Back to Blog

Top Web Scraping Tools for AI Agents and Automation Workflows

May 1, 2025•8 min read

In today's data-driven world, web scraping has become an essential technique for gathering information at scale. Whether you're building AI agents, automating workflows, or conducting market research, having the right web scraping tools can make all the difference. Based on my exploration of various platforms and tools, here's a comprehensive guide to the best web scraping solutions currently available.

Built-in Platform Scrapers

Relevance AI's Built-in Scrapers

Relevance AI, a leading platform for building AI agents, comes with powerful built-in web scraping capabilities. Their website content extraction tool is particularly useful for scraping data from review sites and blogs. They also offer a dedicated LinkedIn scraper that efficiently extracts data from LinkedIn profiles and posts. These built-in scrapers are seamlessly integrated into Relevance AI workflows, making them ideal for users already working within this ecosystem.

Make.com's HTTP Modules

For those using Make.com (formerly Integromat) to connect various tools and APIs, the platform's HTTP "make a request" module offers a simple solution for scraping static HTML pages. This is arguably the most straightforward and cost-effective approach to scraping, though it has limitations. Specifically, it may struggle with websites employing anti-scraping measures or those heavily reliant on JavaScript for rendering content.

Scraper Marketplaces

Apify

Apify stands out as a "giant marketplace for scrapers," offering an extensive collection of ready-made scrapers (called "actors") developed by a diverse community. The platform provides specialized scrapers for numerous platforms, including:

  • Simple web scrapers for general use
  • Apollo scrapers for lead generation
  • Social media scrapers (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube)
  • Business intelligence scrapers (G2, Crunchbase)

One of Apify's key advantages is its seamless integration with Make.com, making it a preferred choice for automating scraping workflows. The platform also offers free credits to get started, allowing users to test functionality before committing to a paid plan.

Rapid API

Similar to Apify, Rapid API serves as a marketplace for various APIs, including web scrapers. It offers Instagram scraper APIs and hosts tools like Ninjascraper for complex page scraping. However, its integration with Make.com is noted as being less straightforward compared to Apify, which might be a consideration for users prioritizing workflow automation.

Specialized Scraping Tools

Phantom Buster

Phantom Buster is a powerful tool for social media scraping that integrates well with Make.com workflows. It supports scraping from platforms like LinkedIn, Google, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X). The tool operates by setting up a "phantom" (scraper) and often requires providing input via a Google Sheet and connecting your social media account (typically via cookies for platforms like Twitter/X).

While Phantom Buster is considered somewhat more expensive than alternatives, its effectiveness for social media scraping makes it worth considering. Users should be cautious about platform limitations and anti-scraping measures when using this tool.

Dumpling AI

Described as a "great little tool for scraping right inside of make.com," Dumpling AI stands out for its ease of use and straightforward approach to common scraping tasks. The tool offers specialized modules for:

  • YouTube transcript extraction
  • URL scraping
  • Screenshot capturing
  • Google, Google Maps (for leads), and Google News searching

Its tight integration with Make.com makes it particularly attractive for users of that platform looking for no-fuss scraping solutions.

Firecrawl

Firecrawl has gained significant popularity in the scraping community for good reason. It offers a comprehensive suite of scraping functionalities, including:

  • Simple page scraping
  • Sitemap scraping (extracting all URLs from a domain)
  • Web crawling (scraping content from multiple linked pages)

One of Firecrawl's standout features is its ability to return scraped content in a cleaner format like markdown, saving users considerable post-processing time. The tool is accessible via API and can be used with Make.com or integrated into platforms like Relevance AI. With competitive pricing and a free plan, Firecrawl represents excellent value for most scraping needs.

Scraping Bee

Scraping Bee is primarily used via its API with Make.com to extract webpage content. While less detailed information is available about this tool from the notes, it's worth including in any comprehensive list of scraping tools for its API-first approach.

Scraperfly

Described as "by far the best" solution for complex page scraping where websites employ heavy anti-scraping protection (such as e-commerce sites), Scraperfly offers advanced features to bypass these defenses:

  • Automatic antibot bypass
  • Proxy rotation
  • JavaScript rendering
  • Real web browser emulation

Available via API and integrating well with Make.com, Scraperfly is the tool of choice for challenging scraping scenarios. Despite its advanced capabilities, it remains reasonably priced for most users.

Search and Lead Generation Scrapers

SerpAPI

SerpAPI specializes in scraping Google search results and is dubbed the "world's fastest and cheapest Google search API." It offers a free account with a limited number of queries and can be integrated into Make.com workflows using HTTP requests. This tool is particularly useful for extracting specific information from search results, such as finding a LinkedIn URL based on a person's name.

Outscraper

For those specifically looking to scrape leads from Google or Yellow Pages, Outscraper is suggested as potentially one of the most cost-effective solutions. Its specialization in business data makes it particularly valuable for sales and marketing teams targeting local businesses.

Scrapebox

While described as older software, Scrapebox may still be useful for specific scraping tasks, particularly extracting business information from Yellow Pages and similar directories. Its longevity in the market speaks to its reliability for certain use cases.

Gum Loop

Unlike the other tools mentioned, Gum Loop takes the form of a browser extension that automates browser actions for scraping without requiring coding knowledge. This approach makes it accessible to non-technical users who need to perform basic scraping tasks.

Choosing the Right Scraper

The "best" scraping tool ultimately depends on your specific requirements:

  • For complex websites with anti-scraping measures: Scraperfly is the clear winner
  • For general-purpose scraping with good pricing: Firecrawl offers excellent value
  • For social media scraping: Apify or Phantom Buster
  • For Make.com users seeking simplicity: Dumpling AI
  • For Google search scraping: SerpAPI
  • For non-technical users: Gum Loop browser extension

When selecting a scraping tool, consider factors like:

  • The complexity of target websites
  • Integration requirements with your existing workflow
  • Budget constraints
  • Technical expertise of your team
  • Volume and frequency of scraping needed

With the right tool in your arsenal, web scraping can transform your data collection capabilities and power more informed decision-making across your organization.

Ethical and Legal Considerations

Before implementing any scraping solution, it's important to consider the ethical and legal implications. Always:

  • Review and respect the website's terms of service and robots.txt file
  • Implement rate limiting to avoid overloading servers
  • Consider the privacy implications of the data you're collecting
  • Be aware of copyright restrictions on scraped content

By approaching web scraping responsibly, you can harness its power while maintaining good digital citizenship.