Best Social Media Scraping Tools

Every 6.4 seconds, a new social media account is created online. With around 3.5 billion users on different social media platforms, businesses and marketers have an abundance of opportunities.

Unlike the past, where gathering large data on population was hectic and impossible, social media has made it incredibly easy to create data sets. It provides brands and businesses a golden chance on the platter to tap the market and register high conversions.

Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc., are a large pool of user data, which can be used to target consumers for advertisements. Advertisers can scrape it using social media scraping tools to garner as many data points as possible on the demographic. After that, they can use it to create ad campaigns, targeting different sets of potential consumers using the ad programs of these social media platforms.

In the end, they help deliver a promising result in the form of increased revenues for the companies.

1. What is a social media scraping tool?

A social media scraping tool is an automatic application that scrapes or extracts user data from the social media websites available for the public.

Tools have bots that can be set based on different parameters, such as scraping data of users living in a particular city or following certain pages or posts on social media.

When combined with API(Application programming interface), Bots can deliver streamlined results within a short period. Make sure to use a good proxy for the tool to avoid getting blacklisted by the platforms.

2. Best Social Media Scraping Tools 2023

2.1 Smartproxy

Best For – People looking for an affordable, yet reliable scraping tool with excellent support and flexible pricing

Smartproxy is a renowned company that provides focuses on providing millions of proxies and comprehensive scraping tools. It’s a tool that has a 100% success rate and makes it easy to extract data from any country, city, or state.

In addition, Smartproxy is characterized by affordable prices with numerous additions such as X Browser, Address Generator, and Chrome/Firefox extensions. A No-Code scraper extension is another awesome feature for people with less experience in this field.

Smartproxy makes SERP data collection simple and supports eCommerce, Web, No-Code, and SERP scrapping, allowing you to gather as many bits of information as you need and improve your website’s SEO ranking through targeted marketing.

Pros

• 100% successful SERP, Web, No-Code, and eCommerce scrapping with proxy-like integration
• Headless scrapping is supported in all plans
• Full-fledged extensions for Chrome and Firefox browsers
• Live chat support is available 24/7 on the site
• Smartproxy starts at just $50 a month, making it very affordable
• Multiple third-party integrations

Cons

• Enterprise plans can be extremely expensive (more than $5,000 a month)
• A small 3-day money-back guarantee

Smartproxy

2.2 APIfy

Best For – Users and companies looking for a tool used for a reliable automation scraper

Used by over 15,000 companies worldwide, including Samsung, Microsoft, Accenture, amongst others, APIfy delivers consistently across the board. Automate any scraping functions from anywhere, ranging from the web browser to the dedicated application.

Pros

• Individual scraper tools for different social media and standard websites. Use actors and cloud-based programs to scrape the last piece of data from social media websites.
• Run the web scraping on automation in the web browser itself—no need to install any application.
• Get a custom social media scraping solution for your individual needs. Up to 100 shared data center proxies on standard plans for reliable data scraping needs.
• Access the fantastic actor programs developed by the community for enhancing scraping capabilities. It comes along with up to 21 days retention of scraped data in the cloud before deletion

Cons

• Not ideal for beginners of the field. Lack of custom library to handle web socket communication sans a browser.
• Room for improvement in datasets API.

Pricing

APIfy

2.3 Brightdata

Best for – Users who need an all-in-one data collection platform with associated services.

Brightdata is another social media scraping tool that you can consider. Because it is a comprehensive web data collection platform, you can enjoy many services from a single dashboard.

In addition to web data extraction, the platform offers proxy services. It means you can keep your collection on the right track without getting blocked.

Pros

• It offers a dedicated set of tools for individual forms of social media scraping and data collection from other web platforms
• You can use pre-designed datasets to ensure the best speed while collecting and analyzing data from multiple platforms. These datasets use AI and Machine Learning along with another tech.
• The package includes a web unlocker utility that can manage browser fingerprints, cookies, auto-intelligent IP selection, and broad compatibility with devices and platforms.
• It comes with a dedicated search engine crawler for specific keywords. In addition, you can combine it with social media scraped data for enhanced control.

Pros

• The documentation/support resources can be a little confusing for ultimate beginners in the field
• Sometimes, the lower-tier data collection packages are not powerful enough for extensive needs

Pricing

Brightdata

2.4 Scrapestack

Best for – Business customers who need straightforward web scraping and bulk data management

Scrapestack is currently trusted by more than 2000 companies that need powerful insights into data scraped from social media and other platforms. The web scraping REST API from the company can offer you peace of mind, thanks to the simple User Interface and rich features. You can even check the tool for yourself before you purchase the API from the firm.

Pros

• Scrapestack offers a number of free and paid options that suit different business sizes. You get to decide the most suitable plan for your business.
• The platform has the capacity to handle millions of proxy IPs, browsers, and CAPTCHA patterns. So, we are talking about a broader range of compatibility.
• Scrapestack is powered by one of the best infrastructures designs you can find in the market. From JS rendering to CAPTCHA solving, everything is possible with the system.
• The platform has its presence in more than 100 global locations. It means you can be as specific as you want when setting up dataset and collection parameters.

