Looking for the best social media scraping tool to scrape data from platforms like Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok? You’re in the right place. Social media scraping is essential for businesses, marketers, and researchers to gather social media data, track trends, conduct competitor analysis, and improve marketing strategies.
However, scraping social media platforms isn’t always easy; it comes with challenges like CAPTCHAs, IP bans, and dynamic content loaded with JavaScript. The right scraper API or web scraping tools can help you bypass these hurdles efficiently using proxies, residential IPs, and automation techniques.
In this guide, we’ll compare the top social media scraping tools in 2025 based on the following:
- Key features like CAPTCHA handling, IP rotation, JavaScript rendering, and real-time data collection
- Pricing and affordability for different use cases, from lead generation to market research
- Ease of use, reliability, and whether they offer no-code or Python-based solutions
By the end, you’ll clearly understand which social media scraper best fits your needs, whether for sentiment analysis, data extraction, or competitor monitoring.
Let’s dive in!
The Best Social Media Scraper of 2025: ScraperAPI
When it comes to social media scraping, ScraperAPI stands out as the top choice in 2025. Its all-in-one scraping advanced features and reliability make it the go-to tool for extracting data from platforms like Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more. Here’s why ScraperAPI is the best:
ScraperAPI simplifies the scraping process, making it accessible for beginners and advanced users. Its robust infrastructure ensures high success rates, even when scraping large volumes of data. Its flexible pricing plans cater to businesses of all sizes, from startups to enterprises.
Key Strengths:
- IP Rotation: ScraperAPI automatically rotates IP addresses, preventing IP bans and ensuring uninterrupted scraping.
- CAPTCHA Solving: Built-in CAPTCHA handling means you won’t get blocked by anti-bot measures.
- Real-Time Data Access: Access up-to-date information from social media platforms, crucial for tracking trends and competitor activity.
- Multi-Platform Support: Scrape data from multiple platforms seamlessly, including Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
- JavaScript Rendering: Easily handle dynamic content loaded with JavaScript, a common challenge in social media scraping.
Example: Scraping LinkedIn with ScraperAPI
Here’s a quick example of how to scrape LinkedIn jobs using ScraperAPI:
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
import requests
url = "https://api.scraperapi.com"
payload = {
'api_key': "YOUR_API_KEY",
'url': "https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/search?trk=guest_homepage-basic_guest_nav_menu_jobs&position=1&pageNum=0",
'render': "true"
}
response = requests.get(url, params=payload)
soup = BeautifulSoup(response.text, 'html.parser')
jobUl = soup.find("ul", attrs={"class" : "jobs-search__results-list"})
jobs = jobUl.find_all("li")
for job in jobs:
title = job.find("h3", attrs={"class": "base-search-card__title"}).text.strip()
company = job.find("h4", attrs={"class": "base-search-card__subtitle"}).text.strip()
location = job.find("span", attrs={"class": "job-search-card__location"}).text.strip()
date = job.find("time").text.strip()
print(f"Title: {title}\nCompany: {company}\nLocation: {location}\nDate: {date}\n\n")
This simple script sends a request to ScraperAPI, which handles IP rotation, CAPTCHAs, and JavaScript rendering, returning the LinkedIn job data you need. For a more detailed guide, check out our full LinkedIn scraping tutorial.
Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
Ease of use | Requires a bit of technical knowledge |
Very scalable | |
Very reliable | |
Transparent pricing |
ScraperAPI’s combination of power, ease of use, and affordability makes it the best social media scraper in 2025. Whether you’re scraping for market research, lead generation, or trend analysis, ScraperAPI has you covered.
Pricing
ScraperAPI is packed with advanced automated features, and you get access to these features for just a little token. From its 7-day free plan, which gives you 5000 API credits, to its enterprise plan, with over 3 million API credits, ScraperAPI provides you with all you need to extract data from any social media platform.
