Best Instagram Scrapers 2025: Ranked, Sorted, Explained

Scraping Instagram isn’t rocket science. But finding a tool that actually works and fits your needs? That’s the hard part.

Whether you need plug-and-play simplicity or a scalable API, we’ve ranked the best Instagram scrapers and data-mining solutions out there. No stress, just tools that get the job done. Sorted. Briefly reviewed. 

No more tattles. Let’s get down to business.

Or, better yet, to the list.

Top 7 Best Instagram Scrapers: Ranked, Not Hyped

Here’s the lineup: the tools that make Instagram data collection less painful and more productive. We’ve ranked them based on usability, reliability, and whether they actually deliver on their promises.

Best Instagram Scrapers Comparison Table

We collected the 7 best Instagram scrapers in the table so you can easily compare them by features, trial options, and pricing without a need to dig through landing pages.

#1. Data365 Social Media API

Yep, it’s the API in the scraper list. And let’s check why it tops the list.

Data365 API for Instagram delivers real-time, structured Instagram data without wrestling with OAuth flows or multi-week app reviews. It focuses on public data only and isn’t tied to Meta’s Graph API, so you can move fast while staying within the bounds of what’s publicly visible.

What you get (devs + business teams):

• Fresh, on-request results (not stale, pre-cached dumps) for profiles, posts, comments, hashtags, and more. And all that is delivered as it is, without any changes. 
• Public-scope access only, i.e., what a logged-out user can see, delivered via API.
• Clean JSON schema across endpoints. Easy to parse, easy to plug into dashboards and pipelines.
• Cross-platform coverage under one roof (Instagram today; add Facebook, TikTok, X/Twitter, Reddit, etc., as needed).
• Python-friendly (and language-agnostic). Works out of the box with Python, JavaScript, Go, or low-code platforms. The tutorial shows a simple flow to pull Instagram data in real time.
• Scales with you. Traffic spike? Still smooth. Thanks to dynamic horizontal autoscaling, the system scales out within your plan to keep requests fast and stable, even for large analytics pulls. 
• Getting started with no hassle. Quick onboarding with a free trial/test access after a short consult.
• Pricing is plan-based, but flexible and can be customized.

Good fit for: product teams, analysts, and developers who need reliable, fast access to public Instagram data without maintenance overhead or fragile scripts.

#2. PhantomBuster

PhantomBuster is best known as an automation toolkit with a set of ready-made “Phantoms” — small scripts you can run in the cloud to scrape or automate Instagram tasks. It’s a popular choice for marketers who want something quick without diving into code.

What you get (devs + business teams):

• Prebuilt Phantoms. Ready templates for scraping profiles, posts, or followers.
• Cloud execution. Runs in PhantomBuster’s environment, so no local setup needed.
• Cross-platform access. Supports automation on over 15 platforms, including LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google Maps.
• Data export. Results can be sent to Google Sheets, downloaded as CSV, or piped into CRMs.
• Scheduling options. Automate runs on a recurring basis.

Limitations to note. The scarper runs are capped by execution time, so large-scale scraping is tricky. Also, setup often requires capturing cookies through a browser extension, which can be less straightforward than using an API.

Good fit for: Small teams, marketers, or non-coders who need lightweight Instagram scraping and simple exports, but not necessarily large, scalable data pipelines.

#3. Apify

Apify isn’t just another scraper, but more like an app store for web scraping powered by a robust marketplace of “Actors” — reusable, deployable scripts. 

Their Instagram Scraper Actor is one of the most popular picks: you plug in a profile, hashtag, or location, and it spits out structured data you can actually use.

What you get (devs + business teams):

• Profiles, posts, hashtags, comments. All the basics covered.
• Cross-platform access is on the feature list as well.
• Flexible outputs: JSON if you’re coding, CSV or Excel if you just want spreadsheets.
• Integrations baked in. Send data to Google Sheets, Zapier, Slack, or straight into your app.
• Pay-per-result pricing. You pay for what you scrape, not a flat monthly fee.
• The trade-offs. It’s powerful, but not totally plug-and-play. Larger projects can get pricey, and if you want more than the defaults, you’ll need to roll up your sleeves with some Node.js.

