5 Best Web Scraping APIs for Data Gathering

Evaluation based on key criteria

Javascript rendering: Oxylabs’ Web Scraper API efficiently handles rendering JavaScript on websites, ensuring that even dynamic content can be extracted seamlessly.

Proxy support: Oxylabs utilizes ML-driven proxy selection and rotation, ensuring optimal performance using a premium proxy pool from 195 countries. This includes automatic IP rotation for uninterrupted scraping sessions.

Data parsing functionality: Oxylabs’ OxyCopilot is an AI-powered assistant that auto-generates code for scraping requests and parsing instructions, eliminating the need for manual coding. It also offers custom parsing capabilities, allowing users to define parsing logic using XPath or CSS selectors for formatted data collection.

Performance and speed: Known for its high-speed performance, Oxylabs ensures fast data retrieval, even when dealing with large-scale scraping operations. Their robust infrastructure minimizes downtime and maximizes data throughput.

Data export formats: Oxylabs supports various export formats, including JSON, CSV, TXT, and raw HTML, allowing flexibility in how extracted data is delivered and utilized.

Advanced features: Oxylabs includes a range of advanced features such as OxyCopilot, AI-driven fingerprinting, CAPTCHA bypass, Web Crawler, and a Scheduler to automate scraping tasks.

Ease of use: While Oxylabs is enterprise-focused, its user-friendly interface and features like OxyCopilot significantly ease the setup process, even for complex scraping tasks.

Pricing: Oxylabs offers pricing starting at $49/month for the Micro plan, which includes 24,500 results and a rate limit of 10 requests/s, with a rate of $2.00 per 1K results.

Free trial: A 1-week free trial is available, offering 5000 results and a rate limit of 5 requests/s, allowing users to test the service before committing.

Support and resources: Oxylabs offers 24/7 customer support, comprehensive documentation, and dedicated account managers for enterprise clients, ensuring a high level of assistance and resources.

Pros:

• High-performance API: Known for its robust infrastructure and high-speed data extraction, Oxylabs is ideal for businesses that need large-scale, reliable data retrieval.

• Advanced features: OxyCopilot, an AI-powered assistant, automates scraping requests and parsing, simplifying complex tasks. Other features like CAPTCHA bypass and AI-driven fingerprinting add extra layers of efficiency.

• Comprehensive proxy management: Oxylabs' ML-driven proxy rotation with premium proxies from 195 countries ensures uninterrupted scraping.

• Enterprise-level support: With 24/7 customer support and dedicated account managers, it provides high-level assistance for large businesses.

Cons:

• Pricing: Oxylabs' pricing starts at $49/month, making it a more premium option, potentially out of reach for smaller businesses or individual users.

Conclusion

Oxylabs stands out as a top-tier provider for enterprises with complex, large-scale data scraping needs. With a broad feature set, reliable infrastructure, and powerful tools like OxyCopilot, it provides a seamless experience for users looking for efficient, automated data scraping. Though it is priced at a premium, the features and support offered make it an excellent choice for businesses requiring high-quality, large-scale web scraping.

Smartproxy review

Smartproxy is a trusted proxy provider offering a range of specialized APIs for data gathering, including the best scraping API for Social Media, SERP, eCommerce, and Web Scraping. These solutions provide a balance of affordability and efficiency, making Smartproxy a versatile choice for different industries.

Evaluation based on key criteria

Javascript rendering: Smartproxy’s API services handle rendering JavaScript efficiently, allowing users to extract data from complex sites.

Proxy support: The scraper plans include Smartproxy’s residential proxy network with country-level targeting across 195 locations. For the Google Scraper, coordinate-level targeting is available, making it highly adaptable for precise data gathering.

Data parsing functionality: Data is parsed in a structured table format, allowing for easy customization to fit the user’s specific needs.

Performance and speed: Smartproxy delivers reliable performance with a 100% success rate, making it a fast and efficient solution for large-scale scraping.

Data export formats: Smartproxy supports export formats like JSON and HTML, giving users the flexibility to manage data in formats compatible with their workflows.

Advanced features: Key advanced features include task scheduling, advanced anti-bot protection, and geolocation targeting, providing flexibility for more complex scraping needs.

Ease of use: Smartproxy offers an intuitive interface, including an API Playground for testing and integration, making it accessible for users of varying technical levels. Comprehensive guides and tutorials are available to support users through setup and implementation.

