The Best YouTube Scrapers of 2024: Cheap & Premium

Is it Legal to Scrape YouTube?

It’s no secret that websites aren’t fond of web scrapers. There are numerous good reasons for that – they overload the servers, collect personal data and other valuable information.

In a nutshell, web scraping YouTube is legal. The same rules for automated data collection apply to any other website. You can scrape data that’s not behind a login and not a subject of intellectual property rights. There are more guidelines to consider, so it’s best to discuss a specific use case with a lawyer just to be sure you comply with them all.

How Does YouTube Identify Scrapers?

YouTube uses several methods to identify users and detect potential bots:

IP address monitoring: YouTube tracks the number of requests coming from a single IP address. If you exceed the allowed number, you’ll encounter YouTube Error 429, which can disrupt your scraper. Persistent requests can lead to your IP address being banned. To avoid this, assign a new IP address to each request so YouTube sees them as coming from different users. Also, poor IP quality can result in slower performance, higher rates of CAPTCHA challenges, or outright blocks, so it’s important to use high-quality proxies
User-Agent string analysis: The user-agent string, which is part of your browser fingerprint, is another way YouTube checks for bots. Scrapers often use outdated or generic user-agent strings, which can be easily flagged.
Behavior patterns. YouTube uses machine learning algorithms to analyze user behavior patterns, distinguishing between human and bot activity. For example, human browsing is more chaotic, while bots tend to follow more predictable patterns.
JavaScript execution: YouTube also monitors whether the browser executes JavaScript before loading the page. Automated scripts often bypass this step, signaling to the platform that the user may not be real.

Other factors that can reveal your identity include cookies and inconsistencies in browser parameters.

Types of YouTube Scrapers

YouTube is a popular web scraping target, so you won’t lack tools to choose from. The type of scraper you get depends on different factors such as price, difficulty setting up and using, or the scope of your project. Usually, they’re divided into:

No-code tools. If you don’t have web scraping skills, you can either use pre-made templates that work by simply clicking on elements or buy pre-scraped and maintained YouTube datasets. Usually, dedicated YouTube scrapers are ideal for smaller tasks, but they are less customizable.
Web scraping API or proxy APIs are third-party tools that take care of most of the web scraping process. You simply send a request to the API with a few lines of code, and while it opens and extracts information, it also handles proxies and unblocking mechanisms. Most providers offer different pricing plans, so you can easily scale up or down when needed. The major difference between web scraping API and proxy API is that the latter integrates as a proxy server.
Custom-built scrapers. This is the most advanced way to go about YouTube web scraping. You can build a scraper using web scraping libraries, but you will have to handle each web scraping aspect on your own – crawling, getting and managing website blocks and proxies, as well as cleaning the data.

The Best YouTube Scrapers in 2024

1. Bright Data

The most robust YouTube scrapers.

9.3/10 ★

Add up to $500 to your account and get double the amount.

Locations: global with city & country targeting
Pricing model: based on successful requests
Data parsing: yes, with datasets, Web Scraper API and Web Scraper IDE.
Free trial: 7 days free trial for business clients.
Pricing:

– Web Scraper IDE: $4/1K requests (standard domains) or $8/1K requests (premium domains)
– Web Unlocker: $3/1,000 requests
– Dataset: $0.001/record

Bright Data has one of the strongest web scraping infrastructures. The provider offers an array of tools that work well with YouTube. You can get its Web Unlocker, Web Scraping IDE, pre-scraped YouTube datasets, and a Web Scraper API dedicated to YouTube. Let’s look at how each tool differs to find the best fit for you.

If you’re looking for a no-code solution, go with Bright Data’s YouTube datasets. The provider allows you to choose between two options: buying a pre-made YouTube dataset or customizing one using different filters. You can retrieve data in your preferred format (CSV, JSON, Excel) and storage (AWS, Google Drive, Google Cloud Storage).

