A Crisp Guide on Web Scraping Tools [List Included]
While no one can deny that being data-rich is the only key to thriving in the present era, it’s not easy to access result-driven data. Though web scraping is there, many of us try to escape from this way to accumulate data because of its exhaustive nature.
One has to be involved in extensive coding and spend sleepless nights sorting the data provided. Without proper skills and resources, web scraping soon becomes a headache.
The only remedy here is dependable web scraping tools. With the right kind of web scraping tool, it’s possible to make data extraction easy, quick, and accurate. However, having the aid of the right web-scraping tool isn’t as easy as it seems.
In a world of abundance, one has to play smart, keep all of the wits in place, and make a wise choice. In this post, we have discussed top web scraping tools extensively. So, read it to make sure web scraping isn’t a headache for you.
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Web Scraping – A Quick Overview
Let’s revise our understanding of web scraping first. Web scraping is the process of copying and pasting open-source or freely available internet data and using it for multiple purposes. It’s done at both manual and automated levels, depending on how much data a business accumulates.
The process involves capturing the data from various websites, converting it into a human-readable format, and then storing it in a spreadsheet or cloud so that it can be used in the future for multiple purposes. Now, the purpose and process of web scraping can differ.
For instance, manual web scraping will be enough if an individual needs to gather data from two or more websites. However, if one has to scrape the data at large, as is the case with enterprises, you must use a web scraping tool that will scrape the web automatically.
In case you are curious about how to unblock websites, let me refer you to this article.
Web Scraping Tool – What and How
If you need coding-free and large-scale web scraping, only web scraping tools can help. Let’s understand what it means.
A web-scraping tool is basically software that deploys a bot to gather internet data in large quantities. The bot will extract the structured internet data and store it in a suitable database. Data extraction happens by extracting the HTML code of the website.
Web scraping tools are often known as web scrapers. Based on its capabilities and features, a web scraper or web-scraping tool can bring a lot to the table. For instance:
- It will automate the entire process of web scraping. Everything will start working without human intervention and with full accuracy, from capturing the data to analyzing it.
- It’s suitable for scraping the web at a large scale. For instance, if you install a browser web scraper extension, data from every website you visit will automatically scrape and be collected. It saves a considerable deal of time and effort while gathering huge amounts of data.
- Accuracy and timely delivery are two very promising outcomes of web scrapers. Manual data extraction and analysis tend to be erroneous, no matter how diligent one remains. Web scrapers use advanced AI and ML technology to bring perfection to this process. Using these two and many more cutting-edge technologies makes web scraper a reliable tool, as you will only get quality results.
- The best web scraping tools are useful for remaining safe during the web scraping process. Many websites use web scraping blocking technology like CAPTCHA confirmation or IP address blocking. Advanced web scrapers are capable of rotating the IP address and bypassing CAPTCHA. Hence, you can continue with web scraping.
- It sets you free from extensive coding. Pre-build web scraping tools are ready-to-use solutions. You don’t have to build a scraper. Not indulging in coding saves a huge deal of time and effort. This way, you can scrape more data in less time.
For learning more IP address-related information:
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It was just an overview of the benefits you can utilize as a web scraping tool user. Once you start using it on your own, you’ll be able to find out how seamless web scraping is after using a web scraper tool.
Before using the best web scraping tool, you must understand its key types. Based upon deployment, web scrapers are of multiple types.
A browser extension
It is a typical web scraping tool that is useful for limited web scraping requirements. This kind requires minimum setup and configuration. Once installed, it gets paired with the browser and scrapes the data.
You can include or exclude any website in the data extraction process. Extracted data is generally stored in CSV format. However, some advanced web scraping extensions also permit other downloadable formats.
While a browser extension seems perfect for quick and secure data access, it’s not perfected. It has certain limitations. For instance, you can’t scrape more than one page at a time. This way, it makes you restricted and tends to consume more time.
To have a seamless internet experience with your browsers:
Pre-build installable software
It is another type of web scraping that is useful for scraping the web on a large scale. The software is packed with every needed feature and only demands a quick installation to start working. There is OS-based software available. Just install them and enjoy fully automated web scraping. But, there is a huge limitation. You can’t access the data if you don’t have access to the software.
Cloud-based web scraping tools
They recently have become too famous because of their easy accessibility. As they are deployed on the cloud and are not dependent on the type of device you use, they have maximum accessibility. Data is stored in the cloud and can be accessed from anywhere. There is no installation to do as they are entirely pre-configured. Because of all these features, many prefer cloud-based web scraping tools.
These are the most common types of web scraping tools. Pick one that aligns the most with your web scraping requirements and start enjoying seamless and accurate web scraping. Now, let’s talk about the best web scraping tools.
Best Scraping Tools – Free and Paid
A lot has been discussed about the meaning and utility of web scraping tools. Now, it’s time to talk about the best available options.
Here, we will discuss both paid and free web scraping tools. But, you need to understand that paid web scraping tools are far better than free web scraping tools as they are feature-rich, competent, and highly effective.
Now, in case you do not have much time to read everything, take a quick glance at this best scraping tools (free and paid) table:
|
Pricing |
Trial Duration |
Our Ratings (out of 5) |
|
|
7 Days |
4.8 |
|
|
ParseHub |
|
You can try downloading its free version with limited capabilities. |
4.6 |
|
Apify |
|
30-day proxy trial |
4.0 |
|
Scrape.do |
|
3 days trial period for each plan. The refund facility is given conditionally if you cancel the subscription within this duration. |
3.8 |
|
Octoparse |
|
14 Days |
3.5 |
|
Scrapy |
Free |
4.5 |
|
|
Scraper |
Free |
4.0 |
|
|
OutwitHub |
|
3.8 |
|
|
Web Scraper |
|
You can use their browser extension for Chrome for free to understand the product or its quality of services. |
3.5 |
|
ScrapingAnt |
|
30 days (10.000 API credits) |
3.0 |
Top 5 Paid Web Scraping Tools
As mentioned above, free web scraping tools are far better than free web scraping tools, we’re presenting you with the top 5 options.
