Instagram is one of the top social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users. For businesses and marketers, Instagram data provides valuable insights into audience interests, behaviors, competitors, trends, and more. Web scraping tools allow collecting Instagram data to power social analytics and marketing efforts. However, Instagram employs strict anti-scraping mechanisms, so you need an advanced Instagram scraping solution to access the data.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore the top Instagram scraping tools available in 2024 based on extensive research and hands-on experience with proxy services and web scrapers. Read on to learn:
- The legalities around scraping Instagram data
- How Instagram detects and blocks scrapers
- Types of Instagram scrapers and their key differences
- In-depth reviews of the 4 best Instagram scrapers
- Recommendations for selecting the right Instagram scraping tool
Let‘s start with the critical question of whether Instagram scraping is allowed.
Contents
Is Scraping Instagram Legal?
While Instagram discourages scraping, it‘s not illegal according to current laws and court rulings. The key factors that determine the legality of Instagram scraping include:
- Only collecting publicly accessible data – private profiles or content behind login screens cannot be scraped.
- Not violating Instagram‘s Terms of Service (TOS) – e.g. using bots or automated methods excessively.
- Respecting copyrights and intellectual property of content owners.
- Following relevant privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity laws if handling personal data.
As long as your Instagram scraping activity stays within these bounds, it should be permissible. However, laws vary internationally, so consult an attorney if unsure. Instagram also frequently updates its TOS, so regularly review it when scraping.
How Instagram Detects and Blocks Scrapers
To evade detection when scraping, it‘s important to understand Instagram‘s anti-scraping mechanisms:
- IP Monitoring – Instagram tracks and flags suspicious IP addresses based on request patterns, volume, etc.
- IP Blocking – Once an IP is flagged, Instagram may fully block it from accessing their platform.
- Browser Fingerprinting – Instagram identifies unique device characteristics like browser version, OS, etc. to detect bots.
- Rate Limiting – Limits are placed on how many requests can be made from an IP within a window.
- CAPTCHAs – These challenges require human verification and are triggered by bot-like activity.
Advanced scrapers use proxies, browsers, and other tactics to mimic organic human traffic and avoid triggering these defenses.
Types of Instagram Scraping Tools
There are 3 main types of tools used to scrape Instagram:
- No-Code Tools – Allow scraping via GUI with no coding needed. Quick setup but can lack customization.
- Web Scraping APIs – Send API requests to a remote scraper hosted in the provider‘s infrastructure. Handles proxies/browsers.
- Custom Scrapers – Build your own scraper from scratch using languages like Python. Technical expertise required.
Next, we‘ll review the top solutions across these categories for scraping Instagram in 2024.
Reviews of the Best Instagram Scrapers
1. Smartproxy
Smartproxy offers a specialized Instagram Scraping API making it easy to extract usernames, posts, followers and other public data.
Key Features:
- Scrape via proxy or API integration
- Synchronous and asynchronous scraping modes
- Built-in parsers extract structured JSON data
- Concurrency with no request limits
- 195 location targeting options
We found Smartproxy‘s Instagram scraper to offer excellent value. It‘s competitively priced starting at just $2 per 1,000 requests and provides great performance thanks to its proxy network spanning 195 locations. The API is well-documented with code examples available. Smartproxy also offers an API playground to test queries.
The only downside is the lack of batch data delivery – each request returns a single result. But for most use cases, Smartproxy has all the essential Instagram scraping capabilities while keeping costs low.
Pricing: Starts from $50 for 25,000 requests ($2 per 1,000)
Rating: 4.5/5
2. Bright Data
Bright Data provides multiple powerful options for scraping Instagram:
- Web Unlocker – General proxy-based scraper with automatic IP rotation.
- Web Scraper IDE – Script and run an Instagram scraper on Bright Data‘s cloud platform.
- Instagram Dataset – Ready-made dataset of Instagram data.
We found the Web Unlocker proxy API to offer the best performance for Instagram scraping. It intelligently manages proxies and locations to avoid blocks. The tool achieved average response times of 3-4 seconds in our tests.
Bright Data is one of the most full-featured scraping solutions available. However, the extensive capabilities come at a cost – pricing starts at $500 which is higher than competitors. But for large-scale Instagram scraping, the premium tools may justify the price.
Pricing: Starts at $500 per month
Rating: 4/5
3. Zyte (Formerly Scrapinghub)
Zyte provides a general-purpose Web Scraping API capable of extracting Instagram data. Its strengths include:
- Auto IP rotation and proxy management
- Automatic proxy selection by URL
- Browser automation for advanced scraping
- Cloud IDE for Python scripting (enterprise only)
In our tests, Zyte delivered the fastest performance on Instagram‘s GraphQL endpoint with an average response time of 2.59 seconds. The tool dynamically calculates pricing based on each target site‘s difficulty and selected features. This pricing model makes it very cost-efficient for simpler Instagram scraping use cases.
Zyte requires more technical expertise compared to no-code tools. But for savvy developers, it‘s a highly scalable Instagram scraping option.
Pricing: Starts from $25 per month
Rating: 4/5
4. Apify
Apify offers actor templates that provide ready-made Instagram scrapers requiring no coding. Some examples include:
- Get user profile data
- Get user followers
- Get user media data
- Get posts by hashtag
The actors provide a quick and easy way to extract Instagram data. Results can be exported in multiple formats or sent to cloud storage/web apps via built-in integrations.
However, Apify‘s pricing model can get expensive for larger volumes as it‘s based on usage rather than a flat rate. Instagram scraping will likely incur additional costs for residential proxies not included in the monthly plans.
The no-code actors make Apify better suited to small-scale Instagram scraping needs vs heavy usage. But it‘s a handy option for non-technical users.
Pricing: Monthly plans starting from $49
Rating: 3.5/5
Key Considerations for Choosing an Instagram Scraper
Here are some top factors to evaluate when selecting an Instagram web scraping solution:
- Features – Proxy management, parsers, automation capabilities, integrations, etc.
- Performance – Speed and reliability in avoiding blocks.
- Scale – Volume and throughput supported.
- Support – Documentation, ease of setup/use, responsiveness if issues arise.
- Budget – Consider free trials or usage-based pricing to control costs.
Prioritize tools that provide robust proxy rotation, headless browser support, and intuitive interfaces. These indicate advanced anti-detection capabilities vital for stable Instagram scraping.
Conclusion
Scraping Instagram can provide invaluable data to power social media marketing and analytics, but requires using a proper tool to overcome anti-scraping defenses.
For most users, we recommend starting with Smartproxy or Zyte. Both offer capable Instagram scrapers at affordable rates. Bright Data provides premium power and performance for large-scale needs. Apify is ideal for non-technical users who value simplicity.
We hope this guide has illuminated the best Instagram scraping solutions available in 2024. Let us know if you have any other questions!
