Jina Reader vs ScraperAPI

Jina Reader

One URL prefix, no key needed, Markdown back. No price per token in any currency on the public page.

ScraperAPI

One GET request with a key and a URL returns a page, and the MCP server's 28 tools carry read-only and destructive hints. No status page, OpenAPI file, security.txt or certification was found, and the documented default puts the API key in the URL query string.

Jina Reader

1. Prefix the URL, https://r.jina.ai/https://example.com, and read the Markdown
2. Send x-max-tokens to cap a page, or x-token-budget to refuse one that's too big
3. Use x-target-selector when you need one part of a page
4. Keyless is 20 requests a minute and can't search. Add a key for loops or s.jina.ai
5. Send x-no-cache: true when a page may have changed or a blocked response got cached

ScraperAPI

1. Set the client timeout to 70 seconds. The API retries for that long before it returns 500, and a request cancelled earlier is still charged
2. Send the key as the x-sapi-api_key header to keep it out of URLs and logs
3. Pass max_cost on each request, or call /account/urlcost first, because domain and anti-bot surcharges vary from 1 to 75 credits
4. Use output_format=markdown or text to cut response size, and autoparse=true only on supported domains
5. On 429 reduce concurrency to the plan limit (5 on Free, 20 on Hobby). The request is rejected, not queued