#1- BrightData
You call it Luminati or BrightData, and either way, you will have an exceptionally good web scraper by your side as this web-scraping tool can easily collect huge public data, analyze it, and store insights in a compatible file format.
This tool will convert unstructured data into a highly structured format – effortlessly and without asking for your extensive involvement. What makes it desirable is its highly cutting-edge Data Collector feature that will bring all sorts of data to one platform. No matter what kind of data you have, you can view it on a centralized platform.
Pros
- Don’t require any coding skills
- Support almost all the leading types of data
- A highly compliant tool
Cons
No mobile app support is offered
Review
Our Ratings
4.8/5
#2 – ParseHub
ParseHub is a name to bank upon when it comes to quality web scraping at an affordable cost. The web-scraping tool does offer a free version, which has decent offerings.
You can scrape 200 pages for free per month. But its paid version is superb and has endless capabilities. For instance, it endows you with a great IP rotation facility that makes tracking a web scraper tool impossible.
Pros
- Supports CSV and JSON files
- Permits data extraction scheduling
- Powerful REST API
Cons
Requires high-end skills to make sense of collected data
Reviews
Our Ratings
4.6/5
#3 – Apify
Apify is no less than a blessing for scraping beginners as this tool adopts a no-code approach and is highly useful for scraping data in a fully automated manner. Its integration is fantastic and useful for collecting data from various platforms.
Pros
- Open-source proxy management
- Powerful search engine crawler
- Has a dedicated browser extension
Cons
Technical support isn’t that responsive.
Reviews
Our Ratings
4.0/5
#4 – Scrape.do
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use tool, your search ends at Scrape.do as it provides a highly powerful proxy web scraper API that makes everything go smoothly. It’s a low-cost yet effective way to scrape the web. As it features 99.9% accuracy, there is no way to raise fingers about its efficacy.
Pros
- High gateway speed
- Residential and mobile proxy access
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Pay per request
- Offers feature-rich Python web scraping tool
Cons
APIs are not handled by everyone with the same ease and perfection
Review
Our Ratings
3.8/5
#5 – Octoparse
Last but not least is Octoparse, which is a feature-rich and modern-era web-scraping tool. It’s based on a no-code approach and is super easy to use. It’s a cloud-based web scraper that can easily scrape data with a rotational IP address.
As the IP address keeps changing, the odds of getting blocked are very low. It also permits you to scrape the website anytime, as scheduling is allowed. It supports CSV, API, and Excel file formats to save downloaded data.
Pros
- Highly user-friendly interface
- The quick data extraction process
- Has both free and paid plans
Cons
The free plan has very limited capabilities.
Review
Our Ratings
3.5/5
Top 5 Free Web Scraping Tools
The cost of a paid web scraping tool can be too high for many. For them, free web scraping tools are the best bet for scraping the web and becoming data-rich. Here are the best choices to make.
#1 – Scrapy
Scrapy is one of the best open-source web scraping tools that one can use to develop potential web scrapers. It provides a wide range of tools required for web scraper development. It’s a Python-based tool built on the Twisted asynchronous networking framework. It’s highly flexible and can help you in scraping large quantities.
Pros
- Supports JSON, CSV, and XML formats
- Detailed documentation support
- Compatibility with Linux (Linux VPN), Mac OS (Mac VPN), and Windows systems (Windows VPN)
Cons
No live chat feature
Our Ratings
4.5/5
#2 – Scraper
Scraper is one of the best web scraping tools, using Python for Chrome users, as this Chrome extension (VPN for Chrome) is very easy to use. It can scrape website content and a simple web page at zero cost.
Pros
- Quick upload to Google Docs
- Can extract data from tables
Cons
- Can’t extract data from heavy websites
Our Ratings
4.0/5
#3 – OutwitHub
OutwitHub is a free Firefox extension (VPN for Firefox) that can scrape data without any coding skills. It scraps data quickly and swiftly.
Pros
- Fully automated tool
- Multiple file formats like JSON, XLSX, SQL, HTML, CSV, etc. supported
Cons
Not enough learning resources
Our Ratings
3.8/5
#4 – Web Scraper
Web Scraper is a highly useful web scraping tool that allows you to enjoy great web scraping at zero cost. It offers browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox and is highly useful for scraping data in bulk.
Pros
- Simple point-and-click interface
- Multiple-page scraping is possible
Cons
24*7 live chat feature isn’t offered
Our Ratings
3.5/5
#5 – ScrapingAnt
ScrapingAnt is a free web scraping API that people can use to scrape data at large. With the least coding requirements, this API is going to make your data rich in no time. It’s smooth and supports multiple integrations.
Pros
- Easy-to-use
- Can support various tools
Cons
Not beginner-friendly option
Our Ratings
3.0/5
Related articles:
- A Crisp Guide On Web Scraping Tools [List Included]
- Web Crawling v/s Web Scraping: The Key Differences To Understand
- Proxy v/s VPN – Know The Basic Differences Between These Two Security Tools
FAQs
Web scraping is easy if you use a pre-built web-scraping tool. With such as option, you don’t have to involve extensively in coding to build a web scraper. As the best web-scraping tools are offered as a plug-and-play option, extracting data becomes easy. However, we recommend avoiding free web scraping tools because they hardly work.
