There are a bunch of web scraping tools available out there. While it’s great to have a huge number of options to choose from, the fact remains that such a variety often makes it difficult for users to pick the right one.
We have reviewed several web scraping tools in the past, and today we’ll have a look at Scrapestack. It wouldn’t be entirely wrong to state that Scrapestack is one of the most trusted platforms out there. In fact, according to the company, it is used by over 2,000 businesses and offers 99.9% uptime.
Let’s know more about this tool in this Scrapestack review and conclude if it’s worth trying or not.
What is Search Engine Result Page (SERP)?
Shortened for Search Engine Result Page, SERP refers to the output page or pages that appear when we search for a specific keyword on a search engine such as Google or Yahoo.
Almost anyone who uses the internet goes to a search engine to search for what they need. According to reports, more than 3.5 billion searches are performed on Google in 24 hours. However, Google isn’t the only search engine platform. Users also use Yahoo, Bing, and Baidu to search for what they need.
All search engines use their own algorithms to select the top results to display. Since businesses aim to rank on the first page, this data can be useful to study what it takes to dethrone competition.
Studying so many pages can be difficult manually, hence businesses use tools like Scrapestack to unearth information.
What is Scrapestack?
Scrapestack is a full API service that allows users to scrape complete websites without worrying about technical difficulties such as IP blocks, CAPTCHA solving, proxies, geo-targeting, and more. All you have to do is enter a valid URL and the platform will perform its job and provide a complete response, just like you’d see in your browser.
The platform is designed to offer a simple and easy REST API interface to allow users to scrape web pages in bulk without any trouble. It supports a number of features one needs for this purpose including POST/PUT requests, JavaScript rendering, geo-targets, custom HTTP headers, and proxies.
The product is maintained and built by Apilayer, a multinational software company with offices in Vienna, Austria, and London, England. It’s a renowned name in the world of SaaS products with some popular products under its belt.
Scrapestack Products
Unlike other similar software, Scrapestack doesn’t only support a single platform or a single type of search pages. It offers a wide variety of platforms and is truly versatile.
Some of the products it offers in a single tool include:
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
This tool is able to scrape social media pages including some of the most popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Billions of people use these platforms everyday to share content with the world. This information can be very valuable for businesses as they now use social media to reach their target audiences and increase sales.
eCommerce Platforms (Amazon, eBay, etc.)
Back in the day, online shopping was nothing but a dream. But, thanks to giants like Amazon and eBay, you can buy and sell almost anything online. This tool can scrape these pages and find information that can help businesses sell more.
Video Platforms (YouTube)
According to a recently published report, YouTube is now the second largest search engine. A large number of people search YouTube for what they need instead of going to Google. This is why businesses are now interested in finding information through YouTube, which they can use to rank well, sell more, and reach a wider audience.
YouTube has its own SERP. When you search for a keyword, it gives you results based on how suitable a video is. This platform can help you identify what YouTube considers when ranking pages so you can come up with a better strategy for your site.
We think this option is quite useful since videos can make a lot of difference when it comes to marketing and branding.
Search Engines (Google, etc.)
This is the basic service since most scraping tools are used to study search engine results. Scrapestack allows you to not only search for web page results but also for results based on other factors such as images. Hence, we can say it is a complete scraping tool.
Travel Sites (Booking.com, TripAdvisor, etc.)
The platform is able to parse Booking.com and TripAdvisor results. Traveling is a billion dollar industry. The average family spends about $2,000 on a family vacation. Travel companies want to have data to target travelers and grow more. Scrapestack can be a good platform for such users.
Maps Search (Google Maps, etc.)
Scrapestack is one of the few scraping tools that allow users to find information on Google Maps. This is suitable for businesses because buyers often use this data to reach their destination.
Salient Features
Still wondering what ZenSERP can do? Here are some of its main features:
Highly Scalable
Scrapestack is a REST API service designed using top-notch Apilayer cloud infrastructure hence it is quite scalable and can handle hundreds of requests per minute. In fact, according to the company, it is made to manage millions of monthly requests, hence you will never have to worry about the system crashing or going slow due to excessive load.
Easy to Use API
What we liked the most about this tool is how easy it is to use. The system is able to handle everything from CAPTCHA solving to JavaScript, hence you will not have to handle the job manually.
Highly Accurate
The results are accurate as the system is able to replicate ‘real’ experiences. The page you will see is the page you’ll come across if you go to Google the same keyword on your device. Hence, the output is highly reliable.
Hundreds of Locations
You can choose from hundreds of international locations to get results. If you do not want to use a specific location then the system allows you to choose random targets.
This feature can help you gauge how a website performs or differs based on where the result is coming from. This is important because Google Canada may not show the same results as Google Australia.
Compatibility
This is where Scrapestack scores. It supports not only Google but a bunch of other platforms as well, including social media sites.
Customer Support
You can go to the Contact Us page to leave the team an email. They take between 24 to 48 hours to respond to queries. However, there is no option to call the company or chat with agents. Premium customers may enjoy better support.
Note: The articles on the website explain how the platform works pretty well.
Pricing:
You do not have to pay to know how Scrapestack works since they offer a free package that comes with limited functions including 10,000 requests and only standard proxies.
Here are the other packages:
- Basic: This one gives you access to new features and up to 250,000 requests per month. The package offers standard proxies, JavaScript rendering, concurrent requests, and over 100 geolocations with unlimited support. This one costs $15.99 per month if you sign up for 12-months. However, the monthly package will cost you $19.99.
- Professional: In addition to all the features that come with the Basic plan, this one offers premium proxies and 1,000,000 requests per month. This one costs $63.99 per month if you sign up for 12-months. However, the monthly package will cost you $79.99.
- Business: This is said to be suitable for businesses as it offers 3 million requests with premium support and all the features mentioned above. This one costs $79.99 per month if you sign up for 12-months. However, the monthly package will cost you $149.99.
Other than this, you can also request a custom package based on your requirements.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- You can use it for free
- Is very easy to use
- Gives fast results
- Covers a large number of platforms
Cons
- No live chat feature
Conclusion
We love what Scrapestack has to offer. It’s highly versatile. Plus, you can use it for free and even purchase a customized package within your budget. Highly recommended!