# Price Comparison Tool — Compare Store Prices (`junipr/price-comparison`) Actor

Compare product prices across supported stores with UPC/name matching, availability, shipping, seller, review, and best-price evidence.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/junipr/price-comparison.md
- **Developed by:** [junipr](https://apify.com/junipr) (community)
- **Categories:** E-commerce
- **Stats:** 17 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $8.20 / 1,000 product compareds

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Price Comparison Tool — Compare Store Prices

Compare product prices across supported stores with UPC/name matching, availability, shipping, seller, review, and best-price evidence.

### What this actor does

Compare product prices across supported stores with UPC/name matching, availability, shipping, seller, review, and best-price evidence. The actor is configured for public or user-supplied sources, evidence-backed output rows, capped runs, and KVS summaries for blocked, empty, duplicate, or capped work.

### What you can use it for

- Build repeatable price comparison datasets for analysis and automation.
- Export records with source URLs, evidence fields, and run summaries.
- Run buyer-ready tasks for: Compare one product across major retailers; Find best current price by UPC; Export store-level price evidence.

Search-intent terms: price comparison tool, product price comparison, multi-store price scraper, ecommerce price research, competitor price monitoring, best price finder.

### Inputs

The input schema supports the actor's source fields plus cost and quality controls. Important caps include `products`, `stores`, `maxResultsPerStore`, `includeReviews`, `includeShippingDetails`, `proxyConfiguration`. Public task examples below provide small, safe starting inputs.

### Outputs

Paid dataset rows and paid KVS artifacts are written only after the configured PPE charge succeeds. Rows include source/evidence fields where the actor can determine them and avoid fabricated values.

### Key-value store reports

Every run writes `SUMMARY.md` and `SUMMARY.json`. Diagnostic CSV or JSON reports are used for blocked pages, no-result pages, duplicates, unsupported inputs, and capped runs instead of paid dataset rows.

### Pricing

This actor uses pay-per-event pricing with Apify platform usage included in the event prices. Store discount tiers are configured for FREE, BRONZE, SILVER, and GOLD users.

| Event | Unit | FREE | BRONZE | SILVER | GOLD |
|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|
| `actor-start` | run | $0.05000 | $0.05000 | $0.04500 | $0.04000 |
| `product-target-checked` | record | $0.00980 | $0.00980 | $0.00882 | $0.00784 |

Primary paid output event: `product-target-checked`. Runtime-paid dataset rows and runtime-paid artifacts use this active paid-output event unless a future pricing revision adds an actor-specific artifact boundary with matching code.

### Cost controls and max-charge behavior

Default max charge: $50.00. When the run reaches the max charge or an event-charge limit, it stops gracefully and writes free summary diagnostics without adding unpaid dataset rows.

### Platform usage / proxy / browser / API notes

The configured model is fixed-inclusive PPE: platform usage is included in event prices and the platform-usage pass-through toggle is off. Features that require browser rendering, proxies, provider APIs, or additional fetches are bounded by the input caps and priced through explicit events.

### Reliability notes and limitations

The actor processes public or permissioned inputs only. Blocked pages, login walls, unsupported formats, empty results, and provider errors are recorded as diagnostics. The actor does not fabricate rankings, prices, reviews, sentiment, traffic, compliance status, or private contact data when source evidence is unavailable.

### Example inputs

```json
{
  "products": [
    {
      "name": "AirPods Pro 2"
    }
  ],
  "stores": [
    "amazon",
    "walmart",
    "target",
    "bestbuy",
    "homedepot"
  ],
  "amazonDomain": "amazon.com",
  "includeThirdPartySellers": false,
  "includeUsedCondition": false,
  "matchStrictness": "moderate",
  "maxResultsPerStore": 5,
  "includeOutOfStock": true,
  "includePriceHistory": false,
  "includeShippingDetails": true,
  "includeReviews": true,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
```

### Public task examples

- Compare one product across major retailers: Dataset rows matching the compare one product across major retailers use case, plus SUMMARY.md and SUMMARY.json reports in the key-value store.
- Find best current price by UPC: Dataset rows matching the find best current price by upc use case, plus SUMMARY.md and SUMMARY.json reports in the key-value store.
- Export store-level price evidence: Dataset rows matching the export store-level price evidence use case, plus SUMMARY.md and SUMMARY.json reports in the key-value store.

