Best web scraping tools to get ahead in 2025

Web scraping tools are specialized software designed to automatically pull data from websites, organizing it into a usable format. These tools are essential for various tasks like data collection, digital archiving, and conducting in-depth analytics. With the ability to meticulously extract and analyze page data, advanced web scraping tools ensure the precision and relevance of the information they gather.

Their ability to handle large-scale data extraction makes them a critical resource for businesses engaged in competitor analysis, market research, and lead generation. These tools not only streamline processes but also provide significant competitive advantages by offering deep insights quickly.

In this article, we'll explore the top web scraping tools of 2024. We'll cover a range of options including browser-based tools, programming frameworks, libraries, APIs, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions.

Factors to consider when choosing web scraping tools

When selecting a web scraping tool, there are several key factors to consider:

• Scraping intervals: assess how often you need to extract data, as some tools offer real-time scraping while others are better suited for less frequent batch jobs.
• Ease of use: look for tools with intuitive interfaces and clear documentation to ensure a smooth setup and operation.
• Proxy support: ensure the tool can manage proxies to avoid detection and IP blocking, which is vital for scraping at scale or from sites with anti-scraping measures.
• Cost and effectiveness: balance your budget against the features offered; more expensive tools may provide advanced features that justify their cost.
• Data input and export: choose a tool that can handle the types of data you're interested in and supports the formats you need for output, like CSV, JSON, or direct database integration.
• Data volume: consider tools that can scale to handle the volume of data you plan to scrape, especially if dealing with large datasets or high-traffic sites.
• Site complexity: evaluate the complexity of the target websites, as more complex sites with dynamic content may require more sophisticated tools like those capable of rendering JavaScript.
• Support and community: check if the tool has responsive customer support and an active user community for troubleshooting and advice; which can be invaluable .

The choice of a web scraping tool largely depends on the complexity of the task and the volume of data being processed. For simpler tasks, browser extensions are often sufficient. They are easy to install and do not require programming knowledge, making them a good choice for straightforward data collection tasks. For more complex and customizable solutions, frameworks are better suited as they offer more flexibility and control. If a high level of automation and management is required, API-oriented scrapers provide a fully managed service that can handle large volumes of data efficiently.

Top 11 best scrapers

We have curated a list of the 11 best scrapers that cater to a variety of needs. This selection includes powerful programs designed for complex web scraping tasks, as well as universal tools that are user-friendly and do not require programming knowledge. Whether you're an experienced developer needing robust data extraction capabilities or a beginner looking to easily gather web data, this list has options to suit different levels of expertise and project demands.

Bright Data

Bright Data offers a robust, enterprise-grade web scraping platform that includes a Web Scraper IDE with ready-made code templates. These templates are managed and updated on a regular basis, ensuring that scraping operations remain effective even if the layout of the target website changes.

Bright Data also uses proxy rotation and allows you to save scraped data in various formats such as JSON and CSV, or directly to cloud storage solutions such as Google Cloud Storage or Amazon S3.

Features:

• Web Scraper IDE;
• Cloud-based hosting environment;
• Ready-to-use web scraping templates;
• Extensive proxy network;
• Unblocker infrastructure to bypass anti-bot measures;
• Scheduling options for automatic data extraction;
• Supports a wide range of output formats;
• Managed service with live support;
• Search engine crawler;
• Compliance with data protection laws.

The scraper is available starting at $4.00 per month, and it offers a free trial version for users to test its capabilities. It is well-regarded on G2, where it has a rating of 4.6 out of 5.0.

Octoparse

Octoparse is a no-code, easy-to-use web scraping tool that simplifies scraping tasks without requiring any coding skills. Designed for both seasoned and novice users, it offers a visual approach to data extraction, requiring minimal to no coding skills.

One of the standout features of Octoparse is its AI assistant. This feature assists users by auto-detecting data patterns on websites and offering handy tips for effective data extraction. In addition, Octoparse offers a library of preset templates for popular websites, which can be used to obtain data instantly.

Features:

• User-friendly interface;
• AI-assisted data pattern detection;
• Pre-built templates for popular websites;
• IP rotation and data extraction tips;
• Infinite scrolling;
• Scheduled scraping and automation.

The scraper starts at $75.00 per month and includes a free trial. It is rated 4.5/5.0 on Capterra and 4.3/5.0 on G2.

WebScraper.io

WebScraper.io is a Chrome and Firefox extension that is designed for regular and scheduled use to extract large amounts of data either manually or automatically.

