"How much would it cost per month if I want to receive prices for 300 competitor products every week?"
When you ask about crawling costs, the usual answer is, "It depends on the site." That is not wrong, but it does not help someone who needs to set a budget make any decisions. This article takes the opposite approach. Starting with the value of a single data item, it explains how to calculate the monthly cost yourself by multiplying the required quantity and frequency. The examples use actual figures based on Hashscraper's credit pricing revised on October 24, 2026.
Definition. A credit pricing plan is a pay-as-you-go model that deducts a set amount from prepaid credits for each collected data item. There are no monthly base fees or development costs; you pay only for what you actually collect.
Definition. The cost per data item (unit price) is "the credits deducted per item × the value of one credit." At Hashscraper, one credit costs between KRW 0.85 and KRW 1, depending on the plan.
TL;DR
- Each data item costs 5 · 25 · 50 credits depending on its type. Assuming KRW 1 per credit, one comment costs about KRW 5, one product detail costs about KRW 25, and one detail item with AI analysis costs about KRW 50.
- Starting October 24, 2026, the per-item credits that previously varied by bot were consolidated into three tiers, so credits were reduced for 90 bots (and increased for 14), and purchased credits can now be used with no expiration date.
- Monthly cost = quantity × credits per item × frequency. Receiving 300 products every week costs about 30,000 credits per month, or about KRW 30,000 at KRW 1 per credit.
1. The value of one item is determined by the data type
Even on the same site, the value of one item differs depending on what you collect. Hashscraper divides data into three types and sets per-item credits accordingly.
| Data type | This type of data | Credits per item | Cost per item (at KRW 1 per credit) | Amount collectable for KRW 10,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comment/list type | Data that is collected lightly, such as lists and comments | 5 | About KRW 5 | 2,000 items |
| Standard detail | Data opened one item at a time, such as product details (price · inventory · options) and article bodies | 25 | About KRW 25 | 400 items |
| Advanced detail | Data with heavy blocking or AI analysis | 50 | About KRW 50 | 200 items |
Even for the same reviews or lists, the tier may differ depending on the collection difficulty of each site.
You can see which type each bot falls under in the "Credits per item" section of the bot screen, and you can check the actual amount deducted under used credits on the dataset screen. With larger plans, one credit can cost as little as KRW 0.85, so the costs above may be lower accordingly (all prices exclude VAT).
2. What changed on October 24, 2026
Previously, each bot had different costs of 10 · 20 · 50 · 100 credits per item. After reassessing the resources actually used by each bot for collection, these were consolidated into the three tiers above: 5 · 25 · 50 credits.
| Change | Number of bots | Most common cases |
|---|---|---|
| Bots with reduced credits | 90 | 50 → 25 credits (41 bots), 20 → 5 credits (24 bots) |
| Bots with unchanged credits | 24 | Already matched the new tiers |
| Bots with increased credits | 14 | 20 → 25 credits (12 bots, including review bots), 20 → 50 credits (2 bots) |
If a bot changed from 50 → 25 credits, you can collect twice as much with the same credits. If it changed from 20 → 5 credits, you can collect four times as much. The full list of the 14 bots with increased credits and all changes can be found in the Hashscraper announcement. Hashscraper will continue improving the collection methods for these bots as well to reduce credits.
One more thing changed at the same time. Previously, any remaining credits disappeared 90 days after the purchase date, but now there is no time limit until you use them all. Credits remaining after a project ends can be used as-is for research in the next quarter. This also applies to credits you already had that were scheduled to expire after October 24. You can see the detailed conditions in the credit pricing guide.
3. Four steps to calculate monthly costs
- Choose the data type you need. First decide whether you only need to see prices (detail) or whether the information shown in a list is sufficient (list type). If prices are included in the list on a site, you may not need to open detail pages.
- Count the quantity per run. This is the number of data items produced in one run, such as 300 products or 5,000 comments.
- Multiply by the frequency. Weekly is about 4 times per month, while daily is about 30 times.
