches the end
Load protected pages through a real browser engine with geo checks, returning a 200
Run full browser sessions over WebSocket with anti-detection and rotating exits
Send AI commands (Act, Extract, Observe) over the Browser API WebSocket
Send a prompt on a scrape or crawl request and get named fields back as JSON
Two-phase AI extraction: a fast model for most pages, a stronger model for complex layouts
Provider router sends scrape and crawl requests to outside providers on your own keys
Data connectors pipe crawl results into S3, GCS, Google Sheets, Azure Blob, or Supabase
Proxy network with 215M+ residential and ISP exits in 199 countries, rotated per request
MCP server at mcp.spider.cloud for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and Claude Desktop
1,000+ ready-made scraper examples across 32 categories, each with working code
API responses support JSON, JSONL, CSV, and XML; up to 10,000 core API requests per minute by default
Integrations
Anthropic
OpenAI
Google Gemini
xAI Grok
Ollama
OpenRouter
Claude Code
Cursor
OpenClaw
Slack
Telegram
PagerDuty
LangChain
LlamaIndex
CrewAI
FlowiseAI
Langflow
Dify
Agno
MCP
Codex
Claude Desktop
Amazon S3
Google Cloud Storage
Google Sheets

What real users say: Proxy vs Spider Cloud

Not marketing copy and not our opinion — a structured sweep of public discussion (reviews, forums, communities and video comments), showing what people praise and what they complain about for each tool.

Proxy

105 mentions across 6 sources · 8% positive — critical (averaged across 6 sources)

Hacker News, Product Hunt, App Store, Bluesky, Stack Overflow, Lemmy

What users praise

  • • Open-source MIT license allows full code transparency and customization.
  • • Local proxy adds zero latency overhead (~6ms) and no cloud dependency.
  • • Smart model routing cuts API costs by assigning cheaper models to simple tasks.
  • • Multi-credential pool avoids rate limits by round-robining across keys.

What frustrates them

  • • No community feedback available to verify claimed features or reliability.
  • • Telemetry on by default may conflict with local-first privacy expectations.
  • • Response cache is exact-match only, limiting benefit for varied prompts.
  • • Dashboard requires localhost access; no cloud monitoring option.

Researched Jul 6, 2026

Spider Cloud

No verifiable community signal. We scanned public discussion on Oct 14, 2026 and found posts matching the name “Spider Cloud”, but could not establish that they are about this product rather than something else sharing its name. Rather than publish a score built on the wrong subject, we publish none.

Who should pick which

  • Solo founder
    Pick: Proxy

    Free and open-source, Proxy eliminates ongoing proxy costs while cutting LLM API bills. Easy setup with one env variable and live cost tracking help manage tight budgets.

  • AI agent developer needing web data
    Pick: Spider Cloud

    Spider Cloud's Rust engine provides fast, reliable crawling with AI extraction and Browser AI commands, perfect for feeding fresh web data into RAG pipelines or agent workflows.

  • Enterprise team using Claude Code
    Pick: Proxy

    Proxy's per-agent budget caps, anomaly detection, and multi-credential pools prevent runaway costs in team environments. No code changes needed.

  • RAG pipeline builder
    Pick: Spider Cloud

    Spider Cloud's structured output (markdown, JSON), data connectors to S3/GCS/Supabase, and 99.9% success rate make it ideal for ingesting web content into vector databases.

  • Cost-conscious non-technical user
    Pick: Spider Cloud

    Spider Cloud's cloud API requires no self-hosting, and its freemium tier lets you start free. While per-page costs apply, the managed service avoids operational overhead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Proxy vs Spider Cloud: which should you choose?

If you're running AI coding agents like Claude Code and want to slash API costs while keeping full data control, Proxy is the clear choice — it's free, open-source, and actively adding cost-tracking features. If you need real-time web data for RAG or agent workflows, Spider Cloud's high-speed Rust crawling and AI extraction (including new Browser AI commands) are more relevant. The two tools solve different problems: Proxy optimizes LLM spend, Spider Cloud feeds agents with fresh external content.

Can I use Proxy with non-Anthropic models?

Yes, Proxy supports over 11 providers including OpenAI, Google Gemini, xAI Grok, and OpenRouter. The smart routing can direct tasks to cheaper models across these providers.

Does Spider Cloud offer a free trial?

Yes, Spider Cloud has a freemium model. The free tier likely includes a limited number of pages. Check their website for current limits.

Is Proxy difficult to set up?

No. Set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:4100 and start the proxy. It runs locally with <6ms latency. No code changes required.

Can Spider Cloud handle JavaScript-heavy websites?

Yes, Spider Cloud includes Browser Cloud with stealth anti-detection and Browser AI commands (Act, Extract, Observe) that can interact with dynamic pages via WebSocket.

Does Proxy support real-time cost tracking?

Yes. The live dashboard at localhost:4100 shows per-agent spend, model distribution, and cost guardrails. The CLI ticker (`relayplane watch`) provides terminal-based visibility.

What data output formats does Spider Cloud support?

It supports markdown, HTML, JSON, CSV, XML, and plain text. You can also capture screenshots and extract links.

Which tool is better for reducing LLM API costs?

Proxy is specifically designed to cut costs by routing tasks to cheaper models, applying budget caps, and auto-downgrading. It can reduce API spend by up to 80%.

Can both tools be used together?

Yes. You could use Proxy to optimize LLM API costs and Spider Cloud to fetch web data for RAG or agent context—they solve different problems and complement each other.

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Explore each tool further

Proxy
View Proxy reviewProxy alternatives
Spider Cloud
View Spider Cloud reviewSpider Cloud alternatives

Browse these categories

Best AI LLM Gateways & Model Routers toolsBest AI Web Scraping & Search APIs toolsBest AI Browser & Computer-Use Agents tools
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Last reviewed: July 3, 2026