Octoparse alternative
One clean data API instead of a task you build and run.
One request, real response
No task to build, no desktop app to run. You send one GET request and get clean data back in about a second. The example below is a Maps search:
You get clean JSON from the API. The same rows come back as CSV, so they drop straight into Sheets or a CRM:
Swap type=maps for news, shopping, reviews, and the rest. The key and the schema stay the same across every type.
What data do you get?
Every result comes complete, so you build a list or a dataset with no second call. The same business as CSV, ready for Sheets or a database:
Or the same record as JSON:
Octoparse vs CrustAPI
Octoparse is a point-and-click tool for building your own scrapers on almost any website. CrustAPI is one data API for the whole Google menu, plus LinkedIn profiles and local business leads.
| Octoparse | CrustAPI | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing model | Subscription plans billed monthly or yearly by tier | Pay only for results; no compute or storage fees |
| Free tier | Free plan available with limits | Free to try, no card |
| Balance expiry | Subscription resets each cycle, used or not | Prepaid funds never expire |
| Data and output | You build a task, run it, then export the dataset as CSV, Excel, or to a database | Clean JSON in the API response, or the same rows as CSV; keep and export it |
| Setup | Point-and-click task builder you configure per site | One GET request, JSON back in about a second |
| Site coverage | General purpose, point it at almost any website | One clean data API: the whole Google menu, plus LinkedIn profiles and local business leads |
| Google surfaces | You build a task per surface yourself | Search, Maps, News, Shopping, Images, Videos, Scholar, Patents, Places, Reviews, Autocomplete, Webpage |
How much does CrustAPI cost?
You pay the applicable price per successful call. Maps bills per business returned; other Google endpoints bill per successful request. Empty and failed requests are free.
| Deposit | Google Search / 1,000 requests | Maps / 1,000 businesses | LinkedIn reads / 1,000 requests | People, Jobs, Refresh / 1,000 units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10+ | $1.00 | $1.96 | $6.00 | $1.96 |
| $149+ | $0.76 | $1.49 | $4.50 | $1.49 |
| $549+ | $0.56 | $1.10 | $3.30 | $1.10 |
| $1,999+ | $0.41 | $0.80 | $2.45 | $0.80 |
| $6,500+ | $0.33 | $0.65 | $1.95 | $0.65 |
| $27,500+ | $0.28 | $0.55 | $1.65 | $0.55 |
| $50,000+ | $0.26 | $0.50 | $1.50 | $0.50 |
| $100,000+ | $0.20 | $0.40 | $1.50 | $0.40 |
Every eligible account gets $6 of free usage monthly. Each deposit keeps its prices until spent; paid funds never expire. People and Jobs bill per successful search, Refresh per accessible profile. Full profiles in People use the read rate per full profile. See all billing details.
Larger deposits unlock lower endpoint prices. Each deposit keeps its prices until spent. See the full deposit table on the pricing page. Prices in USD, ex-tax.
Funds are prepaid and never expire. LinkedIn profile calls bill the applicable endpoint price for successful data too. No plan to size, no seat to renew, no storage fee on top.
How do you get started?
No task to build. From zero to real data in about two minutes:
- 1
Create a free account. Try it free, no card needed.
- 2
Type a search in the playground. Pick a type like maps or news and run a query.
- 3
Export the CSV, or copy your key and run the curl. Same records as JSON through the API.
Every Google surface, one API
One key and one schema across the whole Google menu. Each type returns clean records you can keep, with no task to build first. LinkedIn profiles and local business leads round out what CrustAPI pulls.
Who switches from Octoparse?
- Lead gen teams. Pull every business in a niche with phone and website, then export the CSV the same day.
- Ops and no-code builders. Swap a scraper task you babysit for one request from n8n, Clay, or Sheets.
- Developers. One GET request and one schema across every Google type, with no task builder to maintain.
- Researchers and analysts. Pull news, reviews, and Scholar results into one dataset without building a workflow per site.
Related: Google Maps scraper API · Google Search API · Google News API · Google Shopping API · Docs
When Octoparse is the better pick: if you need a site we do not cover, Octoparse points at almost any website with a visual builder, templates, and cloud scheduling. CrustAPI is narrower on purpose: the Google menu plus LinkedIn profiles and local business leads, priced one way. The two are not exclusive; plenty of teams use both.
Common questions
CrustAPI is one clean data API for the data you actually want: the whole Google menu (Search, Maps, News, Shopping, Images, Videos, Scholar, Patents, Places, Reviews, Autocomplete, and Webpage), plus LinkedIn profiles and local business leads. Instead of building a point-and-click task, you send one request and get clean records back. You pay the applicable endpoint price for successful data, and paid funds never expire.
Pay only for results at the applicable endpoint rate. Google Search bills per successful request and Maps per business returned. LinkedIn reads bill per successful request, People and Jobs per successful search, Refresh per accessible profile, and enriched People per full profile. Empty and failed requests are free. The pricing page lists every rate.
No. Prepaid funds never expire, and you can try it free with no card. A subscription resets each cycle even when idle; a CrustAPI pack waits for your next project.
No. There is no point-and-click task to configure and no desktop app to run. You send one GET request with the type and query, and clean records come back in the response in about a second.
The Google menu (Search, Maps, News, Shopping, Images, Videos, Scholar, Patents, Places, Reviews, Autocomplete, and Webpage), plus LinkedIn profiles and local business leads. Octoparse is general purpose and can point at almost any site, so for sources outside those it is the better fit.
Yes. Data is returned in the response with no storage limits. Keep it, export it to a spreadsheet or a database, and build on it.
Clay
Try it on a search you run today
the free plan covers real work. Send one request and look at the JSON that comes back.
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