If you are at all familiar with coding and websites than you must know that data extraction has a wide range of forms, and it can be a process that is daunting, complex, as well as stressful. Web scraping can be utilized for various things. For instance, you can utilize it for monitoring the costs in retail stores. When your competition decreases their prices, you can get notified by the scraper.
Now, you might be thinking about using these web harvesters for extracting useful info from different places, and if so, this article might help you. The text below is going to feature a few web scraping tools that you could choose to utilize, ones that’ll allow you to harvest data from sites. Let’s take a closer look:
1. Mozenda
Source: getapp.com
This platform gives two kinds of scrapers. The first is a program that users can download and it will allow them to create ‘an agent’. It operates on a cloud server and it also gives a solution where the company basically creates the harvester you need. However, there is one downside to it – they don’t offer a trial pack, which is why you need to thoroughly consider getting this particular program.
2. Scraping Dog
Source: scrapingdog.com
Scrapingdog.com is a web scraping API that is quite high-tech, and it can provide thousands of proxies that will crawl and scrape the information. It is capable of various things, including rendering JavaScript, as well as bypassing captchas. There are two options that it offers, one is a program that is created for users that have less knowledge about websites.
The other choice is API, which is mostly designed for developers. You’ll be able to work on sites by simply mentioning queries insider the API URI. Depending on your skills, you can use either of the two options, though, it is recommended for you to try both, especially if you want it to fit your needs entirely.
3. Parse Hub
Source: parsehub.com
The best thing about this particular platform? Well, it can work on several platforms including Mac, but, the platform is not as strong and diverse as the other ones on this list are. Why? The interface is not user-friendly, which means that you might have a hard time when using it.
On the other hand, it is simple to utilize and export JSON or any of the excel files of information you are interested in seeing, and you can do so by simply click on it. It does provide you with a free trial that you could utilize for harvesting approximately 200 pages in less than 50 minutes.
4. Web Automation
Source: neowin.net
If you are seeking a program that is quick, easy to use, and one that does not need any coding, you should consider getting this platform. It offers users a simple method for extracting the information a company needs for its business processes and tasks.
Basically, you’ll need to go through 3 steps including identifying the images and/or text you want to get, then it will create the extractor when you want it to, and lastly, you’ll need to export the data you have extracted. If you want to read more about this scraper, check out webautomation.io.
5. Import.IO
Source: import.io
Now, this is one of the programs that gained a lot on popularity because it offered people a free trial and a ‘guarantee’ that the platform will forever be completely free of charge. But, nowadays, there is no free version anymore, which did cause it to become less popular with users.
Although it was once strong, there are a few hindrances with this software, especially when it comes to customer support – which is almost nonexistent – and the service it offers. Still, it is capable of harvesting information from other sites, and it is relatively cheap, which is probably the reason a lot of people still choose to use it.
6. OctaParse
Source: softpedia.com
If you don’t know how to code or if you are simply annoyed by the entire coding process, you may want to opt for this particular tool. It is a tool that is point-and-click, which allows users to gather info behind log-in forms, forms that can be automatically filled in, and it can also render JavaScript. The developers behind this tool provide a free package, one that you can use for creating no more than 10 harvesters.
7. 80 Legs
Source: webscrapingtools.net
Whether you have just started out or you know everything there is about websites, you have probably heard of this program. The program they provide is quite stable, and their crawlers are extremely fast – which is good if you require something to be done quite fast. Now, the parsing is not powerful, however, if your goal is to perform some simple queries quickly, it can give you great results.
The crawlers can be customized in order for them to fit your scrapers. You can even choose to customize what information gets scraped, as well as the exact links that are followed from each of the URLs that were crawled. Once the process is done, you can simply download them on the device you are using.
8. Grepsr
Source: predictiveanalyticstoday.com
This platform is a bit different than the rest on this list, mostly because it offers other services as well, including generating leads, news aggregation, collecting financial information, as well as collecting info from your competition. The price is relatively affordable, and it is best for smaller processes and tasks that you need to finish in a timely manner.
We stated in the previous paragraph that it is relatively cheap, and this is probably one of the reasons why it is best for simpler processes, tasks, and projects. This means that you won’t need to splurge a lot on a program that is powerful, yet that can be used for complex tasks. So, if the price range is a problem for you, you might want to opt for this platform.
9. ZenRows
What’s the fastest-growing web scraping tool out there? ZenRows. And for evident reasons: this all-in-one API allows developers to build scrapers that won’t get blocked by anti-bot protections, and its support is as fast as amazing.
ZenRows adapts to any needs: geo-targeting, scraping at scale, quick implementation, JavaScript interactivity, integration with libraries, and interoperability with any programming language are some of our favorites.
Conclusion
Source: medium.com
As you can see, there are actually a lot of web scraping tools that you can use for gaining insights into particular things. Of course, the one you choose will depend on your needs and requirements, however, it is best if you first try the free trials, and then opt for a specific program.
So, now that you know what tools you can choose from, you should really not waste any more of your time. Instead, create a list of the programs that offer a free trial, download the packs when you want, and start trying out different platforms in order to determine which one suits you best!