For those familiar with how proxies work, choose Bright Data’s Web Unlocker. It’s a remote web scraper that functions as a proxy server. The tool selects the best proxy type, modifies the browser fingerprint, and retries requests if needed. Additionally, it automatically uses an in-built browser for JavaScript rendering. When we tested the tool, it showed good results on social media, so you can also expect it to work well with YouTube.

Bright Data also offers several Web Scraper APIs dedicated to YouTube with endpoints for profiles, comments, and video posts. The tools have similar features to the Web Unlocker but integrate as an API. The major difference is that you can get structured data.

The most powerful tool for YouTube is Bright Data’s Web Scraping IDE. This cloud-based development environment includes pre-built scraping functions and code templates for web scraping YouTube. It supports parsing with the Cheerio library, allows you to schedule scraping tasks, and you can download data via API, webhook, or other methods. Keep in mind that the tool isn’t very beginner-friendly, but developers should find it powerful.

A major concern about Bright Data is the high price. Additionally, the APIs and IDE are technically challenging, so newbies should stick to YouTube datasets.

For more information and performance tests, read our Bright Data review.

2. Smartproxy

Affordable and performant YouTube scrapers.

9.3/10 ★

Try with a 7-day free trial.

Locations: 195 with country-level targeting.
Pricing model: based on successful requests (both) or traffic (Site Unlocker)
Data parsing: no
Free trial: 7 days
Pricing:

– Site Unblocker: $50 for 25K requests ($2/1K requests)
– Web Scraping API: $28 for 2GB ($14/GB) or $34 for 15K requests ($2.25/1K requests)

Smartproxy is our favorite choice when it comes to affordable, well-maintained products and the best customer service. The provider has two YouTube scrapers: Web Scraping API and Site Unblocker. Contrary to Bright Data, Smartproxy focuses on ease of use and accessibility.

Site Unblocker is a web scraper that integrates as a proxy server. It comes with flexible location filtering, the capability to send custom cookies and request headers as well as automated proxy and browser fingerprint management. Smartproxy is one of the few providers to offer two pricing options: pay for successful requests or traffic. During our scraper research, Site Unblocker showed almost perfect performance with popular targets.

Web Scraping API is a general-purpose scraper that integrates as a proxy or an API and returns results via an open connection. The tool automatically rotates proxies and applies anti-detection techniques.

Smartproxy provides an API playground for live testing, allowing you to build requests, view their output, and download code snippets. Moreover, it offers detailed GitHub code examples and a Postman collection to facilitate easier integration.

For more information and performance tests, read our Smartproxy review.

3. Oxylabs

Premium YouTube scrapers.

9.3/10 ★

Use the code proxyway35 to get 35% off your first purchase.

Locations: 195 with country-level targeting.
Pricing model: based on successful requests
Data parsing: yes (Web Scraper API)
Free trial: 7 days
Pricing:

– Web Unblocker: $75 for 5 GB requests ($15/GB)
– Web Scraping API: $49 for 24,500 results ($2/1K results)

Oxylabs is a premium provider with a reliable web scraping infrastructure. You can choose between two options suitable for web scraping YouTube: Web Unblocker and Web Scraper API.

Oxylabs’ Web Unblocker is a proxy API that comes with location settings down to the coordinate level. The tool allows JavaScript rendering and supports custom headers and cookies, as well as the ability to send POST requests to YouTube endpoints. During our research, the unblocker showed excellent results in terms of successful requests.

You can integrate Web Scraper API in two API formats with optional asynchronous delivery to get results in batches. Some useful features include task scheduling, location and device selection, and the ability to pass custom headers. The scraper also has parsing functionality but you’ll have to specify the selectors manually.

Additional perks if you stick with Oxylabs is 24/7 customer support, extensive documentation, and a simple user interface.

For more information and performance tests, read our Oxylabs review.

4. Crawlbase

Fast YouTube Scrapers.

Locations: 30 with country-level targeting.
Pricing model: based on successful requests & optional features
Data parsing: yes
Free trial: 1000-5000 requests depending on the product
Pricing:

– Crawling API: $0.3/1 request or $0.6/1 request if you enable JS
– Smart Proxy: $99/ month for 200K credits

Crawlbase is a popular provider that offers two scrapers for your YouTube project: Crawling API and Smart Proxy.

