13+ Best Web Scraping Tools to Unlock the Hidden Value of the Web!

Are you looking for the best web scraping tools to help you extract data from the web? If so, you've come to the right place! Welcome to our list of the top 15 best web scraping tools! Technology has made web scraping easier than ever, with a wide variety of tools available to help you get the job done quickly and efficiently. Various tools are available for web scraping, each with its own features and capabilities. This list will highlight some of the best web scraping tools on the market, including paid and free options.

In this article, we'll look at some of the best web scraping tools on the market, so you can choose the one that's right for your project. Read on to find out which tool is the best fit for you!

Understanding Web Scraping

Web scraping, also known as web data extraction, is the process of retrieving large amounts of data from websites and storing it for later use. It involves making HTTP requests to a website's server, downloading the HTML or XML of the webpage, and parsing that data to extract the desired information. Web scraping is commonly used for a variety of purposes, including:

  • Gathering data for market research or competitive analysis
  • Extracting data for use in machine learning algorithms
  • Automating the process of collecting data from multiple websites
  • Creating custom dashboards or reports by aggregating data from multiple sources

Web scraping can be done manually, using a web browser and a set of instructions, or it can be automated using specialised software or scripts. Some websites provide APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that allow developers to access their data in a structured way. Still, in many cases, the data is not easily accessible, and web scraping is required to extract it.

Web scraping can be time-consuming and technically challenging, and it is crucial to be aware of the ethical and legal considerations involved. Many websites explicitly prohibit web scraping in their terms of service, and some have measures in place to block or rate-limit automated requests. It is essential to respect the terms of service of the websites you are scraping and to be transparent about your intentions when collecting and using data from the web.

How does a Web Scraper work exactly? 

It works by making HTTP requests to a website's server, downloading the HTML or XML of the webpage, and parsing that data to extract the desired information. Here is a high-level overview of the process:

  • The web scraper sends an HTTP request to the website's server to retrieve the HTML or XML of the webpage. This request can be customized to include specific parameters, such as the URL of the webpage, the type of data being requested, and any additional headers or cookies that may be required.
  • The server responds to the request by sending the HTML or XML of the webpage back to the web scraper.
  • The web scraper parses the HTML or XML to extract the desired data. This typically involves using libraries or frameworks such as Beautiful Soup or XPath to navigate through the structure of the webpage and locate the specific elements or attributes that contain the data.
  • The extracted data is then stored or processed according to the user's specific needs. This could involve saving the data to a file or database or using it as input to another process, such as machine learning or data analysis.

Web scrapers can be simple scripts that are run manually or complex programs designed to run automatically and scale to large volumes of data. The specific implementation of a web scraper will depend on the requirements and goals of the user, as well as the particular characteristics of the website being scraped.

Uses of Web Scraping Tools

Uses of Web Scraping Tools

Web scraping tools are used for various purposes, including data collection for market research, contact information extraction, price tracking from multiple markets, lead generation, and news monitoring.

1) Data collection for market research

Web scraping can collect large amounts of data from websites and other online sources, which can be helpful for market research and competitive analysis. Businesses can better understand their industry and make more informed decisions by gathering data on pricing, product offerings, customer reviews, and sales trends.

2) Contact information extraction

It can be used to extract contact information, such as email addresses, phone numbers, and social media profiles, from websites and online directories. This can be useful for sales and marketing teams looking to expand their customer base or for recruiters seeking candidates for job openings.

3) Price tracking from multiple markets

It can track prices from multiple markets, such as e-commerce platforms, travel websites, and financial exchanges. Businesses can optimise their pricing strategies and make more informed purchasing decisions by monitoring price changes over time.

4) Lead generation

Web scraping can gather data on potential leads, such as company names, contact information, and industry information. This can be useful for sales teams looking to identify and target new customers.

5) News Monitoring

It can be used to track and analyze news articles and other online content for trends, sentiment, and additional insights. This can be useful for businesses, researchers, and individuals looking to stay up to date on current events and emerging trends.