Here is a quick summary of what you get per plan:
Plan | Price | What you get |
Free 7 days trial | free | 5,000 API credits |
Hobby | $49 | 100,000 API Credits 20 Concurrent Threads US & EU Geotargeting |
Startup | $149 | 1,000,000 API Credits 50 Concurrent Threads US & EU Geotargeting |
Business | $299 | 3,000,000 API Credits 100 Concurrent Threads All Geotargeting |
Enterprise | Custom | 3,000,000+ API credits 100+ Concurrent Threads Dedicated Account Manager Slack Support |
Other 6 Great Social Media Scraping Tools to Consider
1. PhantomBuster
PhantomBuster is another useful tool to consider using for your social media scraping project. PhantomBuster is a cloud-based automation tool designed for scraping and extracting data from social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. It offers pre-built “Phantoms” (scripts) for specific tasks, making it easy for non-technical users to get started.
Key Features:
- Automates data extraction from multiple platforms
- Pre-built Phantoms for tasks like scraping LinkedIn profiles or Twitter followers
- No coding required
Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
User-friendly interface | Limited customization for advanced users |
Wide range of pre-configured workflows | Pricing can be high for large-scale projects |
Regular updates to adapt to platform changes |
Pricing
PhantomBuster has a fair and transparent price for a social media-focused scraper; it offers a 14 free trial period and a starting price of $69 per month. You can notice time-based, AI, and slot limitations in the price breakdown, which might be an issue for developers and individuals who require large data with limited capital.
Plan | Price | What you get |
Free Trial | Free | 2hr execution time1k AI credits5 Phantoms slotsLimited export |
Starter | $69 | 20hr/month execution time 10k/month AI credits 5 Phantoms slots Unlimited export Community access |
Pro | $159 | 80hr/month execution time 30k/month AI credits 15 Phantoms slots Unlimited export Community access Priority support |
Team | $439 | 300hr/month execution time -90k/month AI credits 50 Phantoms slots Unlimited export Community access Priority support |
2. Apify
Apify is a powerful cloud-based scraping platform that offers pre-built “Actors” for all major social media scraping. It’s highly customizable and supports JavaScript rendering, CAPTCHA solving, and large-scale data extraction. Apify isn’t niche-based like PhantomBuster; it can be used for other web scraping projects.
Key Features:
- Pre-built Actors for social media scraping
- JavaScript rendering and CAPTCHA solving
- Scalable infrastructure for large datasets
Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
Highly customizable with the ability to build your own scrapers | Steeper learning curve for beginners |
Strong community and extensive documentation | Costs can escalate for complex or high-volume tasks |
Pay-as-you-go pricing model | Some actors may require frequent updates |
Pricing
In terms of pricing, Apify has a transparent pricing structure. It charges per compute unit and has a detailed breakdown of how these charges are deducted. It provides excellent value for advanced users who need flexibility and scalability. However, costs can escalate for complex or high-volume tasks. It starts at the same price as ScraperAPI, but the cost increases significantly for hire plans.
Plan | Price | What you get |
Free trial | Free | $0.4 per compute unit Community support |
Starter | $49 | $0.4 per compute unit Chat |
Scale | $199 | $0.3 per compute unit Priority chat |
Business | $999 | $0.25 per compute unit Account manager |
3. SOAX
SOAX is known for its proxy-based scraping solution that provides residential and mobile IPs for data extraction. It also has a social media scraping feature that allows access to various social media options, including YouTube, WeChat, Snapchat, Telegram, Facebook, etc. With its extensive pool of residential and mobile IPs, SOAX ensures high success rates and reliable data extraction, even from geo-restricted or heavily guarded platforms.
Key Features:
- High Success Rates
- Easy integration with other tools
- Low risk of bans
Pros and Cons
Pros | Pros |
High-quality proxies with low ban rates | Requires technical expertise to set up |
Excellent for scraping geo-restricted content | Proxy costs can be high for large-scale projects |
Easy-to-use dashboard for managing proxies |
Pricing
Soax has a flexible social media scraper API pricing; it has no free plan and is more expensive than ScraperAPI, making it inconvenient for individuals with limited capital.
