SearchHive vs Bright Data -- Web Scraping Compared

Choosing between SearchHive and Bright Data for web scraping comes down to one question: do you want a developer-focused API that just works, or an enterprise platform with 50+ product modules? Bright Data is the largest web data platform in the world with 400M+ residential IPs and a massive product catalog. SearchHive is a leaner alternative that bundles search, scraping, and deep research into a single API at a fraction of the cost.

This comparison breaks down pricing, features, ease of use, and developer experience to help you decide.

Key Takeaways

• Bright Data costs 5-50x more depending on the product and volume you need
• SearchHive bundles search + scrape + research in one API -- Bright Data charges separately for each
• Bright Data has better proxy infrastructure with 400M+ residential IPs -- important for large-scale scraping
• SearchHive is simpler to integrate -- one API key, one SDK, unified response format
• For most developers and startups, SearchHive delivers 90% of the capability at 10% of the price

Comparison Table

Feature-by-Feature Breakdown

Search APIs

Bright Data's SERP API starts at $1 per 1,000 requests. SearchHive's SwiftSearch is included in every plan -- your credits cover search, scraping, and research.

# SearchHive -- one API, one SDK
from searchhive import SwiftSearch

client = SwiftSearch(api_key="sh_live_your_key")
results = client.search(query="best project management tools", engine="google")
for r in results["organic_results"][:5]:
    print(r["title"], "-", r["url"])

# Bright Data -- separate product, separate setup
import requests
headers = {
    "Authorization": "Bearer bd_api_key",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}
response = requests.post(
    "https://api.brightdata.com/serp/v1",
    headers=headers,
    json={"query": "best project management tools"}
)

Web Scraping

Bright Data's Scrapers API costs $0.75/1K records (with 25% off promotion). Without the promo, it's $1/1K. Their Unlocker API (for blocked sites) also starts at $1/1K requests. SearchHive's ScrapeForge handles both standard and protected sites with a single endpoint.

from searchhive import ScrapeForge

client = ScrapeForge(api_key="sh_live_your_key")

# Scrape any page -- anti-bot handling is built in
result = client.scrape(
    url="https://example.com/products",
    format="json",
    extract={"type": "product_list"}
)

With Bright Data, scraping the same page requires choosing between the Crawl API, Web Unlocker, or a pre-built Scraper API -- each with different pricing and response formats.

Proxy Infrastructure

This is where Bright Data has a clear advantage. They operate the world's largest proxy network with 400M+ residential IPs across 195+ countries. If you need raw proxy access (not just scraping results), Bright Data is the more capable choice.

However, most developers don't need to manage proxies directly. SearchHive handles proxy rotation, IP selection, and anti-bot evasion transparently. You get the benefit of residential proxies without the operational overhead.

Product Catalog

Bright Data offers 15+ distinct products: Unlocker API, SERP API, Crawl API, Browser API, Scrapers APIs, Datasets, Web Archive, Retail Intelligence, and more. Each has its own pricing, documentation, and SDK integration.

SearchHive offers three products: SwiftSearch (search), ScrapeForge (scraping), and DeepDive (AI research). Three products that cover most developer use cases, with a unified API and consistent response format.

Pricing Deep Dive

For a typical developer workload of 50K API calls per month (mix of search and scrape):

SearchHive Builder plan: $49/mo for 100K credits -- covers the full workload with room to grow.

Bright Data equivalent: SERP API ($50 for 50K) + Crawl API ($50 for 50K) + Unlocker API for blocked sites (variable) = $100-150/mo minimum. At scale, the gap widens further.

For enterprise volumes (1M+ calls/month):

SearchHive Unicorn: $199/mo (500K credits), or custom enterprise pricing.

Bright Data: $333/mo (Crawl Growth) + $275/mo (SERP Scale) = $600+/mo before proxies.

The cost difference is 3-5x at mid-volume and 3-10x at high volume, depending on which Bright Data products you use.

When Bright Data Makes Sense

Bright Data is the better choice if:

• You need raw proxy access (not just scraping results)
• You operate at massive scale (10M+ requests/month)
• You need pre-built scrapers for 250+ specific websites
• You want managed data acquisition (they build and maintain scrapers for you)
• Your budget is enterprise-level and you need account management

When SearchHive Makes Sense

SearchHive is the better choice if:

• You're a developer who wants to scrape, search, and research with one API
• You're cost-conscious and want predictable flat-rate pricing
• You're building AI agents that need web access
• You want to get started in under 5 minutes with a free tier
• You don't want to navigate 15 product pages to find what you need

The Verdict

Bright Data is the enterprise powerhouse with an unmatched proxy network. If you're a large company with a dedicated data engineering team and a big budget, it's a legitimate choice.

For the other 95% of developers -- startups, solo devs, agencies, and AI builders -- SearchHive delivers a better developer experience at a dramatically lower cost. One API key, three products, flat-rate pricing, and 500 free credits to start.

Ready to see the difference? Create your free SearchHive account and run your first search or scrape in under 2 minutes.