Good fit for: Developers or agencies who like the idea of building on top of a scraping “marketplace” instead of starting from zero.

#4. ScrapeUp

If Apify feels like a full-on marketplace, ScrapeUp takes the opposite route: simple, lightweight APIs built for getting social data fast. No fancy dashboards or endless toggles. Just endpoints you call, and data comes back neatly packaged.

What you get (devs + business teams):

• Straightforward API. Fetch Instagram profiles, posts, and hashtags without hassle.
• Clean documentation. Minimal setup, easy to follow.
• Competitive pricing. Pay only for what you pull, with predictable costs.
• Multi-platform option. Not just Instagram, you can scrape data from other social platforms too.
  

The trade-offs: It’s not a Swiss army knife. ScrapeUp is API-first, so if you’re looking for point-and-click scraping or automation recipes, this isn’t it.

Good fit for: Developers and startups who want something simple, reliable, and code-friendly. No frills, just data.

#5. Octoparse

If you want to scrape without breaking out your IDE, Octoparse is the no-code option. Think of it as a visual scraping assistant with AI tools, ready-made templates, and a solid cloud backend to keep your hands clean.

What you get (devs + business teams):

• Visual workflow builder. Drag, click, and auto-detect elements. Yep, building scrapers feels more like drawing than coding.
• Cloud-powered automation. Schedule runs, export data automatically, and many other features.
• Template gallery. Instant starter kits for popular sites (yes, Instagram too), so you don’t have to start from scratch.
• Cross-platform availability. Desktop app for Windows (full features), a macOS version with slightly fewer functions, plus cloud-based runners that work from any OS.
• Flexible exports: CSV, Excel, JSON, HTML, even SQL or API, depending on how you want to use your data.
  

The trade-offs: It leans more “visual tool” than “API-driven pipeline.” If your workflow demands deep integration or high-volume scraping, Octoparse can feel a bit manual or limited on scale.

Good fit for: Marketers, researchers, and non-coders who prefer a point-and-click approach to pull Instagram data quickly, especially for one-off tasks or visual dashboards.

#6. Bright Data (formerly Luminati)

Bright Data brings genuine firepower when you need enterprise-grade Instagram scraping. Think APIs that fetch profiles, posts, comments, reels with infrastructure handled. Great for when scale and reliability matter more than simplicity.

What you get (devs + business teams):

• Granular, Instagram-specific APIs with endpoints for profiles, posts, reels, comments, and even images, each returning structured data like follower counts, hashtags, engagement metrics, media links, and more.
• No-code or API options. Choose between running scrapers through Bright Data’s control panel or calling their APIs, whichever fits your workflow.
• Built-in scale, automation, and geo-targeting so you don’t have to manage infrastructure.
  

The trade-offs:

• Not exactly budget-friendly, for serious volume, this is a premium solution.
• Sometimes overkill for smaller scraping needs, simple or ad-hoc jobs may suit lighter tools better.
  

Good fit for: Analysts, research teams, and enterprises that need robust, scalable Instagram data pipelines and don’t want to babysit the scraping infrastructure.

#7. WebAutomation.io

If Octoparse is a point‑and‑click scraper for Instagram, WebAutomation.io is like that, but for any site. Pick an extractor, customize visually, and grab the data. No coding, when it’s a plus.

What you get (devs + business teams):

• Ready-made extractors via their marketplace. Turn almost any website into a spreadsheet or API in minutes.
• Visual selector tool. Point, click, and tell the system what to pull (HTML selectors auto-generated).
• Scheduling & automation. Set scrapers to run at specific intervals.
• Built-in anti-blocking tools.
• Multiple output options. Download data as CSV, JSON, XML, or access directly via API.
• Integrations & automatic workflow hooks. Send extracted data to SFTP, Dropbox, Google Sheets, webhooks, and more.
  