Plan | Price | What you will get |
Pay as you go | $15 | You only pay for the data you use From $2.10 /1000 requests |
Starter | $99 | Ideal for small-scale projects, smaller teams, and startups From $2.00 /1000 requests |
Standard | $249 | Great for growing businesses and teams From $1.90 /1000 requests |
Professional | $499 | For large companies with high-volume operations From $1.60 /1000 requests |
4. Zyte(For data buyers)
Zyte is a powerful, enterprise-grade scraping platform designed to extract data from social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. With its advanced features like automatic IP rotation, CAPTCHA handling, and JavaScript rendering, Zyte is ideal for businesses and researchers looking for reliable, scalable, high-quality data extraction.
Key Features:
- Managed Scraping Service
- Automatic IP Rotation
- CAPTCHA Handling
- JavaScript Rendering
- Scalable Infrastructure
Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
Highly reliable and scalable | Expensive for small businesses or individual users |
Suitable for large projects | Requires technical knowledge for advanced customization |
Excellent customer support | Limited pre-built solutions for social media platforms |
Pricing
Zyte is expensive but justified for large enterprises needing a fully managed, high-quality solution. For this price, the Zyte team helps you extract social media data from major platforms. It is enterprise-focused and might not be ideal for individuals with limited budgets and some developers who would love to customize or like the hands-on approach.
Plan | Price |
Zyte Data | $450 |
5. Smartproxy
Smartproxy is a proxy-based scraping tool with pre-built social media scrapers designed to help businesses and individuals extract data from social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. With its extensive pool of residential and data center IPs, Smartproxy ensures high success rates and reliable data extraction, even for geo-restricted or heavily guarded platforms.
Key Features:
- Ready-made scrapers
- Access to Real-Time Social Media Data
- Ready-made scraping templates
- Residential and Datacenter Proxies
Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
Affordable pricing compared to competitors | Limited pre-built solutions for social media scraping |
High-quality proxies with low ban rates | Requires technical expertise for advanced customization |
Flexible output options |
Pricing
Smartproxy’s social media scraping API has various price plans, starting from $50 and going up to $800. Smartproxy is a cost-effective option for beginners and small businesses with moderate scraping needs.
Plan | Price | What you will get |
25K requests | $50 | $2.0/ 1K req |
62.5K requests | $125 | 1.6/ 1K |
200K requests | $400 | $1.4/ 1K req |
400K requests | $800 | $1.2/ 1K req |
6. Bright Data
Another tool worth considering is Bright Data, a leading web scraping platform with a web scraping API for extracting data from social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Known for its robust infrastructure and high-quality proxies, Bright Data is designed for businesses and researchers who need reliable, scalable, and ethical data extraction solutions.
Key Features:
- Advanced Proxy Network
- Scraping Browser
- Ethical Compliance
- Bulk Request Handling
Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
Stable and Reliable | Expensive, especially for small-scale projects(no free trial) |
Production-Ready | Requires technical expertise to use effectively |
Scalable and suitable for large-scale projects | Overkill for simple scraping tasks |
Pricing
Bright Data is a top-tier solution for enterprises and advanced users who need reliability, scalability, and compliance. However, its high price point makes it less accessible for small businesses or casual users. Bright Data is worth the investment if you’re working on large-scale, complex scraping projects and have the budget.
Plan | Price | What you will get |
PAY AS YOU GO | $1.5/ 1K RECORDS | Pay-as-you-go without a monthly commitment |
GROWTH | $499 | $1.27/ 1K RECORDSTailored for teams looking to scale their operations |
BUSINESS | $999 | $1.12/ 1K RECORDS Designed for large teams with extensive operational needs |
REMIUM | $1999 | $1.05/ 1K recordsAdvanced support and features for critical operations |
Comparison: Which Social Media Scraper Is Right for You?