Crawling API is a HTTP API. It includes JavaScript rendering and the ability to return YouTube screenshots. In terms of parameters, you can send POST requests and interact with the page by waiting for it to load or scroll down. The tool was quite fast during our tests but failed to achieve as many successful requests as the top providers.

The provider also offers a proxy API, Smart Proxy, with all the same parameters as Crawling API. It works by rotating your IP address from a pool of proxies before it reaches YouTube. The tool uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to avoid CAPTCHAs and IP blocks. It’s cheaper, but some features are available only with more expensive pricing plans.

However, Crawlbase covers only about 26 countries and does not offer city-level targeting. Crawling API and Smart Proxy charge based on successful requests, but you will need to pay double for JavaScript rendering.

5. Zyte API

YouTube scraper at a relatively cheap price.

8.8/10 ★

Locations: 150 with automatic country selection
Pricing model: based on optional features
Data parsing: no
Free trial: $5 credit
Pricing: custom

Zyte offers a general-purpose web scraper that is fully capable of targeting YouTube.

The tool primarily integrates as an HTTP API. There’s also proxy-like integration, but you won’t get features like browser rendering, data parsing, and the ability to create sessions.

Zyte’s API fully manages proxy servers, and if you don’t change the setting, it automatically selects the location based on the page. The API selects request headers, device type, and other basic parameters. You also have the option to provide custom headers, pass cookies, and create sessions for targets that require them.

In addition, the API can render a page like a browser. The provider also offers a playground in the dashboard that automatically generates code snippets based on your chosen parameters.

However, there’s a limit of 500 requests per minute with an option to increase it upon request. The provider uses a unique pricing model that dynamically calculates the cost of requests based on factors like the website’s difficulty, residential proxies, headless browsers, and others.

For more information and performance tests, read our Zyte API review.

6. ScraperAPI

YouTube Scraper for developers.

Locations: 12 (50+ available upon request)
Pricing model: based on successful requests & optional features
Data parsing: no
Free trial: 7-day free trial with 5,000 requests
Pricing: Starts from $49/100,000 API credits

ScraperAPI is another general-purpose scraper that you can use with YouTube.

The API is very versatile in terms of integration. You can choose between these methods: a proxy server, library/SDK, and two APIs (open connection and asynchronous).

ScraperAPI focuses on developers; it supports programming languages like Python, PHP, NodeJS, Ruby, and Java. The documentation comes with very neat and detailed instructions on how to set up each language.

All plans include automatic proxy rotation, retries, and session support. For an additional fee, you can access features like precise geotargeting covering 12 countries (50 more available upon request), JavaScript rendering, and dedicated support. You can also get a free plan with 5,000 API credits for 7 days to test the tool.

However, similar to Zyte’s product, the provider uses a credit-based system. Rendering JavaScript or using premium proxies costs extra. What’s more, ScraperAPI doesn’t offer a parser for Youtube.

7. Apify

No-code YouTube Scraper.

Locations: unknown
Pricing model: based on usage
Data parsing: yes
Free trial: a free plan with $5 platform credits is available
Pricing: monthly plans starting from $49 with $49 platform credits and 30 shared datacenter proxies.

Apify is a well-established provider focusing on no-code web scraping. It offers a YouTube template with a point-and-click interface with an option to customize the template by modifying its code or requesting a new one if needed.

You can scrape various YouTube data points like channel videos, subtitles, playlists, streams, search results, and more. The scraper can extract up to 20 thousand videos per URL.

Apify offers two web scraping methods: either by URL or by search term. The results will appear as a dataset that you can find in the provider’s dashboard. You can also download the file with data in formats like JSON, CSV, and Excel. Besides that, the provider supports scheduling, different delivery options, and the ability to get notifications when the YouTube scraper is done.

The provider uses a credit-based pricing system. If you’re serious about your YouTube project, you might need residential proxies that cost $10/GB extra. Otherwise, datacenter IPs are included with each plan.