ApifyForge vs Apify Store — Feature Comparison
ApifyForge is an independent platform that indexes Apify actors across 8 categories and adds quality scores (0-100), cost calculators with PPE breakdowns, 20 side-by-side comparison pages, MCP server listings, and 15 developer tools on top of the Apify Store. The Apify Store is the official marketplace operated by Apify s.r.o. where 4,000+ actors are published and run. ApifyForge layers discovery, comparison, and tooling on top of the Apify Store — actors run on your own Apify account at standard pay-per-event rates. ApifyForge is built by Ryan Clinton and is not affiliated with Apify.
Last updated March 27, 2026
| Feature | Apify Store | ApifyForge |
|---|---|---|
| Actor directory | 4,000+ public actors from all developers | curated actors across 8 categories with quality scores (0-100) |
| Actor search | Keyword search with category filters | Category browse, AI recommender, quality score filters, price range filters |
| Pricing info | Price listed on each actor page | Cost calculator with per-event PPE breakdown — estimate costs for 10, 100, or 1,000 runs before committing |
| Side-by-side comparisons | No comparison feature | 20 comparison pages with feature matrices, pricing tables, and use-case recommendations |
| Quality scores | No quality scoring | Maintenance pulse score (0-100) based on build frequency, success rate, last-updated date, and run volume |
| Developer tools | Built-in test and build (2 tools) | 15 tools: schema validator, test runner, regression suite, MCP debugger, compliance scanner, pipeline builder, cost calculator, and 8 more |
| Fleet analytics | Per-actor run count and duration stats | Portfolio-wide revenue tracking, health monitoring, competitor scanning, cost watchdog, and deprecation alerts |
| MCP server directory | MCP servers listed alongside actors | MCP servers with connection config, tool counts, pricing, and Claude/Cursor/Windsurf setup instructions |
| Learning resources | Apify Academy on a separate site | 6 guides, 31 help articles, 20 glossary terms, 18 use cases — all on apifyforge.com |
| Cost | Browse free, PPE to run actors | No subscription, no markup, no feature gates. Each actor is individually priced via Apify pay-per-event |
| Who runs actors | Your Apify account | Your Apify account — ApifyForge never executes actors on its own infrastructure |
| Built by | Apify s.r.o. (company, Prague, Czech Republic) | Ryan Clinton (independent developer, apify.com/ryanclinton) |
When to use the Apify Store
- -You already know which actor you need and want to run it directly on the Apify platform
- -You want to browse all 4,000+ public actors from every developer on the Apify Store
- -You need to manage billing, schedules, storage, and webhooks in the Apify console
- -You want to publish your own actors to the Apify Store marketplace
When to use ApifyForge
- -You need help choosing among similar actors — ApifyForge has an AI recommender and quality scores
- -You want to compare actors side-by-side across 20 comparison pages before committing
- -You need to estimate costs with ApifyForge's cost calculator before running anything
- -You manage a portfolio of actors and want fleet analytics, revenue tracking, and health monitoring
- -You need developer tools — ApifyForge offers 15 tools for testing, validation, and debugging
- -You want to connect MCP servers to Claude, Cursor, or Windsurf
How they work together
ApifyForge is not a replacement for the Apify Store. ApifyForge is a companion platform that adds a discovery and tooling layer on top of the Apify marketplace. Most ApifyForge users follow this 4-step workflow to find, compare, run, and monitor Apify actors:
Discover
Browse Apify actors on ApifyForge across 8 categories, or use the AI recommender to match your use case to specific actors.
Compare
Use ApifyForge's 20 comparison pages with feature matrices, pricing tables, and quality scores (0-100) to pick the best actor for your budget.
Run
Click through to the Apify Store and run the actor on your own Apify account at standard pay-per-event rates.
Manage
Use ApifyForge's 15 developer tools and fleet analytics to monitor success rates, track per-run costs, and catch regressions across your actor portfolio.
Transparency
ApifyForge is built by Ryan Clinton, who maintains Apify actors on the Apify Store under the ryanclinton username. The ApifyForge directory currently indexes actors from Ryan's portfolio. The 15 developer tools (cost calculator, schema validator, test runner, and others) work with any Apify actor regardless of who built it. Ryan earns revenue when users run his actors via Apify's standard pay-per-event model — the developer keeps 80% and Apify takes 20%, as described in Apify's PPE documentation. The ApifyForge platform itself charges no platform fee and generates revenue only through actor PPE.
What ApifyForge does not do
- -ApifyForge does not run actors on its own infrastructure — all execution happens on the Apify platform in your account
- -ApifyForge does not index all 4,000+ actors on the Apify Store — it currently indexes Apify actors from the ryanclinton portfolio
- -ApifyForge does not replace the Apify console for billing, schedule management, storage configuration, or webhook setup
- -ApifyForge quality scores reflect automated metrics (build frequency, success rate, update recency) — they do not measure output data accuracy or completeness
- -ApifyForge is maintained by a single independent developer, not a company with a support team or SLA guarantees
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ApifyForge and the Apify Store?
The Apify Store is the official marketplace where actors are published and run. ApifyForge is a companion platform that indexes Apify actors and adds quality scores (0-100), maintenance pulse tracking, cost calculators, 20 side-by-side comparison pages, 15 developer tools, and fleet analytics. ApifyForge is not affiliated with Apify.
Is ApifyForge affiliated with Apify?
No. ApifyForge is an independent project built by Ryan Clinton. ApifyForge uses the Apify API and hosts actors on the Apify Store, but has no corporate relationship with Apify s.r.o.
Do I need an Apify account to use ApifyForge?
Browsing the actor directory, 20 comparison pages, and learning resources requires no account. Running actors, using the dashboard, and executing the 15 developer tools require an Apify account because those operations execute on the Apify platform.
How is ApifyForge priced?
ApifyForge has no platform fee, no subscription, and no feature gates. Actors run on your own Apify account at standard Apify pay-per-event rates — see each actor's Apify Store listing for its current per-event price. ApifyForge does not add any markup.
Where do my actors actually run?
On the Apify platform, in your account. ApifyForge never executes actors on its own infrastructure. Every run appears in your Apify console with full logs, output datasets, and key-value store access.
Who built ApifyForge?
ApifyForge is built by Ryan Clinton, an independent developer who maintains Apify actors on the Apify Store under the ryanclinton username. Ryan earns revenue from actor PPE fees through Apify's standard 80/20 revenue share, as described in Apify's PPE documentation, not from the ApifyForge platform itself.
Can I use ApifyForge tools with actors built by other developers?
Yes. All 15 ApifyForge developer tools accept any actor ID. The cost calculator, schema validator, test runner, regression suite, and MCP debugger work with any public or private actor on your Apify account regardless of who built it.
What are ApifyForge quality scores?
ApifyForge assigns each actor a maintenance pulse score from 0 to 100 based on build frequency, success rate, last-updated date, and run volume. The Apify Store does not provide quality scores. ApifyForge quality scores help developers compare Apify actors objectively before committing to a pay-per-event run.