Factors to Consider when Choosing Web Scraping Tools

Factors to Consider when Choosing Web Scraping Tools

There are several factors to consider when choosing web scraping tools, including

1. Scalability

It is essential to consider the scalability of the web scraping tool, especially if you plan on extracting large amounts of data or scraping multiple websites. Look for tools that can handle high volumes of data and scale as your needs grow.

2. Transparent pricing structure

Make sure to understand the pricing structure of the web scraping tool you are considering. Some tools charge a flat fee for access, while others charge based on the amount of data extracted or the number of websites scraped. Be sure to choose a tool with a transparent pricing structure that fits your budget and needs.

3. Data delivery

Consider how the web scraping tool delivers the extracted data. Some tools provide the data in real-time, while others may require manual export or batch delivery. Determine what works best and choose a tool that meets those requirements.

4. Handling anti-scraping mechanisms

Many websites have measures to prevent or limit web scrapings, such as rate-limiting, CAPTCHAs, or IP blocking. Choose a web scraping tool that is able to handle these types of anti-scraping mechanisms effectively.

5. Customer support

Choosing a web scraping tool with good customer support is essential, especially if you are a beginner or unfamiliar with web scraping. Look for tools that offer extensive documentation, tutorials, support resources, and responsive customer support teams.

Best Data Scraping Tools & Software: Free & Paid

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Top 14 Web Scraping Tools

1) ParseHub:

Logo of ParseHub

ParseHub is a web scraping tool designed for businesses, researchers, and individuals who need to extract data from websites and other online sources.

Target Audience

ParseHub is a web scraping tool that is suitable for a wide range of users, including analysts, data scientists, and journalists. Its visual point-and-click interface allows users to extract data from websites without needing to write any code, making it easy for anyone to get started with web scraping.

Key Features

  • A visual point-and-click interface that allows users to select the data they want to extract without needing to write any code.
  • The ability to scrape data from websites that use JavaScript, AJAX, and other technologies.
  • The ability to handle CAPTCHAs and other anti-scraping mechanisms.
  • The ability to schedule regular data updates and receive alerts when data changes.
  • Integration with a variety of other tools and platforms, including Excel, Google Sheets, and Zapier.

Pros of ParseHub

1. Easy to use:

ParseHub's visual interface makes it easy for users to get started with web scraping, even if they have no coding experience.

2. Flexible:

ParseHub is able to handle a wide range of data types and web technologies, making it a versatile tool for a variety of scraping needs.

3. Scalable:

ParseHub can handle large volumes of data and is able to scale as your needs grow.

Cons

1. Limited browser support:

ParseHub currently only supports Chrome and Firefox, which may not be suitable for users who prefer other browsers.

2. Dependent on the internet:

ParseHub requires an internet connection to function, which may be an issue for users with unreliable or limited internet access.

Pricing

ParseHub offers several pricing plans to suit the needs of different users. 

1. Free plan:

Allows users to scrape up to 200 pages per run in 40 minutes, with support for up to 5 public projects and data retention for 14 days.

2. Standard plan:

Priced at $149 per month, increases the scraping speed to 200 pages in 10 minutes and supports up to 20 private projects, with standard support and data retention for 14 days. It also includes features such as IP rotation, scheduling, and the ability to store images and files in DropBox or Amazon S3.

3. The Professional plan:

Priced at $499 per month, offers faster scraping speeds of up to 200 pages in 2 minutes and supports up to 120 private projects with priority support and data retention for 30 days.

4. The Enterprise plan

It is customizable and offers unlimited pages per run and dedicated scraping speeds, with the specific details open to discussion with the ParseHub team.

Shortcomings

1. Limited customer support:

Some users have reported that the customer support provided by ParseHub is not always responsive or helpful.

2. Bugs and technical issues:

Some users have experienced bugs or technical issues while using ParseHub, which can be frustrating and time-consuming to resolve.

3. Limited data export options:

ParseHub only offers a few options for exporting data, which may not be suitable for users with more specific needs.

2) Scrapy:

Logo of Scrapy

Scrapy is a free, open-source web scraping framework for Python designed for developers and data scientists. It is suitable for many web scraping needs, including data mining, processing, and automated testing.