Pricing:  

  Smartproxy offers a variety of plans, starting at $2.00 per 1K requests:

  - Social Media Scraping API: 25K requests minimum.

  - eCommerce Scraping API: 15K requests minimum.

  - SERP Scraping API: 15K requests minimum.

  - Web Scraping API: 25K requests minimum.

Free trial:  

Smartproxy offers a 7-day free trial with 1,000 requests, allowing users to test the API’s functionality before committing to a paid plan.

Support and resources: Smartproxy provides 24/7 customer support via live chat and email, alongside a detailed knowledge base with documentation and tutorials to assist users throughout the scraping process.

Pros:

• Versatile APIs: Smartproxy offers a range of specialized APIs, including Social Media Scraping, SERP Scraping, and eCommerce Scraping APIs, providing tailored solutions for different use cases.

• Affordable pricing: Starting at $2.00 per 1K requests, Smartproxy is cost-effective, making it accessible for small to medium-sized businesses.

• User-friendly: The platform offers an intuitive interface with an API Playground for easy integration and testing, even for non-technical users.

• Global proxy network: Offers proxy servers with country-level and even coordinate-level targeting, which is useful for location-specific data gathering.

Cons:

• Limited advanced features: While it provides good functionality, Smartproxy may lack some of the advanced capabilities of higher-end competitors, like CAPTCHA bypassing or AI-powered features.

• Basic data parsing: Though efficient, the data parsing options are relatively simple compared to more advanced competitors like Oxylabs or Zyte.

Conclusion

Smartproxy’s Web Scraping APIs are a well-rounded solution that balances ease of use, advanced features, and affordability. With a range of specialized scraping APIs for social media, SERP, and eCommerce, it’s suitable for businesses that require targeted data extraction. The accessible pricing and free trial make it a strong choice for users who need reliable and efficient scraping solutions without the complexity of enterprise-level setups.

Rayobyte review 

Rayobyte is a well-established provider in the proxy and scraping industry. Known for its flexible proxy solutions and ethical data-gathering practices, Rayobyte offers a Scraping Robot API, which is highly developer-friendly and designed for automated data extraction. It’s a reliable solution for businesses of various sizes, especially those looking for scalable scraping solutions that integrate seamlessly with proxy servers.

Evaluation based on key criteria

Javascript rendering: Rayobyte’s Scraping Robot API includes basic functionality for handling JavaScript-based content, although the specifics of how complex pages are rendered are not detailed extensively.

Proxy support: Rayobyte completely handles proxy management for its clients by integrating rotating datacenter, ISP, and residential proxy servers into the Scraping Robot API. This ensures optimal anonymity, reduces the risk of blocks, and manages proxy rotation for seamless data extraction.

Data parsing functionality:  All of Rayobyte’s Scraping Robot APIs provide structured JSON output of a parsed website’s metadata, making it easier to integrate data into existing workflows without needing additional parsing.

Performance and speed: Scraping Robot offers a 2-minute default timeout, sufficient for most scraping tasks. However, to guarantee faster results, users can contact the Rayobyte team to arrange for a custom pool of scraping proxy servers that better suit their performance needs.

Data export formats: The Scraping Robot API primarily supports JSON for structurized data export, ensuring compatibility with most systems and databases for further analysis.

Advanced features: Rayobyte includes several advanced scraping features, such as Proxy Pilot, which manages proxy retries and cooldowns. The tool detects bans and helps avoid them, although CAPTCHA solving and task scheduling are limited compared to more advanced competitors.

Ease of use: Rayobyte provides an easy-to-use API that requires minimal setup, making it accessible even for developers with less experience. The dashboard is user-friendly, and users can manage proxy servers and scraping tasks seamlessly without external tools.

Pricing: Rayobyte’s pricing for the Scraping Robot API starts at $0.0018 per request. There’s no monthly commitment—users can buy the amount of requests needed and scrape until the requests are depleted. Additionally, users can get 5,000 free scrapes per month as part of the pricing structure.

Free trial: Rayobyte offers 5,000 free scrapes per month, allowing businesses to evaluate the platform's performance and features before committing to additional purchases.

Support and resources: Rayobyte offers 24/7 customer support via live chat and email. They also provide extensive documentation and tutorials, making it easier for users to integrate the API and troubleshoot issues.

