Apify vs Octoparse: Developer vs No-Code

Different Approaches

Apify provides a marketplace of pre-built scrapers. You select a tool, configure inputs, and run it. For custom needs, you write JavaScript or Python.

Octoparse provides a visual workflow builder. You point and click on elements to extract. No code required, but you must build each scraper yourself.

Feature Comparison

Example: Scraping Amazon Products

With Apify

1. Find Amazon Product Scraper actor
2. Enter product URLs or search query
3. Click "Start"
4. Get structured data: titles, prices, reviews, images

Time: 5 minutes.

With Octoparse

1. Open Octoparse desktop or web app
2. Enter Amazon URL
3. Click on product title to select it
4. Click on price, reviews, images
5. Configure pagination
6. Test and adjust selectors
7. Run the workflow

Time: 30-60 minutes to set up.

When to Choose Apify

• A pre-built actor exists for your use case
• You value speed over customization
• You are comfortable with code (for custom needs)
• You want the fastest path to data

When to Choose Octoparse

• You need to scrape unique sites without existing tools
• You cannot or prefer not to write code
• You want a visual interface for building scrapers
• You prefer desktop apps over web platforms

Our Verdict

For most users, Apify is faster and more cost-effective. The pre-built actors eliminate setup time. You get data in minutes, not hours.

Octoparse is valuable for non-technical users scraping unique sites. If no Apify actor exists and you cannot code, Octoparse's visual builder helps.

Sources

• Apify Pricing
• Octoparse Official Site