Is it a struggle to get the data you need from the web?
Do you spend hours manually copying and pasting information?
This problem is common among many people.
You know that données is powerful, but getting it is a major pain.
That’s where Apify comes in. Apify is a web scraping and automation platform.
It promises to turn any website into a clean dataset. But does it really work?
In this article, we’ll dive into Apify review, exploring its features, pricing, and user feedback.
By the end, you’ll know if Apify is the right tool for you.
Want to see the power of Apify for yourself? Our platform has been utilized to scrape over 2.5 million web pages and process more than 500 TB of data in a single month. Ready to get started? Try it for free today!
What is Apify?
The Apify platform is a powerful tool for developers.
It helps you extract data from any website.
Think of it as a one-stop shop for web scrapers and browser automation library tools.
Apify enables you to automate data collection, eliminating the need for manual effort.
You can use pre-built tools called Apify Actors to scrape data from the web.
This makes it easy to get all the data you need for your projects.
Who Created Apify?
Jan Čurn et Jakub Balada created Apify in 2015.
They saw a need for an easier way to get data from websites.
Their vision was to make web data extraction simple for everyone.
They built the Apify SDK to help developers get started.
The company’s goal is to make web data collection easy and accessible.
You can find many ready-to-use solutions, such as pre-built scrapers and AI agents, in the Apify Store.
These tools are built with a specific CSS selector to get other data for things like market research.
Top Benefits of Apify
- A Vast Ecosystem of Tools: Apify offers the largest ecosystem for web automation. You can find over 1,600 pre-built actors in the Apify Store. These are ready-to-use tools that save you a lot of time-consuming work.
- Developer-Friendly Platform: Developers can easily build their own custom code using JavaScript, Python, or Node. You can quickly develop a new actor and get it up and running. The platform gives you all the full details you need to get your projects done.
- Scalable and Reliable: The platform is built for scale. Whether you need to load a few sites or millions of them, Apify can handle the requests. It includes built-in features like proxies to prevent getting blocked. You can scale your project as your entreprise grows.
- Flexible Data Output: Once your scraper runs, you can extract the data and save it in a file of your choice. The output can be a table or a structured document. You can easily obtain the details you need in formats such as CSV or Excel and connect to your databases using the API.
- Easy to Manage: You can use the web interface or the API to manage your projects. The log feature lets you see exactly what your tool is doing. You can also monitor your usage, keep track of your storage, and manage your requests.
- Powerful Integrations: Apify works with other tools you use. You can easily integrate it with a web browser or connect the API to your existing workflow. This allows you to send the collected data automatically wherever you need it. It supports various URLs and can set up your scraping tasks with an input file. The HTML can be parsed as needed.
Meilleures caractéristiques
Apify boasts numerous excellent features that make it a top choice for web scraping.
These tools are unique and help you complete the job faster and more efficiently.
Let’s examine some of the standout features that distinguish Apify from the competition.
1. AI Web Scraper
The AI Web Scraper is a tool that uses AI to get data from websites.
You provide a URL and specify what you want.
The AI then examines the page and determines how to retrieve the necessary data.
2. Apify Store
The Apify Store is a marketplace of ready-made tools.
It has thousands of pre-built scrapers and automations.
You can find tools to get data from popular sites like Instagram, Google Maps, or TikTok without writing any code.
3. Actors
Apify Actors are serverless programs that run on the Apify cloud.
They can perform various tasks, ranging from scraping a website to processing large amounts of data.
This makes it easy to run your web automation tasks without having to set up and manage your own servers.
4. Intégrations
Apify connects with many popular apps and services.
You can link it to tools like Google Sheets, Zapier, or Airtable.
This helps you send the data you collect right to where you need it, making your workflow smoother.
5. AI agents
AI agents on Apify are smart tools that can do complex tasks.
They can make decisions and utilize other tools to accomplish a task.
For example, an AI agent could analyze médias sociaux posts and give you a report on a topic.
6. Anti-blocking
Apify has features to help you avoid being blocked by websites.
It employs intelligent techniques to make your scraping appear more natural.
