Thunderbit Alternative
A Thunderbit alternative with one-time credit packs and no subscription
The short version
Thunderbit and DataLens overlap: both are browser extensions that charge credits per scraped row. The differences are the billing model and what is built around the scrape. Thunderbit adds scheduled scrapes, direct export to Google Sheets, Airtable and Notion, an API, and PDF and image extraction. DataLens sells one-time credit packs and has none of those extras.
Why people look past Thunderbit
- You would rather buy a one-time credit pack than commit to a monthly or yearly plan.
- Your pages have comment threads with nested replies, or numbers drawn in scrambled fonts. DataLens collects nested replies as a sub-list with the parent row and reads scrambled-font numbers from the screen.
- You only need a file at the end (Excel, CSV or JSON) and do not need scheduling, an API or direct pushes to other apps.
Thunderbit vs DataLens at a glance
| What you need | Thunderbit | DataLens |
|---|---|---|
| Pagination and infinite scroll | Listed Pagination, bulk pages and infinite scroll are handled. Source: Thunderbit on the Chrome Web Store · as of 2026-11-03 | Yes Scrolls, clicks "load more" and goes to the next page until the end or your row limit. |
| Fields from each detail page | Listed Subpage scraping is listed on the pricing page; 2 credits per row. Source: Thunderbit pricing page · as of 2026-11-03 | Yes Detail-page fields are added to the same row; 2 credits per row. |
| Comments with nested replies | Not listed Not listed on the store, pricing or blog pages we read (as of 3 Nov 2026). Source: Thunderbit on the Chrome Web Store · as of 2026-11-03 | Yes The inner list is detected as a sub-list and collected together with its parent row. |
| Numbers in scrambled fonts | Not listed Not listed on the pages we read (as of 3 Nov 2026). Source: Thunderbit on the Chrome Web Store · as of 2026-11-03 | Yes Values drawn with scrambled fonts are read from what is on screen and exported as real text. |
| Pages you are signed in to | Listed Browser mode runs in your Chrome with your session. Its blog says Cloud mode cannot reach login-protected content. Source: Thunderbit blog: Browser and Cloud modes · as of 2026-11-03 | Yes Runs in your own browser with your own session. |
| Scheduled, recurring scrapes | Listed Up to 5 scheduled scrapers on Starter (monitoring interval as short as 1 hour) and 25 on Pro (as short as 5 minutes). Source: Thunderbit pricing page · as of 2026-11-03 | No No schedules. You can re-run a saved scrape by hand from History. |
| Where the data goes | Listed Excel, Google Sheets, Airtable and Notion; CSV on the store page. Source: Thunderbit pricing page · as of 2026-11-03 | Partly Downloads Excel, CSV or JSON files. No direct push to Sheets, Airtable or Notion. |
| API and automation hooks | Listed A Web Scraper API, plus CLI and MCP server links in its footer. Source: Thunderbit pricing page · as of 2026-11-03 | No No public API. |
| PDFs and images as sources | Listed Store page says it pulls structured data from websites, PDFs and images. Source: Thunderbit on the Chrome Web Store · as of 2026-11-03 | No Reads web pages only. |
| Where you use it | Listed Chrome extension, Edge extension and a web app. Source: Thunderbit pricing page · as of 2026-11-03 | Partly Chrome and Edge extension only. |
| Changing a plan | Listed Its refund policy page says that once you have used credits you cannot change plans until the billing period ends. Source: Thunderbit cancellation and refund policy · as of 2026-11-03 | Yes One-time packs: there is no plan to change. |
Thunderbit details come from its public pages, checked 2026-11-03. "Not listed" means we did not find it on those pages; it does not mean the feature is missing.
Thunderbit pricing next to DataLens
List prices from the official pages, checked 2026-11-03. "Per 1,000 rows" divides the price by the base rows it buys, assuming you use all of it.