Target Audience

Scrapy is a web scraping framework for Python that is designed for developers and data scientists. It provides a powerful and extensible API for building web scrapers and handling a variety of functionalities, such as proxy middleware, querying requests, and more. Scrapy is a complete web crawling solution suitable for developers who want to build scalable web crawlers using Python.

Key Features

  • A robust and extensible spider development API that allows users to define the data they want to extract and how it should be processed.
  • The ability to handle CAPTCHAs and other anti-scraping measures.
  • Support for AJAX, JavaScript, and other web technologies.
  • A built-in downloader that can handle HTTP requests and responses, cookies, and redirects.
  • The ability to schedule and run spiders in the background using the Scrapyd service.

Pros

1. Free and open-source:

Scrapy is available for free under the BSD license, and its source code is available on GitHub, making it a cost-effective option for developers.

2. Powerful and extensible:

Scrapy's API is designed for developers, allowing for a high degree of customisation and flexibility.

3. Scalable:

Scrapy can handle large volumes of data and can be easily deployed to the cloud or other scalable environments.

Cons

1. Require programming skills:

Scrapy is a framework for developers and requires a basic understanding of Python programming. It may not be suitable for users who are not familiar with programming.

2. Steep learning curve:

Scrapy's API is powerful but can be complex, requiring a steep learning curve for users new to web scraping or Python.

3. Limited support for non-Python languages:

While Scrapy can be used to scrape websites written in languages other than Python, it is primarily designed for use with Python and may not be as effective for other languages.

Pricing

Scrapy is free, as it is an open-source project.

Shortcomings

1. Limited documentation and support resources:

While the Scrapy community is active and helpful, the documentation and support resources provided by the project may be limited compared to some other web scraping tools.

2. Limited visual interface:

Scrapy does not provide a visual interface for selecting data, meaning that users must define the data they want to extract using code. This may not be suitable for users who are not comfortable with programming.

3. Dependent on the internet:

Scrapy requires an internet connection to function, which may be an issue for users with unreliable or limited internet access.

3) Octoparse:

Logo of Octoparse

Octoparse is a cloud-based web scraping tool designed for businesses, researchers, and individuals who need to extract data from websites and other online sources.

Target Audience

Its visual point-and-click interface allows users to easily select the data they want to extract while still having control over the full process through a highly intuitive user interface. OctoParse's target audience is similar to that of ParseHub, catering to analysts, data scientists, journalists, and others who want to play around with data.

Key Features

  • A visual point-and-click interface that allows users to select the data they want to extract without needing to write any code.
  • The ability to scrape data from websites that use JavaScript, AJAX, and other technologies.
  • The ability to handle CAPTCHAs and other anti-scraping mechanisms.
  • The ability to schedule regular data updates and receive alerts when data changes.
  • Integration with a variety of other tools and platforms, including Excel, Google Sheets, and Zapier.

Pros

1. Easy to use:

Octoparse's visual interface makes it easy for users to get started with web scraping, even if they have no coding experience.

2. Flexible:

Octoparse can handle many data types and web technologies, making it a versatile tool for various scraping needs.

3. Scalable:

Octoparse can handle large volumes of data and can scale as your needs grow.

Cons

1. Dependent on the internet:

Octoparse requires an internet connection to function, which may be an issue for users with unreliable or limited internet access.

Pricing

OctoParse offers several pricing plans to suit the needs of different users.

  • The free plan allows users to build up to 10 crawlers for free, with community support and access to features such as unlimited pages per crawl, unlimited computers, and 10,000 records per export.
  • The Standard plan, priced at $75 per month, is designed for small teams and offers unlimited data export, 100 crawlers, scheduled extractions, average speed extraction, and more.
  • The Professional plan, priced at $209 per month, increases the number of crawlers to 250 and includes features such as high-speed extraction, advanced API access, and more.
  • The Enterprise plan is customizable and offers tailored onboarding, scalable concurrent processors, and multi-role access, with the specific details open to discussion with the OctoParse team.
  • In addition to these plans, OctoParse offers Crawler Service and Data Service starting at $189 and $399, respectively.

Shortcomings 

When using OctoParse, if you choose to run the crawler with local extraction instead of running it from the cloud, the process will automatically halt after 4 hours. This can be inconvenient, as it requires manually recovering, saving, and starting over with the next set of data, which can be time-consuming and cumbersome.