The trade-offs: It’s powerful, but unlike an Instagram-specific API, it’s not tailored, so building a custom extractor takes some initial tweaking. Not always ideal if you want one-button Instagram data access.

Good fit for: Businesses and marketers who need to scrape Instagram and beyond, especially when the target site isn't covered by a ready scraper. Great for pulling data from multiple sources using the same interface.

Instagram Data Scraper: How To Find the One That Actually Fits?

There are dozens of tools calling themselves the best Instagram scrapers. But here’s the thing — what’s “best” depends entirely on your project. A scraper that works like a charm for a marketer pulling a few influencer lists might collapse the moment a data team tries to feed it into a live dashboard.

So, how do you cut through the noise? Here are a few things to mind (advice you don’t ask, but we still provide it):

• If you just need quick exports (like a list of followers for a campaign), a point-and-click tool will do. Fast, simple, done.
• If you’re building pipelines or need Instagram data flowing into dashboards, you’ll want an API that speaks JSON and can scale when volume spikes.
• If you care about accuracy, watch how clean the data output is. The less time you spend fixing spreadsheets or any results, the more time you spend using insights.
• And if you’re thinking budget, align pricing with usage: per result is great for small projects, subscription, or API credits work better at scale.

Cutting the long story short, don’t pick a scraper because it looks shiny on a landing page. Pick the one that matches your workload. The best Instagram scraper is the one that won’t break the moment you actually need it.

And if you’re still not sure? Sometimes it’s easier to ask. You can book a quick consultation and see if the Data365 Social Media API fits your project like a shoe fits Cinderella.

Instagram Scraper, API, Extension: What Is The Difference?

Not all scrapers are created equal. When people say Instagram scraper, they could mean a quick browser add-on, a no-code tool, or a full-blown API. Same word, very different use cases.

• Extensions. Think lightweight Chrome add-ons. You click a button, and boom — you’ve got a CSV of followers or posts. Handy for tiny jobs. But don’t expect reliability or scale.
• Scraper tools. These are point-and-click apps like Octoparse or WebAutomation. They come with schedulers, templates, and easy exports. Great for marketers who just want data in Excel without calling an engineer.
• APIs. This is where things get serious. For example, Data365 API delivers structured JSON you can feed straight into dashboards, CRMs, or research pipelines. It’s designed for projects that run every day, at scale, without breaking.
  

So, the difference really comes down to scope, where extensions are good for one-offs, scrapers — for recurring but small projects, and APIs — when Instagram data is part of your business logic.

Instagram Scraping: Seeing Is Believing (With Real Use Cases)

And what can be done with all the information retrieved? Have no clue? Here are three snapshots of how organizations used Data365 API for your inspiration:

1. Sentiment tracking. A U.S. healthcare institution scraped 6,700+ posts across 360 queries in just a few weeks to understand public attitudes toward COVID-19 epidemic measures and adjust communications.
2. Cybersecurity monitoring. Security teams tracked terms like phishing and fake profiles across social media, using real-time scraping to flag disinformation campaigns and threats before they escalated.
3. Art and environmental awareness. An NYC artist monitored the hashtag #SpottedLanternfly to map pest spread and transformed the data into an immersive public art project raising ecological awareness.

The right Instagram scraper tool isn’t just about data, but more about what you can do with it, whether that’s research, security, even art, or whatever.

And if you’re wondering what it could do for your project? Book a consultation and how Data365 Social Media API can help you as it did for these cases.

Scraper For Instagram: Which One Deserves a Spot in Your Stack?

A lot of letters… It’s high time to sum up.

There are tons of Instagram scrapers and other data-mining tools out there, from quick extensions to no-code apps to full-scale APIs. 

And the truth is, each of them works well for somebody.

So the bottom line is simple: the best Instagram scraper is the one that actually fits your project.

And if you’re still on the fence? Sometimes the fastest way to figure it out is to ask. Contact us, get a free-trial, and see if the Data365 Social Media API is the Cinderella-shoe fit for what you’re building.