SearchHive vs Import.io -- Speed Compared

When it comes to web scraping speed, the architecture of your data pipeline matters more than any single feature. Import.io and SearchHive take fundamentally different approaches: Import.io is a fully managed data platform that builds and runs custom extractors for you, while SearchHive is a developer API that gives you direct, real-time access to web data.

This comparison examines response times, throughput, latency, and overall speed for common scraping workflows.

Key Takeaways

• SearchHive delivers faster response times for real-time API calls (1-3 seconds vs. 5-30 seconds)
• Import.io prioritizes data quality over speed with managed extractors and human review
• SearchHive is better for real-time applications -- chatbots, agents, live dashboards
• Import.io is better for large scheduled data collection where speed matters less than completeness
• Import.io no longer publishes public pricing -- you must request a custom quote

Comparison Table

Response Speed: How They Compare

SearchHive: Real-Time API

SearchHive is designed for real-time data retrieval. When you make a request, it's processed immediately and results are returned within seconds.

import time
from searchhive import SwiftSearch, ScrapeForge

search = SwiftSearch(api_key="sh_live_your_key")
scrape = ScrapeForge(api_key="sh_live_your_key")

# Search -- typically 1-2 seconds
start = time.time()
results = search.search(query="latest AI research papers", engine="google")
print(f"Search: {time.time() - start:.2f}s -- {len(results['organic_results'])} results")

# Scrape -- typically 2-4 seconds for a single page
start = time.time()
data = scrape.scrape(url="https://news.ycombinator.com", format="json")
print(f"Scrape: {time.time() - start:.2f}s -- {len(data.get('results', []))} items")

Import.io: Scheduled Extraction

Import.io works differently. You configure extractors using XPath and JavaScript, then schedule them to run. Results aren't available in real-time -- you poll for completed data or get it delivered via API.

This means:

• First extraction setup: Requires building an extractor (minutes to hours depending on complexity)
• Scheduled runs: Data is available after the scheduled job completes
• API retrieval: Fetching already-extracted data is fast, but the extraction itself takes time

import requests
import time

# Import.io API call to fetch extracted data (not real-time scraping)
headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer your_importio_key"}

# This retrieves previously extracted data -- fast
start = time.time()
response = requests.get(
    "https://api.import.io/store/connector/your_extractor_id/_query",
    headers=headers,
    params={"_apikey": "your_api_key"}
)
print(f"Retrieve: {time.time() - start:.2f}s")

The speed comparison is somewhat apples-to-oranges because the two services solve different problems. SearchHive gives you raw, real-time web data. Import.io gives you structured, cleaned, and validated datasets from scheduled extractions.

Throughput at Scale

Batch Operations

For processing thousands of pages, throughput matters more than individual response times:

SearchHive: Can handle hundreds of concurrent requests. The API is stateless and designed for high throughput. A typical batch of 1,000 pages completes in 10-20 minutes.

Import.io: Throughput depends on your plan level and whether you're using managed or self-service extractors. Overages cost $0.029-$0.056 per query, which adds up fast at scale.

Cost-Adjusted Speed

Consider a scenario where you need to scrape 10,000 product pages per day:

SearchHive Builder ($49/mo): 100K credits/mo. At roughly 1 credit per scrape request, you get 100K scrapes per month. More than enough for 10K/day (300K/month) if you're efficient, or you move to Unicorn ($199/mo for 500K credits).

Import.io: At the Advanced overage rate of $0.029/query, 300K queries/month = $8,700/month. Even at the best rate, it's significantly more expensive than SearchHive's flat pricing.

Feature Comparison: Speed-Related

Anti-Bot Bypass Speed

When a site blocks your scraper, the time to resolve the block matters:

• SearchHive: Automatic retry with proxy rotation, CAPTCHA solving, and user agent parser switching. Adds 2-5 seconds per blocked request.
• Import.io: Operations team monitors and resolves blocks. Could be minutes to hours for complex anti-bot challenges.

Data Transformation Speed

• SearchHive: Returns raw extracted data in JSON. You transform it yourself. Faster to get data, more post-processing work.
• Import.io: Uses a Data Dictionary to standardize data during extraction. Slower initial extraction, cleaner output.

Code Example: Head-to-Head Speed Test

import time
from searchhive import ScrapeForge

client = ScrapeForge(api_key="sh_live_your_key")

urls = [
    "https://example.com/page1",
    "https://example.com/page2",
    "https://example.com/page3",
    "https://example.com/page4",
    "https://example.com/page5",
]

start = time.time()
results = []
for url in urls:
    result = client.scrape(url=url, format="json")
    results.append(result)

elapsed = time.time() - start
avg = elapsed / len(urls)

print(f"Total: {elapsed:.2f}s | Avg: {avg:.2f}s | Pages: {len(results)}")
# Typical output: Total: 12.5s | Avg: 2.5s | Pages: 5

With Import.io, the equivalent workflow requires creating an extractor for each page type, scheduling it, waiting for completion, then fetching results via API. Total time: setup (30-60 min) + extraction time (variable) + retrieval (1-2s).

When Import.io Is Faster (Yes, Sometimes)

Import.io wins on speed in one scenario: large-scale, recurring data collection from known sites. If you need to extract 50,000 product pages from Amazon every day, and you've already built the extractor, Import.io's scheduled pipeline handles it reliably without you writing any code for retries, error handling, or data transformation.

When SearchHive Is Faster

SearchHive wins in virtually every other scenario:

• One-off scrapes: No extractor setup, just make an API call
• Real-time data: Chatbots, agents, and dashboards that need data now
• Dynamic queries: Different URLs or search terms on each request
• Quick prototyping: Test a scraping idea in 2 minutes
• AI agent integration: Agents that decide what to scrape at runtime

The Verdict

If your priority is raw speed for real-time applications, SearchHive is the clear winner. Response times of 1-3 seconds, simple API-based access, and flat-rate pricing make it ideal for developers building fast, responsive applications.

If you need a fully managed data pipeline with scheduled extractions and don't mind the lack of transparent pricing, Import.io is a solid choice for enterprise data collection.

For most developers, SearchHive's speed, simplicity, and pricing are hard to beat. Get started with 500 free credits and see for yourself.