4) Scraper API:

Logo of Scraper API

Target Audience

Scraper API is a web scraping tool designed for designers who want to build web scrapers. It offers a range of features that make extracting raw HTML from any website easy through a simple API call, including the ability to handle browsers, proxies, and CAPTCHAs. This makes Scraper API a powerful tool for extracting data from websites and other online sources.

Key Features

  • The ability to render JavaScript, which makes it easier to extract data from websites that use this technology.
  • Easy integration with other tools and systems, allowing users to incorporate Scraper API into their existing workflow easily.
  • Geolocated rotating proxies, which allow users to scrape data from websites that are geographically restricted or have anti-scraping measures in place.
  • Great speed and reliability, which make it easy to build scalable web scrapers that can handle large volumes of data.
  • Specialized pools of proxies for specific types of scraping, such as e-commerce price scraping, search engine scraping, and social media scraping, which can help users extract data more efficiently and accurately.

Pros

1. Specialized pools of proxies:

Scraper API offers specialized pools for specific types of scraping, which can help users extract data more efficiently and accurately.

Cons

1. Dependent on the internet:

Scraper API requires an internet connection to function, which may be an issue for unreliable or limited internet access users.

2. Limited browser support:

Scraper API currently only supports Chrome, which may not be suitable for users who prefer other browsers.

Pricing

  • Scraper API offers a free plan with 1,000 API calls to start.
  • The Hobby plan, priced at $29 per month, offers ten concurrent requests, 250,000 API calls, no geotargeting, no JS rendering, standard proxies, and reliable email support.
  • The Startup plan, priced at $99 per month, increases the number of concurrent requests to 25 and the number of API calls to 1,000,000, with US geotargeting and standard proxies. 
  • The Business plan, priced at $249 per month, offers 50 concurrent requests, 3,000,000 API calls, all geotargeting, JS rendering, residential proxies, and priority email support. 
  • Finally, the Enterprise Custom plan is customizable and offers tailored features based on the specific needs of the user's business.

Shortcoming

One potential shortcoming of Scraper API as a web scraping tool is that it is unsuitable for browsing.

5) Mozenda:

Logo of Mozenda

Target Audience

Mozenda is a cloud-based self-serve web scraping platform that is designed for enterprises. It has a proven track record of success, having scraped over 7 billion pages for enterprise customers all over the world. If you are an enterprise looking for a reliable and scalable web scraping solution, Mozenda may be a good fit for you.

Key features

  • A point-and-click interface that allows users to quickly and easily create web scraping events.
  • Request blocking features and a job sequencer to help users harvest web data in real time.
  • Excellent customer support and account management.
  • The ability to collect and publish data to preferred BI tools or databases.
  • Phone and email support for all customers.
  • A highly scalable platform that can handle large volumes of data.
  • The option for on-premise hosting for users who prefer to keep their data stored locally.

Pros

1. Automation of data extraction:

Web scraping tools can help users automate the process of extracting data from websites, saving them time and effort.

2. Intuitive user interface and workflow:

Many web scraping tools, like Mozenda, have user-friendly interfaces and straightforward workflows that make it easy for users to get started.

3. Output to CSV files and Excel sheets:

Web scraping tools often allow users to crawl and scrape data into CSV files and Excel sheets, making it easy to analyze and use the data.

Cons

One potential con of using a web scraping tool like Mozenda is that it may have a trial version with limited features. This means that users may not be able to fully test the tool's capabilities before committing to a paid subscription. 

Pricing

Mozenda's pricing plan is unique in that it uses a system called Processing Credits to measure the amount of computing resources used in various customer activities like page navigation, premium harvesting, and image or file downloads. Several different pricing options are available, including

1. Project:

This plan is designed for small projects with low capacity requirements. It is suitable for one user and allows users to build 10 web crawlers and accumulate up to 20k processing credits per month.

2. Professional:

This is an entry-level business package that includes faster execution, professional support, and access to pipes and Mozenda's apps. It includes 35k processing credits per month.

