> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://developers.oxylabs.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://developers.oxylabs.io/help-center/products-and-features/whats-the-difference-between-web-scraper-api-web-unblocker-and-headless-browser.md).
# What’s the difference between Web Scraper API, Web Unblocker, and Headless Browser?
### What is Web Scraper API?
Web Scraper API is a tool that lets you automatically collect data from websites through an API call. It handles rotating proxies and tasks such as JavaScript rendering to extract data from dynamic pages. With it, you can get raw HTML or JSON-structured data from sources such as e-commerce sites or search engines.
### What is Web Unblocker?
Web Unblocker is an AI-powered proxy solution designed to handle bot traffic management systems and access public web data from even the most challenging websites. Unlike regular proxies, it automatically handles things like proxy rotation, session management, browser fingerprinting, JavaScript rendering, and retries. This makes scraping more reliable and increases success rates - no manual setup needed.
### What is Headless Browser?
Headless Browser is a cloud-based headless browser designed for advanced web scraping, browser automation, and testing – without the hassle of managing local browser infrastructure. It comes with built-in privacy features, CAPTCHA handling, and residential proxies to increase connection consistency and privacy. Compatible with Playwright and Puppeteer automation libraries, it's build as a Chrome-based environment for flexible, high-performance scraping from virtually any location.
### When to use each
| **Web Scraper API** | **Web Unblocker** | **Headless Browser** |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Web Scraper API is an all-in-one solution that automates the entire data extraction process. It includes all the powerful features of Web Unblocker and more.
It’s best for:
- Users who need ready-to-use, structured data and want to outsource the entire scraping process
- Extracting specific data points from common targets like web search, e-commerce, travel, or real estate websites
- Simplifying a tech stack by using a single API call for both unblocking and data structuring
| Web Unblocker is designed to overcome even the most sophisticated bot monitoring systems, ensuring access to any public website.
It’s best for:
- Proxy users looking for a drop-in replacement that handles unblocking automatically
- Integrating a powerful, automated unblocking layer into an existing data collection workflow
- Projects that focus on reliably retrieving raw HTML to support custom data extraction and structuring
| Use Headless Browser when your scraping or automation task requires full browser control (e.g., rendering JavaScript-heavy sites, interacting with dynamic elements, or handling CAPTCHAs).
It’s best for:
- AI assistants that require dynamic, real-time web access
- Complex, JavaScript-heavy or interactive websites
- Use cases needing Playwright, Puppeteer, or CDP
- Developers who need fine-grained control over headless browser behavior
|
### Comparison table
|
| **Web Scraper API** | **Web Unblocker** | **Headless Browser** |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Main purpose** | Scrape and parse web data; get structured results (JSON, etc.) | Access and retrieve raw web content while handling site access challenges | Full browser automation; interaction for the toughest targets |
| **Use case** | Access public data to track market trends and competitor pricing, monitor search rankings, and analyze customer sentiment | Access public data to track market trends and competitor pricing, monitor search rankings, and analyze customer sentiment | Extract complex web data at scale, verify ads, and monitor brand safety |
| **Request input** | URL (optionally with headers, parameters) | URL (optionally with headers, parameters) | Automation script (e.g., Puppeteer/Playwright commands) |
| **Output** | Structured JSON, full HTML, XHR, or Markdown | Full HTML | HTML, screenshots, session videos, network logs, any script-extracted data |
| **JavaScript rendering** | Yes | Yes | Yes (native, runs JS as a browser) |
| **Ease of use** | Easiest – minimal code, focus on results | Intermediate – needs you to parse/handle HTML | Advanced – you must write and manage full automation scripts or integrate with MCP and control the remote browser with the help of AI |
| **Billing** | Based on the number of results with successfully extracted data | Based on successful request and response traffic | Based on traffic (GB) used |
***
Head back to the dashboard
---
# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.
## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:
```
GET https://developers.oxylabs.io/help-center/products-and-features/whats-the-difference-between-web-scraper-api-web-unblocker-and-headless-browser.md?ask=&goal=
```
`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.