Web scraping is an invaluable tool for gathering data from websites. However, building a web scraper from scratch requires technical knowledge of languages like Python or JavaScript. This is where visual web scraping tools like ParseHub come in.
ParseHub allows anyone to scrape the web without coding. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes web scraping accessible to non-developers.
In this ParseHub review, we’ll take an in-depth look at its features, pricing plans, and overall value as a web scraping tool.
Contents
Overview of ParseHub
ParseHub is a well-established web scraper that was launched in 2013. It uses a visual interface where users can select elements on a web page to extract data from.
Some key facts about ParseHub:
- Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems
- Offers browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox
- Can extract data from HTML, JavaScript, and AJAX-based sites
- Outputs data in JSON, CSV, and API formats
- Integrates with services like Google Sheets, Zapier, and Python
ParseHub’s Key Features
Here are some of the standout features of ParseHub:
Visual point-and-click interface
ParseHub‘s main value proposition is its intuitive visual interface. There‘s no need to write any code. You simply point and click on the data you want to extract.
The interface shows a live preview of the target webpage. You can interact with page elements and build a selection to scrape data. For example, clicking on all the product titles on an ecommerce site to extract them.
Advanced commands like pagination and relative selectors allow you to scrape entire websites with complex structures.
Handles modern web technologies
Many sites nowadays rely on JavaScript, AJAX calls, and other dynamic techniques to load content. ParseHub can scrape data from such complex sites.
Its headless browser engine renders pages like an actual browser. This enables extracting data even if it loads after page load.
Powerful automation
While ParseHub itself provides a GUI, it can be automated via its API. This allows running scraping jobs programatically.
You can use ParseHub‘s API with Python, Node.js, PHP and other languages. The API also enables scheduling recurring scrapes.
Cloud-based proxy rotation
The paid plans of ParseHub come with integrated proxy rotation. It rotates your IP address with every request to avoid getting blocked.
ParseHub uses a global pool of residential proxies to mimic real users. This minimizes the chances of websites detecting and blocking scrapers.
Variety of output formats
Scraped data can be exported in JSON, CSV, Excel, Google Sheets or through ParseHub‘s API. This allows easy analysis or migration to databases and other apps.
For developers, the API output enables direct ingestion into other scripts and programs. The availability of raw JSON data allows complete flexibility.
Handy integrations
ParseHub connects with various third-party platforms like Zapier, Integromat, Python, Google Sheets, Slack and more.
For instance, you can automatically send scraped data to Google Sheets for analysis. Or push it to Slack to monitor scraping jobs.
Excellent documentation
ParseHub offers extensive documentation on every aspect of the tool. There are detailed guides with images and videos explaining each feature.
An active blog also covers scraping tutorials, use cases, and tips. This makes the learning curve for ParseHub less steep.
ParseHub Pricing Plans
ParseHub has a free forever plan along with three paid tiers. Here‘s an overview:
| Plan | Free | Standard | Professional | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $149/month | $499/month | Custom |
| Projects | 5 Public | Unlimited Private | Unlimited Private | Unlimited Private |
| Pages/month | 1000 | 50,000 | 200,000 | Custom |
| Speed | Slow | Moderate | Fast | Very Fast |
| Proxy Rotation | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Support | Email + Chat | Priority Email + Chat/Phone | Dedicated Account Manager |
Free plan limitations
The free plan serves well for learning and smaller projects. But it has some limitations:
- Only 5 public projects allowed
- Scraping speed is slow at 5 pages/minute
- No proxy rotation
- Lacks some advanced features
- 1,000 page scrape limit per month
The free plan is fine for personal use. But the lack of proxies and slow speed makes it unsuitable for larger projects.
Is the paid plan worth it?
ParseHub‘s paid plans unlock more advanced functionality and performance:
- Private projects aren‘t visible to others
- Much faster scraping speeds
- Built-in proxy rotation to avoid blocks
- Access to more advanced features
- Higher page scrape limits per month
- Priority email and chat support
For professional use, ParseHub‘s paid plans are worth the investment. The proxy rotation itself adds lots of value for larger scraping jobs.
The plans are reasonably priced for an all-in-one web scraper. For context, standalone proxies can cost over $500/month for datas.
Ease of Use
ParseHub is designed to be easy for beginners to pick up. The visual interface is intuitive and interactive.
When you load a new page, the selectors on the left let you visually choose what data to scrape:
Advanced selections like pagination and relative scraping also work with simple point-and-click commands.
Useful features like integrated tutorials, sample projects, and documentation further help get started. Both coding and non-coding folks can learn web scraping through ParseHub.
Customer Support
ParseHub offers email support for all plans. Live chat is also available for paying users.
During our testing, the email support team was very responsive. Most queries were answered within a day.
The company seems to invest heavily into content and guides for self-service troubleshooting. This enables solving basic issues without contacting support.
ParseHub also has an active forum community. You can find discussions on specific problems and integrations there.
Limitations of ParseHub
While ParseHub makes web scraping accessible, it does have some drawbacks:
- Paid plans can get expensive for larger workloads
- Advanced customization requires coding knowledge
- Not suitable for scraping thousands of sites in parallel
- Some sites actively try to block it
- Lacks browser extension support on mobile
For large scale web scraping, a custom coded solution may work out cheaper. But ParseHub hits the sweet spot for low-mid volume scraping.
What Are Good Proxies for ParseHub?
To scale upParseHub scraping, having dedicated proxies is crucial. Otherwise, you risk target sites blocking your IP address.
Some top proxy providers for ParseHub are:
BrightData – Reliable backconnect proxies ideal for web scraping. Fast residential IPs that are frequently rotated. Plans start at $500 for 40GB of traffic.
Smartproxy – Affordable residential proxies with unlimited bandwidth. Entry-level plans start at $75/month. IPs are shared among a small number of users.
Soax – Dedicated proxies where each IP is assigned to a single user. Ideal for avoiding sharing issues. Plans start at $250/month for 5GB of traffic.
ScrapeHero – Budget proxies specialized for web scraping. Decent performance for the lower price of $39/month. Limited to a 5MB/s download speed per proxy.
Oxylabs – A leading proxy provider that powers some large web scrapers. Offers city-level residential proxy targeting. Great performance, but at a premium price.
Make sure to evaluate factors like IP density, locations, and bandwidth when choosing proxies. The best proxy network will depend on your specific web scraping needs.
Conclusion
ParseHub makes it possible to extract web data without coding a custom web scraper. The visual interface enables anyone to start scraping the web in minutes.
For small-scale personal projects, the free plan provides enough value. It‘s a great way to learn web scraping at zero cost.
However, the paid plans unlock ParseHub‘s full potential for professional usage. The proxy rotation, higher speeds, and limits justify the subscription cost.
While ParseHub isn‘t suitable for every use case, it strikes an excellent balance between power and simplicity. Both novice and experienced folks can benefit from having this web scraping Swiss Army knife in their toolkit.