3. Corporate:

This plan is tailored for medium to large-scale data intelligence projects that handle large datasets and higher capacity requirements. It includes 1 million processing credits per month.

4. Managed Services:

This plan provides enterprise-level data extraction, monitoring, and processing, with dedicated capacity, prioritized robot support, and maintenance.

5. On-Premise:

This is a secure self-hosted solution ideal for organizations that need to set up high privacy measures, comply with government and HIPAA regulations, and protect their intranets containing private information.

Shortcomings

One potential shortcoming of Mozenda is that it is relatively expensive compared to other web scraping tools, with its lowest plan starting at $250 per month. Users should carefully consider their budget and needs before committing to a paid subscription.

6) Webhose.io:

Logo of Webhose.io

Target audience

Webhose.io is a web scraping tool that is particularly well-suited for platforms or services that need a fully developed web scraper and data supplier for content marketing, sharing, and other purposes. It is an affordable option for growing companies and offers a range of features and capabilities to meet the needs of its users.

Key Features

  • Fast content indexing.
  • A dedicated and reliable support team.
  • Easy integration with various solutions.
  • User-friendly APIs that provide complete control for language and source selection.
  • A simple and intuitive interface design makes it easy to perform tasks.
  • The ability to access structured, machine-readable data sets in JSON and XML formats.
  • Access to historical feeds dating back up to 10 years.
  • An extensive repository of data feeds that can be accessed without additional fees.
  • Advanced features that allow users to conduct granular analysis on datasets.

Pros

1. Simple integration:

Webhose.io provides a simple way for users to integrate web data into their projects or platforms.

2. Structured data extraction:

The tool offers structured data extraction, which can be particularly useful for users who need clean, organized data.

3. Support for Android and iOS:

Webhose.io can be used on both Android and iOS devices, making it a convenient choice for users who need to scrape data on the go.

Cons

1. Expense:

Webhose.io may be more expensive than some other web scraping tools on the market, which could be a barrier for users with limited budgets.

2. Limited data extraction capabilities:

While Webhose.io can extract data from many websites, it may not be able to extract data from all websites. Users should carefully consider the types of websites they need to scrape data from before committing to a subscription.

Pricing

Webhose.io offers a free plan that allows users to make 1000 HTTP requests per month and paid plans with additional features and benefits. These paid plans include:

1. Open Web Data Feeds:

Enterprise-level coverage, real-time monitoring, engagement metrics such as social signals and virality score, and clean JSON/XML formats.

2. Cyber Data Feed:

This plan offers real-time monitoring, entity and threat recognition, image analytics, and geo-location, as well as access to TOR, ZeroNet, I2P, Telegram, and other networks.

3. Archived Web Data:

This plan provides access to an archive of data dating back up to 10 years, as well as sentiment and entity recognition and engagement metrics. This is a prepaid credit account pricing model.

Shortcomings

Some potential shortcomings of using Webhose.io include

1. Lack of data retention options:

Some users have reported difficulty with data retention of historical data.

2. Limited ability to change plans:

Users may not be able to change their plans within the web interface, requiring intervention from the sales team.

3. Setup may not be simplified for non-developers:

The setup process for Webhose.io may not be as straightforward for non-developers.

7) Content Grabber:

Logo of Content Grabber

Target Audience

Content Grabber makes it easy for users to access and use the tool from anywhere with an internet connection. Whether you are a small business owner, data analyst, or market researcher, Content Grabber can help you quickly and efficiently gather the data you need for your projects.

Key Features

  • Content Grabber is known for its fast web data extraction speed.
  • The tool offers a dedicated API for building web apps and executing web data directly from user websites.
  • Content Grabber allows for the automatic scheduling of data scraping from the web.
  • The tool supports multiple formats for extracted data, including CSV and JSON.

Pros

1. One of the main advantages of Content Grabber is that it does not require any coding experience, making it accessible to users with a range of technical skills.

2. The tool offers a cloud storage service that can be accessed from any location, allowing users to store and access their data from any device.

3. The scheduling feature of Content Grabber allows users to set the frequency of data scraping to fit their needs, with options for daily, weekly, or hourly intervals.

Cons

1. One potential drawback of Content Grabber is its cost, as it is generally considered to be a more expensive web scraping tool compared to some alternatives.

