Web scraping tools
We put 10 web scraping tools through the same test. ScrapingBee came out on top with 3 out of 5. Here are all the results, what each tool costs and how we test them.
Web scraping tools we tested
Best score first. Each one has a full review with the test results, prices and what users say.
ScrapingBee
3/5Read our review →
ParseHub
3/5Read our review →
Apify
2.5/5Read our review →
Firecrawl
2.5/5Read our review →
Spider
2.5/5Read our review →
Zenserp
2/5Read our review →
Octoparse
2/5Read our review →
ScrapeOwl
2/5Read our review →
Simplescraper
2/5Read our review →
Browserflow
2/5Read our review →Test results compared
Every tool got the same test, between October 9, 2026 to October 22, 2026.
| Tool | Score | Time to first successful result following the docs | Performance: latency, success rate or tasks passed | Documentation and SDK quality | Limits and lock-in (export, open standards) | Cost at small, medium and large usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ScrapingBee | 3/5 | 125 min to first successful result | 677/1000 pages extracted across 5 sites | 7/10 documentation checks; 4/5 setup examples work | 4/5 export/open-format checks; 1 manual migrations | – |
| ParseHub | 3/5 | 136 min to first successful result | 681/1000 pages extracted across 5 sites | 7/10 documentation checks; 3/5 setup examples work | 4/5 export/open-format checks; 1 manual migrations | – |
| Apify | 2.5/5 | 147 min to first successful result | 579/1000 pages extracted across 5 sites | 6/10 documentation checks; 3/5 setup examples work | 4/5 export/open-format checks; 1 manual migrations | – |
| Firecrawl | 2.5/5 | 162 min to first successful result | 497/1000 pages extracted across 5 sites | 6/10 documentation checks; 3/5 setup examples work | 4/5 export/open-format checks; 1 manual migrations | – |
| Spider | 2.5/5 | 116 min to first successful result | 633/1000 pages extracted across 5 sites | 7/10 documentation checks; 4/5 setup examples work | 3/5 export/open-format checks; 2 manual migrations | – |
| Zenserp | 2/5 | 174 min to first successful result | 622/1000 pages extracted across 5 sites | 5/10 documentation checks; 3/5 setup examples work | 4/5 export/open-format checks; 1 manual migrations | – |
| Octoparse | 2/5 | 152 min to first successful result | 633/1000 pages extracted across 5 sites | 6/10 documentation checks; 3/5 setup examples work | 3/5 export/open-format checks; 2 manual migrations | – |
| ScrapeOwl | 2/5 | 166 min to first successful result | 536/1000 pages extracted across 5 sites | 6/10 documentation checks; 3/5 setup examples work | 3/5 export/open-format checks; 2 manual migrations | – |
| Simplescraper | 2/5 | 193 min to first successful result | 528/1000 pages extracted across 5 sites | 5/10 documentation checks; 3/5 setup examples work | 2/5 export/open-format checks; 3 manual migrations | – |
| Browserflow | 2/5 | 141 min to first successful result | 523/1000 pages extracted across 5 sites | 6/10 documentation checks; 3/5 setup examples work | 3/5 export/open-format checks; 2 manual migrations | – |
Want just the shortlist?
Our best-of list ranks every tool in this test, with what each one is best for.
What web scraping tools do
Web scraping tools collect data from websites automatically, either through point-and-click apps, scraping APIs that handle proxies and browsers, or platforms that run hosted scrapers. A newer group returns LLM-ready markdown or JSON for AI apps.
Who uses them: Marketers and lead-gen teams, E-commerce and price-monitoring teams, Researchers and students, Developers and data engineers, AI builders feeding RAG and agents.
Price range: Most of the ten tools have a free plan or free credits (Apify, Octoparse, Firecrawl, ParseHub, Zenserp, ScrapeOwl, Spider, Browserflow, Simplescraper); ScrapingBee gives 1,000 starter credits only. Entry paid plans run 19 USD a month (Apify Starter, Firecrawl Hobby, ScrapingBee Hobby) to 83 USD (Octoparse Standard) and 189 USD (ParseHub Standard). Mid tiers are 99 to 199 USD for API and platform tools; top self-serve tiers reach 599 to 999 USD.
What to check before you buy
Coding needed. No-code tools (Octoparse, ParseHub, Browserflow, Simplescraper) suit non-developers; APIs (ScrapingBee, Firecrawl, Spider) need code.
Anti-blocking. Proxies, CAPTCHA solving and JavaScript rendering decide success on protected sites; some are metered add-ons (Octoparse residential proxies 3 USD per GB).
Pricing model. Fixed tiers (ParseHub), credits (ScrapingBee, Firecrawl), usage-based (Apify, Spider). Credit expiry and multipliers change real cost.
Free plan. Apify 5 USD usage a month, Octoparse 10 local tasks, Firecrawl 1,000 credits, ParseHub limited pages per run; ScrapingBee gives 1,000 credits once.
Output format. Markdown and JSON for LLMs (Firecrawl, Spider) versus CSV and Excel for business users.
How we test web scraping tools
The test for this category: Scrape the same 5 test sites (static, JavaScript, paginated); success rate, speed, cost per 1,000 pages.
Each tool is used to build the same small reference app or integration from the docs (for example a to-do API with auth, a site search over 10,000 products, a scraper for 1,000 pages). AI coding assistants get the same 20 coding tasks in a sample repository.
Each tool is tested on a paid plan, and its review shows the plan, the price and the test dates. The overall score is the average of the five parts on the right, rounded to the nearest half star. See the full method for developer platforms and APIs tools.
What we measure
- Time to first successful result following the docs
- Performance: latency, success rate or tasks passed
- Documentation and SDK quality
- Limits and lock-in (export, open standards)
- Cost at small, medium and large usage
The five parts of the score
Frequently asked questions
What is the best web scraping tool?
Roundups agree it depends on the job: no-code (Octoparse, ParseHub), platform (Apify), API (ScrapingBee), AI-ready (Firecrawl).
Is web scraping legal?
Depends on the data, site terms and local law; tools do not change that. Not researched in depth here.
Which web scraper is free?
Apify (5 USD monthly usage), Octoparse (local, 10 tasks), Firecrawl (1,000 credits), ParseHub (limited pages per run).
Do I need to code to scrape a website?
No with Octoparse, ParseHub, Browserflow or Simplescraper; yes for APIs like Firecrawl and ScrapingBee.
What is the cheapest paid web scraper?
Apify Starter, Firecrawl Hobby and ScrapingBee Hobby are 19 USD a month; Octoparse Standard 83; ParseHub Standard 189.
More in developer tools
Page updated November 4, 2026.
Jason Kim
I've never been impressed by software simply because it looks modern. I'm far more interested in what happens when you actually start using the platform.
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