TikTokAPI.io vs clockworks/tiktok-scraper (Apify)
$0.20 vs $2.50+
per 1,000 videos.
Clockworks' Apify TikTok Scraper is great for manual spreadsheet exports, but spinning up headless Actor containers introduces 15–45 second cold starts and compute unit markups. TikTokAPI.io delivers synchronous JSON in ~240ms at $0.20/1K videos.
Cost per 1,000 scraped videos
Pro & Business packages add +40% to +65% bonus credits, bringing effective video cost down to $0.08–$0.115 per 1,000 videos.
Side-by-side comparison.
| Capability | TikTokAPI.io | apify.com/clockworks/tiktok-scraper | Apify Compute + Proxy | tikapi.io |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response model & median latency | Synchronous REST GET (~240ms) | Async Actor job queue (15–45s cold start) | Async webhook polling | Synchronous REST (~450ms) |
| Effective cost per 1,000 videos | $0.20 ($0.08–$0.115 with bonus) | $2.50–$5.00 (Actor fee + Compute Units) | $3.00+ with residential proxy add-on | $1.00+ |
| Mandatory monthly platform subscription | $0 (PAYG credits never expire) or $19/mo | $49/month Apify Starter plan | $49–$499/month | $29/month expiring |
| Direct 1080p no-watermark MP4 links (hdplay) | Included instantly in JSON | Requires slow video download add-on | Extra storage & bandwidth CUs | Separate endpoint |
| Influencer search by follower tier (/v1/user/search) | Native filter (10K–100K, 100K+, Blue-V) | Post-scrape filtering only | Post-scrape filtering only | Supported |
| Creative Center Commercial Ads Library | Included (/v1/ads/top/ads) | Requires separate paid Ads Actor | Separate rental fee | Not available |
Competitor pricing verified from public pricing pages as of November 2026 (EnsembleData units table, Apify TikTok Scraper store page, TikAPI pricing page, ScrapeCreators pricing page, RapidAPI TikTok hubs). Actual costs may vary based on plan tier, concurrency add-ons, and overage rates. All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. TikTokAPI.io base rates: $0.20 / 1K videos, $0.10 / 1K comments, $0.10 / 1K followers.
Why engineering teams switch from Clockworks (Apify TikTok Scraper).
Eliminate 30-Second Actor Cold Starts in User-Facing Apps
If your SaaS dashboard or AI agent needs live creator stats when a user types an @username, waiting 30 seconds for an Apify Actor run to boot, queue, and write a dataset breaks the UX. TikTokAPI.io responds in ~240ms.
Stop Paying Twice for Platform Compute Units + Actor Rental
On TikTokAPI.io, you pay strictly per returned item ($0.20/1K videos, $0.10/1K comments/followers) with zero container boot fees, zero storage fees, and zero residential proxy surcharges.
Keep Using Apify When You Want — With Our Official Lightweight Actor
Prefer orchestrating schedules inside Apify? Use our official kaito_infra/tiktok-api-scraper Actor connected to your TikTokAPI.io key.
Replace Async Actor Polling with a Single Synchronous GET Call
Delete your run-polling loop and dataset fetch calls:
from apify_client import ApifyClient
client = ApifyClient("apify_api_...")
# Boots container, waits 20-45s, consumes Compute Units
run = client.actor("clockworks/tiktok-scraper").call(
run_input={"profiles": ["tiktok"], "resultsPerPage": 30}
)
items = list(client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items())import requests
# Returns 35 videos + 1080p MP4 links in ~240ms for $0.007
res = requests.get(
"https://api.tiktokapi.io/v1/user/posts",
params={"unique_id": "tiktok", "count": 35},
headers={"x-api-key": "tk_live_your_api_key"},
timeout=20,
)
items = res.json()["data"]["videos"]Interactive Engineering Workbench · Benchmark vs Clockworks (Apify TikTok Scraper)
Verify real-time latency, pagination math & JSON schema
Frequently asked questions
- How much can we save migrating a 500,000 videos/month workload from Clockworks Apify?
- 500,000 videos on Clockworks Apify typically costs $1,250–$2,500/month in combined Actor + Compute Unit fees. On TikTokAPI.io Pro ($69/mo for 1.2M Credits), 500,000 videos cost 1,000,000 Credits — less than $69 total (over 94% savings).
- Does TikTokAPI.io also have an Apify integration for no-code users?
- Yes! You can run our official Apify Actor for no-code CSV/Excel exports or connect your TikTokAPI.io key directly inside n8n and Make.com.
Test it against Clockworks (Apify TikTok Scraper) for free.
Every new account receives 500 free Credits immediately — no card required.