2. Some users have reported that troubleshooting can be challenging for large projects, potentially requiring a lot of time and effort to resolve issues.

Pricing

There are two pricing options available for Content Grabber users: purchasing a license or subscribing monthly. Each option has three subcategories to choose from:

1. Server ($69/month, $449/year):

This plan includes a limited Content Grabber Agent Editor, which allows you to edit, run, and debug agents. It also comes with scripting support, a command-line interface, and an API.

2. Professional ($149/month, $995/year):

This plan includes a full-featured Content Grabber Agent Editor, as well as scripting support, a command-line interface, and self-contained agents. However, it does not include an API.

3. Premium ($299/month, $2495/year):

This plan includes all the features of the Professional plan, as well as an API. It also includes a full-featured Content Grabber Agent Editor, scripting support, and a command-line interface.

Shortcoming

Some potential shortcomings of Content Grabber as a web scraping tool may consist of the requirement for prior knowledge of HTML and HTTP, as well as the lack of pre-configured crawlers for websites that have already been scrapped.

8) Common Crawl:

Logo of Common Crawl

Target Audience

It is a nonprofit organization that offers free access to a dataset of web crawl data, which includes billions of web pages, images, and other multimedia content. This data is stored in Amazon Web Services (AWS) and can be accessed through the Common Crawl API or downloaded for local analysis. 

Key Features

  • A large dataset of web crawl data.
  • Free access to data through API or download.
  • Regular updates to data.
  • Nonprofit organization.

Pros

  • Free access to a vast dataset of web crawl data.
  • Can be used for a wide range of applications, including data analysis and machine learning.
  • Regular updates to data ensure that it is current.

Cons

  • Limited control over the data that is crawled and the frequency of the crawls.
  • Data may not be as comprehensive or up-to-date as some other paid web scraping tools.

Pricing

Common Crawl is a free tool available to anyone interested in exploring and analyzing data to uncover meaningful insights. As a non-profit platform, it relies on donations to keep its operations running smoothly. 

Shortcomings

Lack of support for live data and AJAX-based sites, and the inability to filter or structure the data available.

9) Dexi Intelligent:

Logo of Dexi.Io

Target Audience

Dexi intelligent is a web scraping tool that caters to businesses of all sizes. It helps businesses extract data from websites, APIs, and other sources to be used for market research, price comparison, lead generation, and other purposes.

Key Features

  • A point-and-click interface for creating web scraping agents without the need for coding.
  • Support for extracting data from multiple pages, websites, and data sources.
  • Automatic handling of CAPTCHAs and other obstacles that can block web scraping.
  • The ability to schedule data extraction to run automatically on a regular basis.
  • Data export in various formats, including CSV, JSON, and Excel.

Pros

  • Easy to use, even for those with no coding experience.
  • Supports data extraction from a wide range of sources.
  • Automates data extraction to save time and effort.
  • Offers a range of data export options.

Cons

  • It is a paid tool, with prices starting at $99/month.
  • May not be suitable for large-scale data extraction projects.

Pricing

1. Starter:

$99/month, includes 1 agent and up to 500,000 data rows per month.

2. Professional:

$299/month, includes 5 agents and up to 2.5 million data rows per month.

3. Enterprise:

Custom pricing, includes unlimited agents and data rows, as well as additional features and support.

Shortcomings

  • Limited support for extracting data from certain types of websites or sources.
  • May require additional resources or expertise to extract large volumes of data.
  • Some users may find the interface confusing or difficult to use.

10) Oxylabs:

Logo of OxyLabs

Target Audience

Oxylabs is a company that provides premium proxies and web data scraping solutions for large-scale data extraction. It offers three Scraper APIs that can quickly access real-time search engine data and extract product, Q&A, and best-selling data from most e-commerce marketplaces or JavaScript-heavy websites.