Pros:

• Flexible pricing: Rayobyte’s pay-as-you-go pricing, starting at $0.0018 per request, offers flexibility without needing long-term contracts or high upfront costs.

• Strong proxy integration: Rayobyte seamlessly integrates its proxies into its Scraping Robot API, offering users efficient proxy management without extra setup.

• Developer-friendly: The Scraping Robot API is designed to be easy for developers, offering customization while ensuring seamless scraping operations.

Cons:

• Limited advanced features: Rayobyte lacks the more complex features found in competitors, such as robust CAPTCHA solving and AI-driven functionality for parsing or scraping dynamic content.

• Basic JavaScript rendering: The API offers basic support for JavaScript-heavy websites but may not handle more sophisticated client-side scripting without additional tools.

Conclusion 

Rayobyte’s Scraping Robot API is a solid choice for businesses that require an efficient, scalable scraping solution. With its seamless proxy integration, flexible pricing, and robust free trial offering, Rayobyte caters to developers looking for an automated, plug-and-play scraping tool. However, its limitations in advanced features like complex JavaScript rendering and CAPTCHA solving may require additional tools for more intricate scraping tasks.

Zyte review

Zyte offers an advanced Zyte API designed to simplify web data extraction by providing an all-in-one automated solution. With features that eliminate the need for proxy management and anti-scraping workarounds, Zyte API empowers businesses to extract web data at scale with minimal configuration. A standout feature is the Zyte API - AI Scraping, which leverages machine learning to automatically collect and structure data from even the most complex sites, significantly reducing the time spent on building and maintaining scrapers. This AI-driven scraping system enables users to extract product data, articles, job listings, and more, all while adapting to site changes in real time.

Evaluation based on key criteria

Javascript rendering: Zyte API includes robust support for JavaScript rendering, making it possible to extract data from dynamic sites that rely heavily on client-side scripting.

Proxy support: The API automatically handles proxy management through Zyte's smart proxy manager, integrating intelligent ban handling and proxy rotation to ensure consistent data retrieval without the need for manual configuration.

Data parsing functionality: Zyte's API offers built-in AI-powered data parsing, delivering structured JSON output automatically. This eliminates the need for users to write custom parsing code, significantly reducing development time and complexity.

Performance and speed: Zyte API adapts to site changes in real-time, ensuring a high success rate and reliable performance. The API uses state-of-the-art techniques to minimize downtime and optimize data retrieval speed for large-scale operations.

Data export formats: Zyte supports JSON as the primary export format, allowing easy integration into data pipelines or workflows requiring organized data.

Advanced features: Zyte API includes advanced capabilities such as smart browser automation, geolocation targeting, headless browsing, and CAPTCHA solving. These features ensure the API can handle sophisticated anti-bot measures and difficult-to-access sites.

Ease of use: The API provides a simple, straightforward experience—users can input a URL and retrieve structured output without needing to manage proxy servers or implement anti-scraping measures. This allows developers to focus on the data, not the extraction process.

Pricing: Zyte API offers custom per-site pricing, ensuring users only pay for the features needed to extract data from specific sites. This model is designed to be cost-efficient and scale with the complexity of the sites targeted for scraping.

Free trial: Zyte provides free credits for new users, allowing them to test the API before committing to a paid plan.

Support and resources: Zyte offers a wealth of resources, including developer documentation, tutorials, and a support center. Users also have access to the Zyte community, where they can connect with other developers to share insights and best practices.

Pros:

• AI-driven scraping: Zyte's AI scraping automates the collection and structuring of data, adapting to website changes in real-time, saving significant time for users.

• Complete proxy management: Zyte’s smart proxy manager handles rotation, ban management, and geotargeting, making it hassle-free for users.

• Advanced features: With smart browser automation, CAPTCHA solving, and headless browsing, Zyte is perfect for complex websites with sophisticated anti-scraping measures.

Cons:

• Per-site pricing: Zyte’s custom per-site pricing model can be more expensive for businesses that need to scrape multiple sites, especially for smaller users.

• Learning curve: The advanced features, while powerful, may require more technical understanding to be fully leveraged.
  

Conclusion

Zyte API is a powerful, versatile tool for businesses that need to extract web data from complex and dynamic sites. With its smart proxy management, built-in data parsing, and advanced scraping features like AI scraping, Zyte significantly reduces the time and effort required for data collection. This makes it a top choice for both small and large-scale data extraction projects, especially those requiring a high level of automation and scalability.