- Multiply by the credit value. Estimate between KRW 0.85 and KRW 1 per credit.
Calculation examples
| Scenario | Calculation | Monthly credits | Monthly cost (at KRW 1 per credit) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check prices for 300 competitor products every week | 300 items × 25 × 4 runs | 30,000 | About KRW 30,000 |
| Collect 5,000 comments once with a comment/list-type bot | 5,000 items × 5 × 1 run | 25,000 | About KRW 25,000 |
| Check 100 list items daily with a comment/list-type bot | 100 items × 5 × 30 runs | 15,000 | About KRW 15,000 |
| Collect 200 detail items with AI analysis every week | 200 items × 50 × 4 runs | 40,000 | About KRW 40,000 |
Using the previous pricing for the same calculation, the first row would have cost 60,000 credits with a product-detail bot that charged 50 credits. For an exact figure, enter the "Credits per item" for the bot you plan to use.
4. Credits, subscriptions, or in-house development — which is more cost-effective?
Credits are not always the answer. The most advantageous option differs depending on collection volume, frequency, and your team's situation.
| Method | Upfront cost | Cost per item | When the site changes | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credits (pay-as-you-go) | None | Fixed by type (5 · 25 · 50 credits) | Hashscraper fixes the bot | Small-volume · irregular · project-based collection |
| Subscription | Determined after consultation | Lower as collection volume increases | Hashscraper fixes it, including development for new sites | Collecting large volumes regularly every month |
| In-house development | Development staff · servers | Depends on infrastructure scale | Your team fixes it | When collection is a core capability and you have development · operations staff |
With in-house development, you can change things however you want. However, costs for site structure changes, blocking countermeasures, and server operations continue to accumulate. These hidden costs are covered in Why do crawling estimates vary by company?, while calculations comparing total costs over one year are summarized in Crawling subscription vs. individual billing TCO comparison.
Credits are better when you collect tens of thousands of items or fewer per month or when collection volume is irregular, while it is worth comparing subscriptions as well if you collect large volumes regularly every month.
5. How to save credits
- Do not open detail pages if the list is sufficient. There is a fivefold difference between list type (5 credits) and detail (25 credits).
- Set the frequency only as often as needed. There is no need to check a site every hour if its prices change only once a day.
- Start with a small run. Use the 10,000 credits provided upon signup to first collect 400 standard detail items, confirm that all the fields you need are included, and then scale up.
- You do not need to worry about the validity period. Remaining credits do not disappear, so leave them as they are until your next research project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the most cost-effective data collection tool?
It depends on the collection volume and frequency. Pay-as-you-go pricing (credits), where you pay only for what you use, is effective for small volumes or occasional collection. Subscriptions are effective for regularly collecting large volumes every month. In-house development is effective when collection is a core capability and you have development staff. Hashscraper credits cost 5 · 25 · 50 credits per data item (KRW 0.85 to KRW 1 per credit), so you can calculate monthly costs in advance.
Q. When do credits expire?
Paid credits topped up from October 24, 2026 remain until you use them all, with no time limit. Free trial credits provided at signup and separate contracts such as subscriptions follow their respective terms.
Q. When are credits deducted?
Credits are deducted when collected data is saved. You can see the actual amount deducted for a collection run under used credits on the dataset screen.
Q. Do the new prices apply to bots I already created?
Yes. Hashscraper crawling bots selected from the bot list collect using the new per-item credits without requiring any action from you. Bots you create directly with AI follow the per-item credits set when they are created.
Conclusion
Crawling costs do not have to stop at "it depends on the site." Determine the value of one item by data type, then multiply it by the quantity and frequency to get your monthly budget. Starting October 24, 2026, you can collect more data with the same budget for most bots, and remaining credits no longer disappear. Start with a small volume, then compare subscriptions once your collection volume grows.
Get Started Now
- Check pricing: Credit pricing guide
- Wondering how much your data will cost per month?: Contact us about crawling