### Ethical/allowed-use notes

Use this actor only for public data, owned files, or sources you have permission to process. Respect source terms, privacy expectations, robots guidance, and applicable laws. Do not use the actor to collect secrets, bypass access controls, or make unsupported legal, financial, medical, or compliance decisions.

# Actor input Schema

## `products` (type: `array`):

Products to compare. Each item can have a name, upc, or urls field. Max 100 products per run. Example: \[{"name": "AirPods Pro 2"}, {"upc": "194253397175"}, {"urls": \["https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1XD1ZV3"]}]

## `stores` (type: `array`):

Which stores to include in the price comparison. Valid values: amazon, walmart, target, bestbuy, homedepot

## `amazonDomain` (type: `string`):

Amazon regional domain for pricing. Examples: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.de.

## `includeThirdPartySellers` (type: `boolean`):

Include third-party/marketplace seller prices in addition to direct retail prices.

## `includeUsedCondition` (type: `boolean`):

Include used, renewed, or refurbished product listings.

## `matchStrictness` (type: `string`):

How strictly to match the same product across different stores. Strict = exact model match only. Moderate = same product, different packaging OK. Loose = similar products included.

## `maxResultsPerStore` (type: `integer`):

Maximum product matches to return per store. Min: 1, Max: 5. Useful with loose matching to see multiple options.

## `includeOutOfStock` (type: `boolean`):

Include products that are currently out of stock. Availability will be marked accordingly.

## `includePriceHistory` (type: `boolean`):

Attempt to include recent price history data where available.

## `includeShippingDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Include shipping cost and estimated delivery information per store.

## `includeReviews` (type: `boolean`):

Include product rating and review count per store.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Residential proxy is strongly recommended — Amazon, Walmart, and Target have anti-bot protection. Defaults to Apify residential proxy (requires paid Apify plan). Free-plan users can provide their own residential proxy URL.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "products": [
    {
      "name": "AirPods Pro 2"
    }
  ],
  "stores": [
    "amazon",
    "walmart",
    "target",
    "bestbuy",
    "homedepot"
  ],
  "amazonDomain": "amazon.com",
  "includeThirdPartySellers": false,
  "includeUsedCondition": false,
  "matchStrictness": "moderate",
  "maxResultsPerStore": 1,
  "includeOutOfStock": true,
  "includePriceHistory": false,
  "includeShippingDetails": true,
  "includeReviews": true,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Actor output data.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "products": [
        {
            "name": "AirPods Pro 2"
        }
    ],
    "stores": [
        "amazon",
        "walmart",
        "target",
        "bestbuy",
        "homedepot"
    ],
    "amazonDomain": "amazon.com",
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true,
        "apifyProxyGroups": [
            "RESIDENTIAL"
        ]
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("junipr/price-comparison").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "products": [{ "name": "AirPods Pro 2" }],
    "stores": [
        "amazon",
        "walmart",
        "target",
        "bestbuy",
        "homedepot",
    ],
    "amazonDomain": "amazon.com",
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": True,
        "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"],
    },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("junipr/price-comparison").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "products": [
    {
      "name": "AirPods Pro 2"
    }
  ],
  "stores": [
    "amazon",
    "walmart",
    "target",
    "bestbuy",
    "homedepot"
  ],
  "amazonDomain": "amazon.com",
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}' |
apify call junipr/price-comparison --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,junipr/price-comparison"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/5M5cproLsKyXlS0k2/builds/bXnOOhX2Rb3DeSw7d/openapi.json