Stay free if you only need unlimited non-premium automations and 100 credits/month. Upgrade if you need everything in starter and shared team playbooks and workspaces. Most solo builders can start free.
Why it matters: Browser-extension architecture means automations only run while your computer and Chrome are open, unless you use the cloud-execution paid tiers
Available from: Starter
Why it matters: Scraping LinkedIn and similar sites at volume risks account flags or bans — Bardeen does not insulate users from platform terms of service
Available from: Starter
Why it matters: Credit-based pricing on paid plans can become expensive for high-volume scraping or AI-heavy workflows compared to roll-your-own scripts
Available from: Starter
Why it matters: Less mature than Zapier/Make for complex multi-branch workflows with conditional logic, loops, and error handling across many apps
Available from: Starter
Why it matters: Premium integrations and advanced features (cloud runs, premium scraper, team workspaces) are gated to higher-tier plans, not the free tier
Available from: Starter
Why it matters: Get help when stuck. Can save hours of troubleshooting on critical projects.
Available from: Starter
Bardeen runs automations inside your active Chrome browser session. The browser and extension need to be running for automations to execute. This is by design — it allows Bardeen to access websites behind logins and interact with pages as you would. For scheduled automations, your computer and Chrome need to be running at the scheduled time. Cloud-execution on paid tiers (Starter and above) can run some workflows independently.
Bardeen and Zapier serve different niches. Bardeen excels at browser-based automations — scraping websites, filling forms, extracting data from pages without APIs. Zapier is better for backend API-to-API integrations with its 7,000+ app connectors. If your workflows involve websites you interact with manually, Bardeen is likely the better fit. If you need to connect backend systems like payment processors to CRMs, Zapier is stronger.
When your credits are exhausted, automations pause until the next billing cycle replenishes them. You can upgrade to a higher plan for more credits, or purchase additional credits. The free plan includes 100 credits/month for testing, while Starter includes 15,000 credits per year.
Bardeen is SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and CASA Tier 2/3 certified. Automations run locally in your browser, so data extracted from websites stays on your machine or goes directly to your connected apps (like Google Sheets or Salesforce) — it doesn't route through Bardeen's servers. The extension uses OAuth for third-party integrations rather than storing passwords.
Bardeen interacts with LinkedIn at human-like speeds and within your own browser session, which reduces detection risk compared to external scraping tools. However, LinkedIn's terms of service restrict automated data collection, and aggressive scraping can trigger account restrictions. Bardeen recommends moderate usage and respecting LinkedIn's rate limits.
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Last verified March 2026