This helps ensure your scraping jobs run without interruptions.
7. Proxy
The Apify Proxy service provides access to a vast pool of diverse IP addresses.
This helps you get around limits on websites and avoid being blocked.
It’s a key part of the anti-blocking system and is included in the platform.
8. Crawlee
Crawlee is an open-source library that powers many Apify scrapers.
It’s a tool for building reliable web scrapers and browser automation.
It handles many challenging aspects of scraping, such as managing requests and sessions.
9. Code templates
Apify provides many code templates to help you get started.
These are pre-written scripts that you can use as a starting point.
They save you time and help you learn how to use the platform’s tools quickly.
Tarification
Plan | Monthly Pricing |
Gratuit | $0 |
Démarrage | $35 |
Scale | $179 |
Entreprises | $899 |
Avantages et inconvénients
Every tool has its strengths and weaknesses. It’s essential to consider both the benefits and drawbacks to determine if Apify is the right fit for you.
Pour
Cons
Apify Alternatives
There are many great web scraping tools available.
Some are built for developers, while others are designed for people with no coding skills.
Here are a few top Apify alternatives:
- Scrapy: A free and open-source Python framework. It’s a powerful tool for building web crawlers and is perfect for developers who want full control over their projects.
- Bright Data: This platform is known for its large and reliable network of proxies. It offers a suite of data collection tools, with a strong focus on preventing blocked access to sites.
- Octoparse: A no-code web scraping tool with a visual point-and-click interface. It’s a great option for people who want to scrape data without writing any code.
- ScrapingBee: This is an API-based service. It handles headless browsers and proxy rotation for you, allowing you to focus on obtaining the data you need without the technical headaches.
- ScrapeGraphAI: An open-source Python library that uses AI and large language models (LLMs) to simplify the scraping process. You can instruct it on what to extract using simple, natural language prompts, and it will handle the rest.
Personal Experience with Apify
My team needed to collect a lot of data for a new project.
We had to get information from thousands of websites.
We used Apify to handle this big job. The platform made everything much easier.
Here’s how we used it and what we liked:
- We used the pre-built actors: Instead of starting from scratch, we found several pre-built tools in the Apify Store. They were perfect for getting the information we needed. This saved us a lot of time.
- Our developers can build custom tools. For more unique sites, they can easily create new scrapers. The platform gave them the flexibility they needed.
- It was easy to deploy: Once our custom scrapers were ready, deploying them on the Apify cloud was straightforward. We didn’t have to worry about managing servers.
- The anti-blocking features worked great: We were worried about getting blocked, but Apify’s proxy network worked well. We were able to scrape sites without any issues.
- The data was ready to use: The data we collected was clean and well-organized. We can easily download it as a CSV file and get started on our project right away.
Réflexions finales
Based on our review, Apify is a top-tier tool for web scraping and automation.
It offers a vast library of ready-made tools and robust features, including anti-blocking and proxy capabilities.
It’s a great choice for both new and expert developers.
While it can get pricey at a larger scale, the value it provides is clear.
If you need a reliable and scalable platform to extract data from the web, Apify is a great option.
Ready to see how it works for you?
Try Apify for free and start your first project today.
Questions fréquemment posées
Is Apify good for beginners?
Yes, Apify can be good for beginners. The Apify Store offers many pre-built tools that require no coding. However, for more complex tasks, some technical knowledge is needed.
How does Apify handle getting blocked from websites?
Apify has strong anti-blocking features. It uses a network of proxies to rotate IP addresses. This makes your scraping appear more human and helps avoid being blocked by websites.
What is the difference between an Actor and Crawlee?
An Actor is a program that runs on the Apify platform. Crawlee is an open-source library that helps you build reliable scrapers. Many Apify Actors are built using Crawlee.
Is Apify free to use?
Apify offers a free plan with a predetermined monthly credit allocation. This allows you to test the platform and its features before deciding to purchase a paid plan.
How does Apify’s pricing work?
Apify uses a credit-based, pay-as-you-go model. You get a set amount of credits with your plan. If you use more, you are charged for the extra usage on your next bill.