Key Features:

  • Pay only for successfully delivered results.
  • Ability to scrape multiple pages at once, with up to 1000 URLs per batch.
  • Option to retrieve results via API or to a cloud storage bucket (AWS S3 or GCS).
  • No need to develop your scrapers or parsers.
  • Localized search results from 195 countries.
  • Ability to export data in CSV or Excel format.
  • Supports IP rotation, geolocating, CAPTCHA solving, and JavaScript rendering.
  • Seamless integration with various tools such as Multilogin, AdsPower, Ghost Browser, Puppeteer, Selenium, and Octoparse
  • 5000 free API calls included.
  • Ability to extract data from competitor sites, eCommerce sites, and public data from target websites.
  • Supports XPath and CSS selectors.
  • Supports various programming languages such as Node.js, Python, Java, and .NET.
  • Offers localized search results, adaptive parser, customization, and more.
  • Customer support is available via chat and email.

Pros

  • Wide range of features for web data extraction.
  • Localized search results and support for various programming languages.
  • Integration with various tools and platforms.
  • Customization options and pay-per-use pricing model.

Cons

  • The free trial lasts for one week.
  • In terms of pricing, it is considered premium.

Pricing

  • Plans start at $99 a month.

Shortcomings

  • There are no specific shortcomings.

11) Zenscrape:

Logo of Zenscrape

Target Audience

Zenscrape is a cloud-based web scraping tool that helps businesses extract data from websites. It offers a variety of features including support for CAPTCHAs, Javascript rendering, and rotating proxies to help businesses extract data in a scalable and reliable manner.

Key features

1. Easy integration:

Zenscrape can be easily integrated with a variety of platforms and tools, including Python, Node.js, and Java.

2. High speed and reliability:

Zenscrape is designed to extract data quickly and reliably, making it ideal for large-scale data extraction projects.

3. Javascript rendering:

Zenscrape can render Javascript, allowing you to extract data from websites that use Javascript to load content dynamically.

4. Rotating proxies:

Zenscrape offers support for rotating proxies, which can help you avoid IP bans and scrape data more effectively.

Pros

  • Zenscrape has a large number of IP addresses, which helps to prevent being banned while scraping.
  • It also has fast response times, ensuring that data extraction is both quick and accurate.

Cons

  • The free plan is self-servicing.
  • Converting the data retrieved into another format requires third-party software.

Pricing

  • Zenscrape varies depending on the plan you choose. The company offers a free plan with limited features, as well as paid plans starting at $29 per month. Paid plans include additional features such as support for more concurrent requests and higher API call limits.

Shortcomings:

1. Limited free plan:

The free plan offered by Zenscrape is limited in terms of features and API call limits, making it less suitable for larger data extraction projects.

2. Pricing:

Some users may find the pricing for Zenscrape to be on the higher side compared to other web scraping tools.

12) Smartproxy:

Logo of Smartproxy

Target Audience

Smartproxy is a residential proxy network that provides users with a rotating set of IP addresses to use for web scraping, online marketing, and other tasks that require a large number of IP addresses. The network includes over 10 million residential proxies from over 190 countries, which allows users to access a wide range of websites and services from around the world. 

Key Features

1. Large, diverse proxy network:

Smartproxy has a large, diverse proxy network that includes over 10 million residential proxies from over 190 countries. This allows users to access a wide range of websites and services from around the world.

2. Advanced features:

Smartproxy offers advanced features such as geotargeting, customizable sticky sessions, and automatic IP rotation to make web scraping and other online tasks easier and more effective.

Pros

  • 100% effective data delivery (no CAPTCHAs or errors).
  • Full-stack solution – save costs and get structured data.
  • No-Code scraping solution.

Cons

  • Free trial applies only to Scraping APIs. For other products, you get a 3-day money-back guarantee instead.

Pricing

  • Starts from $7.5/month.

Shortcomings

  • No shortcomings were found.

13) Scrapingbee:

Logo of Scrapingbee

Target Audience

Scrapingbee is an API for web scraping that offers headless browser and proxy management. It can run Javascript on pages and change proxies with each request, so you obtain the HTML page without being blocked. Additionally, they have an API specifically for scraping Google search results.

Key features

  • This application offers IP rotation, geolocation, CAPTCHA solving, and Javascript rendering, allowing you to scrape Amazon, Google search, and other content.
  • You can export the result in JSON, XML, and CSV, and use it with Google Sheets, Google Docs, Dropbox, Gmail, Google Drive, Airtable, Slack, Telegram Bot, Google Calendar, and Facebook Lead Ads.
  • Plus, get 1000 free API calls with your purchase.

