7 Best Web Scraping Software Tools for Data Extraction Without Coding | blog (2023)

Ever since the world wide web started to grow in terms of data size and quality, companies and data enthusiasts have been looking for methods to extract data from the web smoothly. Today, the best web scraping tools can recover data from your favorite websites easily and quickly. Some are intended for hobbyists and some are suitable for businesses.

DIY web scraping software falls into the first category. If you need data from some websites of your choice for a quick survey or project then these web scraping tools are more than enough.DIY web scraping tools are much easier to use than programming your own data extraction setup.You can get unencrypted data with these web scraping tools. Here are some of the best data collection software aka web scraping software available in the market right now.

1. Outsmart hub

Browsing off the listis a Firefox extension that can be easily downloaded from the Firefox add-ons store. Once installed and activated, it provides scraping features for your browser. Extracting data from websites using Outwit Hub requires no programming skills. Setup is very easy to learn. You can consult ourguide to using the Outwit hubto start extracting data using the web scraper. Since it's free, it's a great option if you need to quickly query some data from the web.

2. Chrome Web Scraper Extension

The web scraper is a good alternative to the Outwit hub available for Google Chrome which can be used to retrieve data without coding. It allows you to create a site map (blueprint) of how to navigate a site and the data to extract. It can crawl multiple pages at the same time and even has dynamic data extraction capabilities. The plugin can also handle JavaScript and Ajax pages, making it even more powerful. The tool allows you to export the extracted data to a CSV file. The only downside to this web scraper extension is that it doesn't have a lot of built-in automation features. learn to usea web scraper to extract data yes web.

3. Spinn3r

Spinn3r is a good choice for extracting entire data from blogs, news sites, social media and RSS feeds. Spinn3r uses a firehose API which handles 95% of the web crawling and indexing work. It allows you to filter the crawled data using keywords, which helps weed out irrelevant content. The indexing system in Spinn3r is similar to that of Google and stores the extracted data in JSON format. Spinn3r's scraper works by constantly scanning the web and updating its dataset. It has a full-featured management console that lets you perform searches on raw data. Spinn3r is one of the best web scraping tools if your data requirements are limited to multimedia websites.

4. Fminer

Fminer is one of the easiest web scraping tools that combines top features. Its visual dashboard makes extracting web data from websites as simple and intuitive as possible. Whether you want to crawl data from simple web pages or run complex data retrieval projects that require proxy lists, Ajax manipulation, and multi-level crawls, Fminer can handle it all. If your project is complex enough, Fminer is the web scraping software you need.

5. Dexi.io

Dexi.io isa web-based scraping app that requires no download. It is a browser-based web scraper that allows you to configure crawlers and retrieve data in real time. Dexi.io also has features that allow you to save your copied data directly to Box.net and Google Drive or export it as JSON or CSV files. It also supports scraping anonymous data using proxy servers. Tracked data will be hosted on their servers for up to 2 weeks before being archived.

6. ParseHub

Parsehub is a tool that supports extracting complex data from websites using AJAX, JavaScript, redirects and cookies. It is equipped with machine learning technology that can read and analyze documents on the web to extract relevant data. Parsehub is available as a desktop client for Windows, Mac and Linux, and there's also a web app you can use in your browser. You can have up to 5 tracking projects with Parsehub's free plan.

7. Octoparse

Octoparse is an easy to configure visual scraping tool. The point and click UI allows you to teach the scraper how to navigate and extract fields from a website. The software impersonates a human user when visiting and collecting data from target websites. Octoparse allows you to run your export in the cloud and on your own local computer. You can export the extracted data in TXT, CSV, HTML or Excel formats.

Web Capture Tools vs DaaS Providers

While web scraping tools can handle simple to moderate data extraction requirements, they are not recommended if you are a company trying to gather data for competitive intelligence or market research. DIY scraping tools can be the right choice if your data requirements are limited and the websites you want to crawl are not complex.

When the requirement is large and complex, web scraping tools fail to meet expectations. If you need an enterprise-grade data solution, outsourcing the requirement to a data-as-a-service (DaaS) provider may be an ideal choice. Learn aboutYour business needs a DaaS provider.

Dedicated web scraping service providers like PromptCloud take care of end-to-end data collection and deliver the data you need as you need it. If your data requirement calls for custom configuration, then a DIY tool cannot cover it. Even with the best web scraping tools, customization options are limited and automation is almost non-existent. Tools also come with the downside of maintenance, which can be a daunting task.

A web scraping provider will set up monitoring for the target websites and ensure that the web scraping setup is well maintained. Data flow will be smooth and consistent with a hosted solution.

Here are some of thembenefits of using DaaS serviceshow to PromptCloud for web scraping about DIY web scraping tools:

1. Reliability:DaaS providers are more reliable than web scraping tools as they provide access to high quality data that is accurate, timely and consistent. On the other hand, web scraping tools can be affected by changes in the structure or coding of the site, leading to inconsistent or incomplete data.
2. Scalability:DaaS services are highly scalable and can easily handle large amounts of data. This makes it possible to extract data from multiple sources simultaneously, saving time and effort. Web scraping tools, on the other hand, can struggle to handle large amounts of data, resulting in slower processing times and a higher risk of errors.
3. Security:DaaS services provide better security features than web scraping tools such as encryption, authentication and authorization. This makes it possible to protect sensitive data and comply with data protection regulations. Web scraping tools may lack these security features, leaving companies vulnerable to data breaches and cyberattacks.
4. Cost Effectiveness:DaaS services can be more cost-effective than web scraping tools as they offer a pay-per-use pricing model. This means businesses only pay for the data they need, reducing the risk of wasted resources or overuse. Tissue scraping tools often require upfront costs and ongoing maintenance costs, making them less cost-effective over time.
5. Compliance with legislation:DaaS providers are responsible for ensuring that the collected data is obtained legally and ethically, which can be challenging for web scraping tools. DaaS providers are experienced in dealing with legal and ethical issues related to web scraping, which can help you avoid legal issues.
6. Save time:DaaS providers can help you save time by automating the web scraping process. This can be especially useful if you need to collect data frequently or in large amounts. With web scraping tools, you may need to manually configure each scrape, which can be time consuming and error prone.

conclusion

While do-it-yourself web scraping tools can be useful for some businesses, data-as-a-service (DaaS) providers offer several key advantages that make them a superior choice. DaaS providers can offer scalable, reliable, high-quality web scraping services tailored to your specific needs. They can also provide technical support, legal compliance and integration with your existing systems, which can save you time and money.

Additionally, DaaS providers can customize their services and offer flexible pricing, making them a cost-effective choice for businesses of all sizes. By leveraging the expertise and infrastructure of DaaS providers, companies can get the mined data they need with greater ease and accuracy, allowing them to make more informed business decisions.