Product | Starting price/month | Speed | Social media supported | Automation Features |
ScraperAPI | $49 | Fast (thousands of requests per minute with proper API credit usage) | All platforms (Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Reddit, Snapchat, etc) | Built-in automation, Easy API integration Job Schedule |
PhantomBuster | $450 | Moderate (depends on Phantom configuration and Instagram restrictions) | – Facebook, -TikTok, -Instagram, -LinkedIn, -Slack | Cloud Execution Pre-built automation forlead extraction,LinkedIn outreach, etc |
Apify | $49 | Fast (scales with infrastructure and Actor configuration) | -Facebook, -TikTok, -Instagram,-YouTube, etc | Task Scheduling Customizable Actors for automation, likeLead generation, market research, etc |
SOAX | $99 | Fast (residential proxies ensure high speed and low detection rates) | -Facebook, -TikTok, -Instagram, -LinkedIn, -Reddit, -Snapchat | Proxy Rotation Real-time social media data extraction |
Zyte | $450(for data buyers) | Fast and Reliable (enterprise-grade infrastructure) | -Instagram, -Facebook, -TikTok, -X (Twitter), -YouTube, etc | Managed Scraping Automatic IP Rotation |
Smartproxy | $50 | Moderate (good speed but may vary based on proxy type and plan) | -Instagram, -Reddit, and -TikTok | Proxy Management Dashboard Ready-made scrapers Geotargeting |
Bright Data | $499 | Very Fast (advanced infrastructure and high-quality proxies) | -Instagram, -Facebook, -TikTok, -X (Twitter), -YouTube, etc | Scraping Browser Proxy Network Automation |
Why Use a Social Media Scraper?
Social media scrapers are powerful tools for businesses and researchers to extract valuable data from platforms like Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Here’s why they’re essential and how they’re used in real-world scenarios:
- Access to Valuable Data: Social media platforms are goldmines of user-generated content, trends, and insights. Scrapers help extract this data efficiently
- Competitive Analysis: Monitor competitors’ strategies, customer engagement, and product launches
- Market Research: Understand customer preferences, sentiment, and emerging trends
- Lead Generation: Identify potential customers or partners by scraping profiles and posts
- Automation: Save time and resources by automating data collection instead of manual scraping
Common Use Cases for Social Media Scraping:
Social media scraping provides valuable insights for businesses and researchers. Here are some of its most common use cases:
- Sentiment Analysis: Scrape comments, reviews, and posts to gauge public opinion about a brand or product
- Trend Tracking: Monitor hashtags, keywords, and viral content to stay ahead of trends
- Influencer Marketing: Identify influencers and analyze their engagement rates and audience demographics
- Customer Feedback: Extract reviews and feedback to improve products or services.
- Competitor Monitoring: Track competitors’ social media activity, including posts, ads, and customer interactions
- Data-Driven Decisions: Use scraped data to inform marketing strategies, product development, and business decisions
Social media scraping helps organizations stay informed and competitive by transforming raw data into actionable insights.
Conclusion: Choosing the Best Social Media Scraping Tool
Finding the right social media scraper depends on your use case, budget, and technical expertise. Here’s a quick breakdown of the top scraping tools to help you decide:
- ScraperAPI – Best overall for ease of use, affordability, and reliability. Great for both beginners and advanced users.
- PhantomBuster – Ideal for non-technical users looking for automation tools for LinkedIn and Instagram scraping.
- Apify – Perfect for advanced users needing customizable workflows and scalability.
- SOAX – Best for geo-targeting and high-quality proxies, but requires technical setup.
- Zyte – A top choice for enterprise users needing a managed scraping service with high reliability
- Smartproxy – Affordable and user-friendly, ideal for small-scale projects and beginners.
- Bright Data – Excellent for large-scale web scraping but has a higher price tag.
By considering factors like pricing, functionality, and ease of use, you can choose the best social media scraping tool for your needs—whether it’s for data collection, competitor analysis, or market research.
Ready to streamline your social media scraping? Try ScraperAPI today and unlock the easiest, most efficient way to extract data from platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. ScraperAPI provides the scraping tools you need to succeed, whether you’re a beginner or an expert. Get started with ScraperAPI now!
Happy Scraping!