Pros

  • Automatic proxy rotation with substantial JavaScript rendering capabilities to support Google search scraping.
  • The documentation is highly detailed and the customer service is stellar.

Cons

  • This service can be hard to utilize for those without development expertise, as there may be frequent internal server errors.

Pricing

  • It offers a 14-day free trial then Plans start at $49 a month.

Shortcomings

  • Occasionally, there are too many internal server errors.

14) SCRAPEOWL:

Logo of Scrapeowl

Target Audience

Scrape Owl is an easy-to-use and cost-effective web scraping platform. It focuses on retrieving data from a variety of sources, such as e-commerce sites, job boards, real estate listings, etc.

Key Features

  • Custom JavaScript before content extraction.
  • IP rotation.
  • Geolocation.
  • CAPTCHA solving.
  • Javascript rendering and an export option for JSON and HTML.
  • It integrates seamlessly with Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Amazon, eBay, Google Finance, and Yahoo Finance.
  • It can scrape from web pages and complex websites and supports XPATH and CSS selectors.

Pros

  • The implementation of this system is easy and requires low maintenance.
  • It can handle CAPTCHAs, cookies, and JS rendering.
  • It can extract data from various web pages, without needing any special coding knowledge.

Cons

  • Fail to provide prompt customer service and lacks the necessary tools to manage unstructured data.

Pricing

  • Scrape Owl includes a free trial for 1000 credits with no credit card required. Paid plan starts from $29 a month.

Shortcomings

  • Customer support is not good.

Which One Should You Use?

It ultimately depends on your specific needs and requirements. If you are looking for a solution to extract data from a wide variety of web pages and don't want to deal with the hassle of coding or maintenance, then Boltic may be a good fit for your business. It can be particularly beneficial for businesses that need to extract data regularly, as it allows for automatic scheduling of data extraction.

It is important to consider the specific needs and requirements of your business when choosing a web scraping tool. Consider factors such as the complexity of the websites you need to scrape, the amount of data you need to extract, and your budget.

Conclusion

Web scraping tools can be incredibly useful for businesses and individuals looking to extract data from the web. There are many different tools available, each with its own unique features and pricing plans. Some tools, like Scraper API and Mozenda, are designed for developers building web scrapers, while others, like Common Crawl and Webhose.io, are more suited for platforms and services looking for a fully developed web scraper and data provider. It's important to carefully consider your specific needs and budget before choosing a tool, as well as any potential limitations or shortcomings. Ultimately, the right tool for you will depend on your specific requirements and goals.

FAQ

What is the best tool for web scraping?

There are many web scraping tools available, and the best one for you will depend on your specific needs and requirements. Some popular web scraping tools include: ParseHub WebScraper.io

What is a web scraper tool?

A web scraper tool is a software program that is used to extract data from websites. It works by making HTTP requests to a website's server, downloading the HTML of the web page, and then parsing that HTML to extract the data you need.

Is it legal to scrape webpages?

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The legality of web scraping depends on how the data is being used and the specific laws of the country in which the scraping is occurring. In general, it is legal to scrape publicly available data from websites, as long as it is done for legitimate purposes. However, it is illegal to scrape data from websites that have explicitly prohibited it or to use the data for nefarious purposes such as spamming or identity theft. It is also important to respect the website's terms of use and any applicable copyright laws.

Which tools are used for scraping?

Some popular tools for web scraping include Boltic, Selenium (Python, Java, C#, Ruby, and other languages), ParseHub (Cloud-based, supports many languages and platforms), WebScraper.io (Cloud-based, supports many languages and platforms).

Do hackers use web scraping?

Hackers may use web scraping as a way to gather information for malicious purposes, such as phishing attacks or to build profiles of individuals for targeted attacks. However, web scraping is also used for many legitimate purposes, such as gathering data for research or business intelligence.

Is web scraping better than R or Python?

Both R and Python are popular programming languages that can be used for web scraping. Ultimately, the choice between R and Python will depend on your specific needs and preferences.
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