Cons

• The company could offer a few more options for technical support. While the documentation is great, there are fewer options for instant support.
• Scrapestack is not as comprehensive as the other social media scraping tools mentioned above. So, if you are looking for a 360-degree solution, you may need something else.

Pricing

Scrapestack

2.5 Agenty

Best for – Business users who need to scrape data and automate the process with advanced controls

Agenty is a tremendous social media scraping tool if you look at it from a usability point of view. It happens to be a Robotic Process Automation software powered by cloud computing. You can avail of many services, such as data scraping, text extraction, OCR, change detection, and sentiment analysis. The best part about the scraping agent is that it can scrape data from public and password-protected websites alike.

Pros

• The data extraction algorithm used by Agenty is quite effective for multiple systems. You can use the single platform for an incredible variety of needs, including feed collection and data comparison.
• Thanks to its Google Chrome extension, you can start scraping social media data with a single click. You do not have to worry about coding or shell-based access anymore.
• The platform also offers several features like batch URL crawling and scheduling. Even if the website has a log-in function, you can use the crawling feature.
• Last but not least, you can use social media scraping with other platforms like Google Suite, Dropbox, S3, Webhook, etc. Again, easy integration is a few clicks away.

Cons

• The tool offers limited customization options once you have imported the scraped data
• The company could add a few more options to track conversions and manage leads through the platform

Pricing

Agenty

2.6 ScraperAPI

Best For – Businesses who need a dedicated scraper for their custom software and portal

10% discount code: proxyguide10

Rely on the proxy API of ScraperAPI for scraping the social media for valuable data. You get a 7-day free trial with no credit card required. The free account gets enough mileage to get started.

Pros

• A large pool of 40 million IPs from around the world. Never get blocked again from scraping.
• Go all the way with your heavy-duty needs. Scrape anywhere north of 100 million pages per month.
• Fully customizable API and Proxy mode to deploy on your personalized software, applications. 
• Unlimited bandwidth with speeds of 100Mb/s, saving time and money for the users. 

Cons

• The Anti-block system in place is not perfect
• Lower plans are expensive and are not precisely the most value for money

Pricing

ScraperAPI

2.7 ScrapeStorm

Best For – Advertisers with no background in programming or complex coding.

ScrapeStorm provides an underrated social media scraping tool. Their application emphasizes the visual aspects for enhancing the overall usability for the targeted users. No programming of any sort is needed to get this tool up and running, ready to scrape the web.

Pros

• ScrapeStorm, a web scraping tool, offers a smart mode. It relies on AI algorithms to intelligently identify lists, tabular data, along with pagination buttons. No need to set the rules manually; simply enter the URL.
• View complex scraping rules in an easy to comprehend manner with the Flowchart Click on any webpage to see the rules and the scraping simulation in a visual manner. Schedule and enable IP rotation to avoid getting blacklisted by servers.
• You can rely on ScrapeStorm for your all individual, team, or even enterprise-grade scraping needs. Features like speed boost engine, webhook, and RESTful API provide it an edge over others.
• Auto export your scraped data in multiple formats – CSV, Excel, TXT, HTML, MySQL, SQL Server, MongoDB, WordPress, and Google Sheets.

Cons

• Troubles with logging in to multiple devices with one ID.
• It takes time to extract data from websites with complex structures. UI becomes unresponsive when dealing with an extensive dataset on a website.

Pricing

ScrapeStorm

2.8 Diffbot

Best for: Business customers who need to handle not just social media scraping but also other forms of data retrieval

Diffbot is what you should call the complete solution for data collection, integration, and interpretation. It does not matter what kind of data type you are dealing with; this API will get the job done. Unlike the other complete solutions, though, Diffbot integrates AI and ML into the entire process. Therefore, you can come across actionable social media scraped data in a few minutes.

Pros

• Diffbot is used by an impressive set of organizations such as Intel, DuckDuckGo, Yandex, Microsoft, and FINRA. It means you are making an excellent choice for data integration.
• You can use Diffbot to collect and integrate data with an incredible set of services. It means you get to have maximum control over the process and the outcome.
• Diffbot is home to different services: Knowledge Graph Search, Knowledge Graph Enhance, Natural Language, Extract, and Crawl. In addition, you can get customized features in this package.
• Last but not least, you can use this social media scraping tool as you grow the requirements. Because the tool is not rule-based, you can customize it to your needs.

Cons

• While Diffbot does not require coding, you may need time to get started with everything. On the bright side, it has a good set of support resources.
• In some instances, you may end up with a complex set of data. In these cases, you have to spend extra time filtering things out.

