fastCRW
Turn URLs into clean markdown or structured JSON with one engine for search, scrape, map, crawl, and extract.
Run it locally as a small Rust binary or use the managed API.
Get 1000 free credits → · Install · Docs
No credit card. Continue with GitHub.
One-command install
curl -fsSL https://fastcrw.com/install | sh
Then point it at the Cloud:
crw setup
1000 free credits, no credit card. Managed proxies, JS rendering and search, with nothing to run or keep up to date. Get my free key →
The same command configures a fully local install if you would rather run it yourself. macOS and Linux, Intel and ARM. More install options →
What it does
| Operation | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Scrape | One URL to markdown, HTML, links, screenshots, or schema JSON |
| Crawl | Follow a bounded site crawl and collect its pages |
| Map | Discover URLs without scraping every page |
| Search | Search the web and optionally scrape selected results |
| Extract | Produce structured fields from one or many URLs |
Why fastCRW
On Firecrawl's own public 1,000-URL dataset, fastCRW recovered more truth than Crawl4AI and Firecrawl, matched the fastest median latency, and idled at ~14 MB RAM.
Methodology, full numbers, and how to reproduce it
Choose how you use it
CLI
crw https://example.com # scrape, works right after install
crw search "rust async runtime" # search, after `crw setup`
Python SDK
Using Cloud? Get an API key, then export it once:
export CRW_API_KEY="crw_live_..."
pip install crw
from crw import CrwClient
client = CrwClient()
page = client.scrape("https://example.com", formats=["markdown"])
print(page["markdown"])
Node.js
npm install crw-sdk
import { CrwClient } from "crw-sdk";
const client = new CrwClient();
const page = await client.scrape("https://example.com", {
formats: ["markdown"],
});
console.log(page.markdown);
Local mode and more SDK examples → · REST API →
MCP for AI agents
npx -y crw-mcp@latest install
Installs the CRW skill and MCP server in your detected AI tools. crw setup can
also do this step, so either path is enough.
Manual setup →
Choose where it runs
| Managed API | Local / self-hosted | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Zero infrastructure and managed scaling | Data control, private networks, or custom infrastructure |
| Start | Create an API key, then crw setup | Install and run crw <URL> |
| Operations | Managed proxies, billing, and hosted capabilities | You choose renderers, search, auth, proxies, and capacity |
Capabilities and response shapes can differ by deployment:
/v1/capabilities · response shapes
Learn more
Contributing
The workspace requires Rust 1.85 or newer:
git clone https://github.com/us/crw
cd crw
make check-fast
Engine and MCP server: AGPL-3.0. Python and TypeScript SDKs: MIT. Embedding license: hello@fastcrw.com.
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Contributors
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