It's free for local use, with a paid Cloud service available for scheduling and managing scraping jobs through an API. This tool also supports scraping of dynamic websites and saves data in structured formats like CSV, XLSX, or JSON.

WebScraper.io facilitates web scraping through a point-and-click interface, allowing users to create Site Maps and select elements without any coding expertise. It’s also versatile for use cases like market research, lead generation, and academic projects.

Features:

• Point and click interface;
• Modular selector system;
• Handles pagination;
• Can extract data from dynamic websites;
• Multiple data export options.

The scraper is priced at $50 per month and offers a free trial. It has a Capterra rating of 4.7 out of 5.

ScraperAPI

Getting started with Scraper API is easy for non-developers, as all users need is an API key and URL to begin scraping. Besides supporting JavaScript renderings, Scraper API is fully customizable, allowing users to customize the request and header parameters in order to meet their needs.

Features:

• Handles JavaScript rendering for dynamic content;
• Manages CAPTCHAs and uses proxies to prevent detection;
• Provides options for customizing headers and cookies;
• No-code API playground;
• Offers geotargeting capabilities for scraping location-specific content;
• The product offers a free trial version that allows you to send up to 5,000 requests to test its features.

You should format your requests to the API endpoint as follows:

import requests
payload = {'api_key': 'APIKEY', 'url': 'https://httpbin.org/ip'}
r = requests.get('http://api.scraperapi.com', params=payload)
print(r.text)

This scraper is available at an introductory price of $49 per month and comes with a free trial. It has a Capterra rating of 4.6 out of 5 and a G2 rating of 4.3 out of 5.

Scraping Dog

Scraping Dog stands out for its simplicity and ease of use, providing an API that can be quickly integrated into various applications and workflows. It's a solution that serves a broad spectrum of scraping requirements, from simple data collection tasks to more complex operations.

Scrapingdog also supports JS rendering, which can be used for scraping websites that require multiple API calls to fully load.

Features:

• Proxy support including IP rotation for improved anonymity;
• Handles JavaScript-heavy websites;
• Offers a range of pricing plans;
• Webhooks.

Here's a basic example of how to use Scraping Dog’s API endpoint:

import requests

url = "https://api.scrapingdog.com/scrape"

params = {
    "api_key": "5e5a97e5b1ca5b194f42da86",
    "url": "http://httpbin.org/ip",
    "dynamic": "false"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)

print(response.text)

The scraper is available starting at $30 per month and includes a free trial. It has a Trustpilot rating of 4.6 out of 5.

APIfy

Apify is an open software platform that makes it easy to develop and run data extraction, web automation, and web integration tools at scale. It is a versatile cloud-based platform that provides a comprehensive suite of web scraping and automation tools. It's designed for developers who need to build, run, and scale web scraping and data extraction tasks without managing servers.

Apify also comes with an open-source web scraping library called Crawlee and is compatible both with Python and JavaScript. With Apify, you can integrate your content easily with third-party applications such as Google Drive, GitHub, and Slack, as well as create your own integrations with webhooks and APIs.

Features:

• Scale using a pool of proxies for reliable data collection.
• Access to a complete API for integration and automation.
• Host code anywhere.
• Cloud-based data storage and management.
• Pre-built scrapers for popular websites.
• Scheduling options for extraction tasks.
• Support for multiple data export formats.

The scraper starts at $49 per month and includes a free version. It has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 on both Capterra and G2.

ScrapingBee

ScrapingBee is a versatile web scraping API that's crafted to handle a wide range of web scraping tasks efficiently. It excels in areas such as real estate scraping, price monitoring, and review extraction, allowing users to gather data seamlessly without the fear of being blocked.

The flexibility and effectiveness of ScrapingBee make it an invaluable resource for developers, marketers, and researchers who aim to automate and streamline the data collection process from various online sources.

Features:

• Handles JavaScript rendering;
• Manages CAPTCHAs, ensuring uninterrupted scraping operations;
• IP rotation;
• Scraping search engine results pages;
• Direct API access for easy integration with your existing systems.

This scraper is available starting at $49 per month and includes a free version. It boasts a perfect rating of 5.0 out of 5 on Capterra.

Diffbot

Diffbot stands out with its advanced AI and machine learning capabilities, making it highly effective for content extraction from web pages. It's a fully automated solution that is great at extracting structured data.

Diffbot is ideal for marketing teams and businesses focused on lead generation, market research, and sentiment analysis. Its ability to process and structure data on the fly makes it a powerful tool for those who need quick and accurate data extraction without the need for an extensive technical setup.