| Plan | Price | What you get | Per 1,000 rows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Source: Thunderbit pricing page · as of 2026-11-03 | $0 | 6 pages a month, up to 30 credits per page; 3 paginated pages per scrape; 14-day data retention. | — |
| Starter, monthly Source: Thunderbit pricing page · as of 2026-11-03 | $15 per month | 500 credits a month. Up to 5 scheduled scrapers. | $30.00 |
| Starter, yearly Source: Thunderbit pricing page · as of 2026-11-03 | $108 per year, paid upfront | $9 a month billed yearly; 5,000 credits a year, all upfront. | $21.60 |
| Pro, monthly Source: Thunderbit pricing page · as of 2026-11-03 | $38 per month | 3,000 credits a month. Up to 25 scheduled scrapers. | $12.67 |
| Pro, yearly (limited-time price) Source: Thunderbit pricing page · as of 2026-11-03 | $198 per year, paid upfront | $16.50 a month billed yearly, shown as a limited-time price; the page gives the regular price as $24 a month. 30,000 credits a year, all upfront. | $6.60 |
| Plan | Price | What you get | Per 1,000 rows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free credits | $0 | New accounts get 100 credits once. Detecting lists, adjusting columns and previewing are free. | — |
| 10,000-credit pack | $7 one-time | 10,000 credits, one-time, valid 30 days. 1 credit per scraped row; detail-page fields cost 2 credits per row. | $0.70 |
| 30,000-credit pack | $15 one-time | 30,000 credits, one-time, valid 30 days. | $0.50 |
| 100,000-credit pack | $40 one-time | 100,000 credits, one-time, valid 60 days. | $0.40 |
- Thunderbit bills by plan, monthly or yearly with all credits upfront. DataLens sells one-time packs whose credits expire after 30 days (60 days for the 100,000 pack), so a pack you do not use up costs more per row than the figure above.
- Both charge 2 credits per row when detail-page fields are collected. Thunderbit also lists 30 credits per personal-data enrichment query.
- The free tiers are shaped differently: Thunderbit Free renews monthly (6 pages, 3 paginated pages per scrape); DataLens gives 100 credits once.
- At the $24 regular yearly Pro price, Thunderbit works out to $9.60 per 1,000 rows instead of $6.60.
Where Thunderbit is stronger
- Scheduled and monitored scrapes, with monitoring as short as every 5 minutes on Pro.
- Writes straight into Google Sheets, Airtable and Notion.
- An API, a CLI and an MCP server for automation.
- Pulls data out of PDFs and images, not just web pages.
- A web app as well as the Chrome and Edge extensions.
Where DataLens fits better
- One-time credit packs: no plan to pick or switch.
- A lower list price per 1,000 base rows, if you use the pack within its validity.
- DataLens collects nested replies as a sub-list with the parent row, and reads scrambled-font numbers from the screen.
Switch to DataLens if
- You scrape in bursts and do not want a plan sitting there between projects.
- A downloaded Excel, CSV or JSON file is all you need.
Stay with Thunderbit if
- You need scrapes to run on a schedule.
- You want rows to land in Google Sheets, Airtable or Notion without a download step.
- You need an API or CLI, or want to extract from PDFs and images.
Frequently asked questions
Is DataLens a Thunderbit alternative?
Both are browser extensions that charge credits per scraped row, so they overlap. They differ in billing (one-time credit packs versus plans) and in what surrounds the scrape: Thunderbit adds scheduling, direct exports to Google Sheets, Airtable and Notion, an API and PDF or image extraction.
Is DataLens cheaper than Thunderbit?
At list price, DataLens works out to $0.40 to $0.70 per 1,000 base rows. For the Starter and Pro plans on the Thunderbit pricing page we read (Free and Business excluded), the range is $6.60 to $30.00, checked on 3 November 2026 and assuming you use everything you buy. The $6.60 is the limited-time yearly Pro price; at the $24 a month regular price the page gives it is $9.60. DataLens credits expire after 30 days (60 for the 100,000 pack), and detail-page rows cost 2 credits on both sides. Compare on your own volume.
Can DataLens run scheduled scrapes like Thunderbit?
No. You can re-run a saved scrape by hand from History. If you need scrapes to run on a schedule, Thunderbit’s scheduled scrapers are the better fit.
Can DataLens send data to Google Sheets, Airtable or Notion?
Not directly. DataLens downloads Excel, CSV or JSON files. Thunderbit lists direct exports to Google Sheets, Airtable and Notion.
Does DataLens handle detail pages?
Yes. You point DataLens at the link on each row and it opens each detail page and adds the fields you pick to the same row, at 2 credits per row. Thunderbit lists subpage scraping at 2 credits per row too.
Do I need to import anything from Thunderbit?
No. Results are Excel, CSV or JSON files, so there is nothing to migrate. Install the extension and open the page you want. New accounts get 100 credits once, and you sign in when you start your first scrape.
Where does my data go when I use DataLens?
DataLens runs in your own browser with your own login, with no proxies and no data-center requests. To work out the columns it sends a condensed outline of the page structure to our AI service, and finished rows are saved to your DataLens account. The privacy policy has the details.
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Competitor details last checked 2026-11-03.
Spotted something out of date? Email support@datalens.uk and we will check it.
Thunderbit and other product names are trademarks of their owners. DataLens is not affiliated with them.