Pricing

Diffbot

2.9 Mozenda

Best For – Users and businesses seeking managed scraping services with data available in an organized manner

Mozenda is trusted by a large chunk of Fortune 500 companies for their web scraping needs. They manage the heavy-lifting for you and serve freshly scraped social media data on a platter.

Pros

• Integrate data with the leading partner sites or custom data integration with a few select sites.
• Data presentation and preparation using data wrangling software. Let the service harvest and compile the raw data in a tidied form, helping make big decisions.
• Scrape data directly from images, texts, and PDF on social media web pages. Take advantage of the reliable API for exporting directly in several renowned formats – JSON, TSV, CSV, XML, or XLSX.
• On-promise social media scraping option where all the software is installed on your hardware facility. Get more control over the data with customized solutions.

Cons

• Inadequate testing/logical functionality.
• Flash sites are not supported on the platform.

Pricing

The pricing is not explicitly available on the website. We gathered information about their Standard plan, which starts at $199 a month.

Mozenda

2.10 Import.io

Best For – Businesses and marketers looking to scrape social media at a large scale.

Import.io can be your go-to service when you need data scraping at a scale, import.io can be your go-to service. The service learns from your actions to extract the information in a more efficient manner. Enter a URL, and the tool will take care of the rest.

Pros

• Extract data from pages hidden behind a login. Click and point to a location for training the tool for extraction.
• Auto-train the extractor using the machine learning algorithm. Head straight from the URL to a dataset in a moment. Apply your custom JavaScripts for controlling interaction with the pages.
• Create your own custom extra rules using Xpath and Regex, which are query language and sequence of characters for search patterns.
• io automatically redacts personally identifiable information (PII) from the web extraction according to GDPR compliance.

Cons

• Expensive for single-user customers.
• Tool instability for low-end computers.

Pricing

The pricing starts at $299/month, while a free version is available in a trial.

Import.io

2.11 ScrapingRobot

Best For – digital marketers who are looking to get web data extracted with intricate details

Most scraping tools out there give up on data extraction from websites with complex structures. ScrapingRobot shines here with its expertise in dealing with such sites, easily scraping data.

Pros

• In-built parsing logic for returning the data. No need to use a separate parser for metadata.
• Auto-train the extractor using the machine learning algorithm. Head straight from the URL to a dataset in a moment.
• No need to maintain a large pool of proxies for scraping. Import.io does the job of using the onboard pool to ensure maximum conversions with minimal bans.
• Custom templates, known as modules that have a predefined configuration to ease the process of scraping.

Cons

• Supports data export in a limited number of formats.
• Lack of data integration with leading social media sites

Pricing

ScrapingRobot

2.12 OutWit

Best for – Users who need a standalone piece of software for social media scraping

OutWit Services is a noteworthy option to consider if you are looking for a complete solution for harvesting data from the web. You can use this single tool to download quantifiable content from the web, regardless of the type of site you are dealing with. Even though it was released back in 2010, the developer has provided incredible support for the tool.

Pros

• OutWit Hub is a standalone software that can be home to your social media scraping and data collection needs on the web. You can also customize how the system looks and works.
• Because of the design, you can use OutWit for an incredible variety of purposes. We are talking about brand identity audit, ads, e-Commerce, social media monitoring, etc.
• You can get tailor-made scrapers from the company. The company will survey your needs and develop a new scraper that enables your basic and advanced needs.
• Because of the custom nature, you can expect the User Interface to be as simple or complex as you like. In the end, OutWit is all about custom performance.

Cons

• Sometimes, developing custom tools and scrapers for your needs may cost an indefinite amount. Therefore, it is not the most suitable option for beginners.
• There is also a delay in the entire process with OutWit. First, you have to provide the requirements and get it done by the developer.

Pricing

The pricing plans of OutWit social media scraping are custom-made.

OutWit

3. Social Media Scraping Tools FAQ

3.1 Are free scraping plans enough to get things done?

You can always use free trials for getting started. The problem arises when you need all the features onboard, involving bigger scrape requirements. You cannot rely on free plans to scrape social media data as the quota gets plummeted pretty quickly.

3.2 Do we need programming expertise for scraping social media data using these tools?

Some extra features like custom scripts and modules require JavaScript, python to get things done. You can quickly get by using the conventional methods in cases of standard requirements. Tools such as Mozenda and Scrapestorm are your best bet as they emphasize usability for non-programmers.

3.3 Cloud vs. Desktop app – Which one is better?

This is a question you must ask yourself, interpolating your requirements. Cloud is ideal for users who want their data backed up and tools accessible from anywhere, on several devices.

On the other hand, a desktop app is ideal for on-site deployment involving large-scale scraping. You need a specialized hardware setup for obtaining data from social media sites on a large scale.

3.4 Are onboard proxy pools better than mine?

You will need to test the onboard proxies to determine their feasibility and reliability. Your custom requirements may warrant specific proxies that cannot be matched by the ones provided by the tool.

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