Features:

• AI-driven analysis of web pages for automatic data extraction.
• Ability to extract a variety of content types including articles, products, and discussions.
• Supports structured searches to filter results to only matching records.
• Visual processing for scraping non-English web pages.
• Data exports are available in JSON or CSV format.
• Offers a fully-hosted SaaS platform, which means no infrastructure to manage.

The scraper is priced at $299 per month and includes a free trial. It has a Capterra rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Scrapy

Scrapy is a robust, open-source web crawling and scraping framework known for its speed and efficiency. Written in Python, Scrapy is compatible with multiple operating systems including Linux, Windows, Mac, and BSD. The framework allows for the creation of custom search agents and offers flexibility in customizing its components without needing to alter the core system. This makes Scrapy a versatile tool for developers looking to tailor their scraping tools to specific requirements.

Features:

• Asynchronous processing for handling large amounts of data and requests efficiently.
• Extensive selectors for data extraction using XPath and CSS.
• Built-in support for generating feed exports in various formats like JSON, CSV, and XML.
• Middleware support for adding custom functionalities and processing requests and responses.
• Robust error handling and logging features.
• Completely free.

Here's a simple example of how to use Scrapy to scrape data from a website:

import scrapy

class BlogSpider(scrapy.Spider):
    name = 'blogspider'
    start_urls = ['https://www.zyte.com/blog/']

    def parse(self, response):
        for title in response.css('.oxy-post-title'):
            yield {'title': title.css('::text').get()}

        for next_page in response.css('a.next'):
            yield response.follow(next_page, self.parse)

Beautiful Soup

Beautiful Soup is a Python library that makes it easy to scrape information from web pages. It's a great tool for beginners and is often used for quick scraping projects, or when you need to scrape a website with simple HTML structure.

Features:

• Simple methods for navigating and searching the parse tree.
• Parsing HTML or XML documents.
• Easily find and extract specific information.
• Modify the parse tree.
• Works well with multiple parsers like `lxml` and `html5lib`.

Here's a basic example of how to use Beautiful Soup:

from bs4 import BeautifulSoup

html_doc ="""<html><head><title>The Dormouse's story</title></head>
<body>
<p class="title"><b>The Dormouse's story</b></p>

<p class="story">Once upon a time there were three little sisters; and their names were
<a href="http://example.com/elsie" class="sister" id="link1">Elsie</a>,
<a href="http://example.com/lacie" class="sister" id="link2">Lacie</a> and
<a href="http://example.com/tillie" class="sister" id="link3">Tillie</a>;
and they lived at the bottom of a well.</p>

<p class="story">...</p>
"""

soup = BeautifulSoup(html_doc, 'html.parser')
print(soup.title.string)  # Outputs "The Dormouse's story"

Cheerio

Cheerio is a fast, flexible, and user-friendly library in Node.js that mimics the core functionality of jQuery. Utilizing the parse5 parser by default, Cheerio also offers the option to use the more error-tolerant htmlparser2. This library is capable of parsing almost any HTML or XML document, making it an excellent choice for developers who need efficient and versatile web scraping capabilities.

Features:

• Uses familiar jQuery syntax for manipulating the DOM.
• Extremely fast and lightweight.
• Parses and manipulates HTML on the server side.
• Capable of handling a large number of pages efficiently.

Here's a simple Cheerio example:

const cheerio = require('cheerio');

// some product webpage
const html = `
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Sample Page</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>Welcome to a Product Page</h1>
    <div class="products">
      <div class="item">Product 1</div>
      <div class="item">Product 2</div>
      <div class="item">Product 3</div>
    </div>
  </body>
</html>
`;

const $ = cheerio.load(html);

$('.item').each(function () {
  const product = $(this).text();
  console.log(product);
});

Conclusion

In summary, each scraper brings unique features suited for different scraping needs. Cheerio and Beautiful Soup are HTML parsing libraries optimized for Node.js and Python, respectively. Scrapy, another Python-based tool, excels in handling complex scripts and managing large datasets as part of a comprehensive web scraping and parsing framework.

For those evaluating platforms or services for web scraping, here are tailored recommendations based on common selection criteria:

• For those needing a simple interface without coding knowledge, Octoparse and WebScraper.io are ideal.
• Cheerio, Beautiful Soup, and Scrapy offer completely free tools for those on a budget.
• For scraping dynamically updated websites, Bright Data, ScraperAPI, Scraping Dog, and ScrapingBee are recommended.
• Diffbot and APIfy specialize in providing APIs for integration and process automation, making them suitable for advanced users looking to streamline their operations.