ScrapingBee review

ScrapingBee is a highly efficient web scraping API designed to simplify data extraction from websites by handling both proxy management and headless browser interactions for users. It is especially useful for scraping JavaScript-heavy websites, leveraging the latest versions of Chrome in its scraping processes. With built-in support for JavaScript rendering and automatic proxy rotation, ScrapingBee offers an out-of-the-box solution that saves users from dealing with the complexities of web scraping, making it ideal for both developers and non-developers alike.

Evaluation based on key criteria

Javascript rendering: ScrapingBee automatically handles JavaScript rendering using headless browsers by default, which makes it suitable for scraping complex websites built with frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.
Proxy support: ScrapingBee manages proxy rotation seamlessly, meaning users don't need to configure or handle proxies themselves. This built-in proxy management includes premium proxy servers, allowing geotargeting to scrape websites from various locations without worrying about getting blocked.

Data parsing functionality: ScrapingBee offers structured JSON output with customizable extraction logic. It can extract data from tables in either table_array or table_json formats, which allows users to easily retrieve and structure information directly from web pages.

Performance and speed: ScrapingBee is optimized for performance, ensuring that users get fast results, especially for single-page applications (SPAs). The API ensures efficient scraping even with its headless browser setup, minimizing request failures.

Data export formats: ScrapingBee supports JSON as its primary export format. The API’s flexibility allows users to extract various data types, such as tables, metadata, and HTML elements, all structured in JSON.

Advanced features: ScrapingBee includes advanced scraping features like geotargeting, CAPTCHA solving, and JavaScript scenarios, which allow users to run custom JavaScript snippets as part of their scraping process.

Ease of use: ScrapingBee’s API is designed to be user-friendly, with SDKs available for multiple languages like Python, NodeJS, PHP, and more. For non-developers, ScrapingBee offers a no-code option, enabling users to build scrapers without writing code.

Pricing: ScrapingBee’s pricing starts at $49 per month and offers flexible plans for larger volumes of requests. 

Free trial: ScrapingBee offers 1,000 free API credits for new users, allowing them to explore its features and evaluate the service's performance without any upfront costs.
Support and resources: ScrapingBee provides extensive support, including tutorials, documentation, and a knowledge base to guide users through the setup process. The API also includes priority email support for higher-tier plans, ensuring timely responses to technical issues.

Pros:

• JavaScript and headless browser support: ScrapingBee excels at scraping JavaScript-heavy websites by automatically handling headless browser sessions and rendering client-side content.

• Proxy rotation: Built-in automatic proxy management and geotargeting simplify data scraping and minimize the risk of being blocked.

• Affordable pricing: Starting at $49/month, ScrapingBee is accessible for smaller businesses or individual developers, with a flexible pricing structure.

Cons:

• Limited advanced features: While it offers essential features like CAPTCHA solving and geotargeting, ScrapingBee lacks the more advanced AI-based scraping capabilities of competitors like Zyte or Oxylabs.

• Restricted free trial: The free trial only includes 1,000 API credits, which might not be sufficient for larger or more complex scraping projects.

Conclusion  

ScrapingBee is a well-rounded web scraping solution that simplifies the process of extracting data from dynamic websites. With features like automated proxy management, JavaScript rendering, and easy-to-implement data extraction rules, it caters to both developers and non-developers. Its affordable pricing and free trial make it accessible for businesses and individuals looking for a reliable, user-friendly scraping API.

Best scraping APIs compared

Bottom line

Each of the web scraping APIs reviewed here offers great features and value, making them all strong options depending on your specific needs. Whether you prioritize affordability, specialized scraping capabilities, or ease of use, there’s a solution suited for you. For businesses with simpler scraping needs, tools like Smartproxy and ScrapingBee offer excellent flexibility and cost-efficiency. Zyte is ideal for those looking for advanced AI-driven scraping, while Rayobyte provides customizable solutions for developers.

However, if you're looking for the most robust and comprehensive solution overall, Oxylabs takes the lead. With its advanced features, high-performance infrastructure, and enterprise-grade support, Oxylabs is the best choice for large-scale, complex data extraction operations.

The information contained in this article is derived from publicly available sources and is deemed accurate as of 2024-10-21.