Alternatives to Octoparse

Introduction

Web scraping, also known as web data extraction, is the process of extracting data from websites. It involves making HTTP requests to a website's server, downloading the HTML of the web page, and parsing that HTML to extract the data you are interested in. In business, web scraping can be used for a variety of purposes. For example, a company might use web scraping to gather data on its competitors and track changes in the market.

Many tools and techniques are available for web scraping, ranging from simple scripts written in languages like Python to more advanced software. One such tool is Octoparse. However, Octoparse can be expensive and the free version has limitations, so some people prefer alternatives. This article outlines several notable alternatives to Octoparse.

What is Octoparse?

Octoparse is a powerful web scraping tool that allows users to extract data from websites with minimal coding. It offers a user-friendly interface and advanced features such as IP rotation, CAPTCHA solving, and JavaScript rendering to help users extract data from even the most complex websites.

Octoparse can be used for many applications, including price comparison, lead generation, and market research. It also allows users to export data in various formats, including CSV, Excel, and API.

1

Listly.io

Link: https://www.listly.io/

With Listly.io, users can rapidly scrape website data into an Excel spreadsheet. It works well for data-driven endeavors such as market research and data mining. With a single click, Listly.io simplifies data collecting for developers and non-technical professionals alike.

Key Features:

  • Pricing: Listly.io premium membership is $90 per month.

  • Ease of Use: Very user-friendly UI with clear instructions.

  • Scheduled Scraping: Set date and time for recurring scraping tasks.

  • Helpful Tutorials: Direct videos and quick-access sample links in the UI.

Pricing: $90 per month

Pros:

  • Good extraction speed

  • Integration with 3rd party tools

  • Shared proxy server supported

  • Google Sheet export

Cons:

  • Manual refreshing

Ratings:

  • G2: N/A

  • Capterra: N/A

Listly Interface Alt: Listly.io Interface

2

PhantomBuster

Link: https://phantombuster.com/

Phantombuster is a platform that provides tools and services for automating tasks on the web. It offers web scraping, API building, and data extraction features, and includes pre-built integrations for common workflows and social media automation.

Key Features:

  • Visual web scraper for extracting data.

  • API builder to create custom APIs from web pages.

  • Pre-built APIs for data extraction and social media automation.

  • Social media automation tools for platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • Integrations with Zapier, Google Sheets, Slack, and more.

Pricing: $48 per month

Pros:

  • Can handle large data

  • User-friendly interface

  • Priority support

  • Five slots for Phantoms

Cons:

  • Can be complex to use

Ratings:

Phantombuster Interface

3

Altair Monarch

Link: https://www.altair.com/monarch

Altair Monarch is a data preparation tool designed to help users clean, transform, and analyze data from various sources (Excel, CSV, databases). It includes profiling, transformation, visualization, and collaboration tools.

Key Features:

  • Visualization tools: bar charts, line graphs, scatter plots, etc.

  • Data profiling: summary statistics, distribution plots, quality checks.

  • Integration with multiple data sources (Excel, CSV, databases).

  • Security features for access control.

  • Data transformation capabilities.

Pricing: Free to use

Pros:

  • Data preparation tools

  • Ease of use

  • Various visualization features

  • Helps in collaboration

Cons:

  • Limited data analysis capabilities

Ratings:

Altair Monarch Interface

4

Portia

Link: https://github.com/scrapinghub/portia

Portia is a visual web scraper developed by Scrapinghub that helps users extract data without programming. Users visually define the data to extract and Portia generates a scraper that can run automatically or on a schedule.

Key Features:

  • Visual definition of extraction targets.

  • Generates scrapers for automated extraction.

  • Tools for cleaning and transforming extracted data.

  • Scheduling support.

Pricing: Free to use

Pros:

  • Automated data extraction

  • Data cleansing and transformation

  • Data storage and export

  • No programming skills required

Cons:

  • Limited platform support

Ratings:

  • G2: N/A

  • Capterra: N/A

Portia Interface

5

Apify

Link: https://apify.com/

Apify is a cloud-based platform for web scraping, automation, and data processing. It supports scheduling, managing scrapers, storing and exporting data, and building custom automated workflows.

Key Features:

  • Scheduling and managing web scrapers.

  • Data processing tools: cleansing, transformation, integration.

  • Automation and workflow building.

  • Security features for access control.

  • Scalable to handle large datasets.

Pricing: $49 per month

Pros:

  • A vast library of tools

  • Helps in collaboration

  • User-friendly interface

  • Can share the data

Cons:

  • Dependent on webpage structure

Ratings:

Apify Interface

Final Verdict

There are several alternative tools to Octoparse for web scraping and data extraction. Each tool in this article has unique features and capabilities; the right choice depends on your specific needs and goals.

If you're unsure which alternative is right for you, the article recommends Listly.io as a user-friendly option for creating and sharing lists of resources and simplifying data extraction.

Last updated 7 days ago

Privacy policy: https://www.listly.io/privacy

Was this helpful?