Apify

For a growth/ops team that scrapes regularly, Apify is almost indispensable. It's become the de facto standard: most Actors you're looking for already exist, the infra is robust, and the community is active.

The alternative would be coding everything from scratch (time-expensive) or using less flexible no-code tools (PhantomBuster, Instant Data Scraper). Apify offers the best power/ease balance.

Integrations are Apify's strong point. The REST API allows triggering any Actor from n8n, Make, or your custom scripts. Webhooks notify at the end of runs. Integrated storage (datasets, key-value) simplifies result management.

Native integration with Zapier and Make exists, but it's through the API that you really exploit the tool's power. The SDK allows creating custom Actors and publishing them on the marketplace.

For using existing Actors, getting started is quick: 15 minutes to launch your first scrape. Configuration is generally well guided, and results export easily (JSON, CSV, Excel, API).

For creating custom Actors, you need JavaScript or Python skills. The SDK is well documented, but the learning curve is real. Support is responsive, and the Discord community is active.

Apify's interface has improved a lot. The marketplace is well organized, Actors have decent documentation, and launching a scraper is done in a few clicks. The monitoring dashboard is clear with runs, results, and logs.

On the SDK side, the developer experience is good: comprehensive documentation, numerous examples, and the CLI works well. It's clearly designed for technical profiles, but the UX isn't a barrier.

Apify's value for money is excellent. The free plan with $5/month credits allows serious testing. Marketplace Actors are often cheaper than paying for official APIs (when they exist).

Consumption-based pricing is transparent: you pay for compute units used and results extracted. On large volumes, it can add up, but remains competitive against alternatives (PhantomBuster, Captain Data) that charge much more.