Which Apify plan should you choose in 2026?
Start on Free, measure real Actor usage and upgrade only when the included credit, lower unit rates or higher capacity justify the monthly fee.
The first button is an affiliate link. Prices below were checked July 19, 2026 and can change.
General recommendation
Do not upgrade before measuring one month
Free is for learning and validation. Starter enables overage billing and chat support. Scale reduces compute prices and raises concurrency. Business is for sustained spend above roughly $1,000, much higher capacity or dedicated support.
Official plan figures
Monthly fee, credit and compute price
| Feature | Free | Starter | Scale | Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $0 | $29 | $199 | $999 |
| Included credit | $5 | $29 | $199 | $999 |
| Price per CU | $0.20 | $0.20 | $0.16 | $0.13 |
| Maximum Actor RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | 256 GB | 512 GB |
| Platform spend limit | $5 | $200 | $1,000 | $5,000 |
Included credit expires each month. Initial account limits can be lower and are managed in Billing.
Decision rule
Choose from usage, not ambition
- 01
Validate on Free
Use the $5 included credit to test output quality, failure rate and real cost per useful record.
- 02
Track a normal month
Add Actor event charges, compute usage and scheduled runs. Separate essential work from experiments.
- 03
Compare the whole bill
A lower unit rate is not a saving if included monthly credit expires unused.
- 04
Upgrade for a concrete constraint
Name the constraint: more spend, memory, concurrency, support or a lower Store price.
Practical thresholds
When an upgrade becomes reasonable
- Free → StarterYou exhaust $5, need continuous runs, overage billing or chat support.
- Starter → ScaleRegular usage approaches $200 or you need more than 32 simultaneous runs, more RAM or priority support.
- Scale → BusinessSustained spend approaches $1,000 or you need up to 256 runs, 512 GB RAM or an account manager.
- Stay putThe unit-rate saving does not offset included credit you would leave unused.
FAQ
Billing details
Is Starter always cheaper than Free?
No. Free costs nothing and includes $5. Starter is useful when you need more capacity or overages, but it has a $29 monthly commitment.
Is Scale automatically cheaper?
No. It reduces compute and many Store rates, but you must use enough of its $199 credit to justify the fee.
Can I change or cancel?
Apify allows plan changes from Billing. Review current proration and cancellation terms before confirming.
Best first choice
Use Free to measure a real workflow
Then upgrade for a documented constraint.