Apify
Apify is the platform for web scraping and browser automation: over 37,000 pre-built Actors or your own code in the cloud.
Apify is a cloud platform for web scraping and automation based in Prague. Its core concept is Actors: small programs that extract data from websites or perform browser actions. The Apify Store offers over 37,000 ready-to-use Actors, ranging from Google Maps scrapers to Instagram crawlers.
Businesses use it to pull competitor pricing data, reviews from portals, or real estate listings into structured tables. Developers write their own Actors in JavaScript or Python and run them in the Apify cloud, complete with proxy rotation and scheduling. Results can be delivered via API or webhook to n8n, Make, or a data warehouse.
Phantombuster is quicker to set up for pure social media lists, but its capabilities are limited to that. With Apify, however: without a basic technical understanding, it can be challenging, and the cost per run is difficult to predict because it's billed based on computing power.
The top choice for teams with developer access and regular data needs beyond individual lists. If you only occasionally need a LinkedIn list, Phantombuster is sufficient.
Functions
- Marketplace Model: Developers worldwide maintain scrapers for almost every major website
- Open-source framework Crawlee for your own crawlers
- Pay-per-Usage: Billing based on computing power instead of a flat-rate license
- Scaling from single queries to millions of pages
- Free tier for testing without a credit card
Core Functions
- Over 37,000 pre-built scrapers and automations in the Apify Store
- Develop custom Actors with JavaScript or Python
- Proxy infrastructure with rotation to prevent blocks
- Data export as JSON, CSV, or Excel and via API
- Schedules, webhooks, and integration with n8n, Make, and Zapier
Alternativen zu
Apify
Next.js
Next.js is the most used React framework for fast, SEO-friendly websites and web apps, developed by Vercel.
React Native
React Native is Meta's framework for mobile apps: a single codebase for iOS and Android instead of two separate developments.
Vue
Vue.js is a JavaScript framework for web interfaces: easier to learn than React and popular with agencies and corporations.
MySQL
MySQL is the most widely used open-source database in the world, storing the data behind WordPress, online shops, and web apps.