Octoparse is a visual web scraping tool that lets you build scrapers without coding. But like any GUI tool, it has limitations for customization and scale. A more flexible API-based alternative is ProxiesAPI.
The Trouble With Octoparse
Octoparse makes it easy to point-and-click your way to building a web scraper. It has handy features like:
This lowers the barrier to entry for non-coders. But you sacrifice flexibility:
Serious scrapers often outgrow visual tools. To build advanced scrapers that customize logic and scale affordably, an API-based solution like ProxiesAPI is better.
ProxiesAPI - Simple Scraping API
ProxiesAPI reduces web scraping down to a single API call:
curl "<http://api.proxiesapi.com/?key=API_KEY&url=https://example.com>"
One line of code returns the HTML of any webpage. Under the hood, ProxiesAPI handles:
You get all the proxy management and scraping essentials without the visual tool overhead.
Plus, pricing starts at just $23/month for 250,000 API requests - far cheaper than Octoparse's cloud plans.
Why ProxiesAPI Beats Octoparse
Here's a comparison between Octoparse and ProxiesAPI:
Feature | Octoparse | ProxiesAPI |
Visual Workflow | Yes | API requests |
Custom Code | Limited | Full control |
Scaling Cost | Expensive cloud plans | Cheap API requests |
Proxy Rotation | Yes | Yes |
Browser Identities | Yes | Yes |
CAPTCHA Solving | Yes | Yes |
Javascript Rendering | Yes | Yes |
With ProxiesAPI, you get just the essential features without the visual tool bloat. And the API approach makes custom scraping logic easy, unlike Octoparse's limited built-in actions.
Take Control of Your Web Scraping
If you've outgrown visual scraping tools, ProxiesAPI gives you full control via API requests. Scrape any site with custom proxy management and zero coding overhead.
For basic needs, Octoparse is great. But advanced scrapers need the flexibility of code. ProxiesAPI makes it easy to scale your scraper while handling all the proxy headaches for you.
Get started with 1,000 free API requests at ProxiesAPI.com. Take control of your web scraping project with the simplicity of ProxiesAPI.