Scrapebox vs Hrefer vs A-Parser - Best scraper & proxy setup for Google/Yahoo/Bing in 2025?
Hey guys,
I’m looking for a new scraper mainly for Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Scrapebox just isn’t doing the job for me anymore no matter how I configure it, the results are poor or non-existing.
I’ve tried using private proxies, but they burn out fast and aren’t worth it. I also tested static backconnect and residential proxies with data, but even with a single scrape, usage can reach 7GB+, which gets expensive quickly and still, the results are disappointing.
So, what’s the best solution here when it comes to proxies to make scraping actually work?
Is Scrapebox really that bad for scraping nowadays, or would switching to Hrefer or A-Parser make a noticeable difference? Both are quite pricey, so I’d like to know which one is more efficient before investing.
Alternatively, would it make sense to build a custom scraper with ZennoPoster or ZenoAndroid? I’ve never tried that route before and wonder if it could perform better or be more cost-effective long-term.
Any real-world experiences or tips are appreciated!
Comments
Can definitely recommend zenno. Have ctr bots and every part of my business automated with custom bots. It's quite easy to use. Just have to learn its basic functions, but it's mostly drag and drop.
hrefer is extremely limited.
A-parser is very good but there is a learning curve. I wish it was as easy to use as scrapebox. A-parser has way more built in scrapers and functionality than scrapebox though.
Like @sickseo I also use zennoposter to scrape G and many other search engines. I do like A-parser and would suggest that if you don’t want to deal with building and maintaining your own while having to learn about a lot of things. ZP is not for someone who doesn’t know front end web dev or anything about programming imho. It’s quite possible to spin your wheels trying to learn how to use ZP and how to automate web applications just for it all to be a waste of money and time.
Nearly every bot I've built generally use the same functions of lists and processing lists, moving data from one file to the other. It's these basic functions you'd need to play with and practice. Also need to understand that it's a bot - every instruction needs to be created and added to it, in the right order. You'll need to do plenty of test runs to see where the bot fails and add the necessary fixes, be it an extra step or as simple as adding delays between each action. Without delays the bot runs really fast, actions are instant which can also lead to failures.
For scraping you'd need to learn how to use the parse data option to extract urls from serps. It's just 1 module that you drag on to the software interface and add a few options for where to save the urls extracted.
That's what my scraping bot looks like - not a lot of steps needed to build it. It's probably one of the most simplest bots I've built.
That's what the supporting data folder looks like. You'll need to create those files as you build the bot and tell zenno where it can find each piece of data or where to save it.
Hey everyone,
Thanks so much for all the detailed insights and tips! I really appreciate you sharing your experiences. It’s super helpful for someone just starting out again and figuring out what works best.
That said, I’m definitely not a ZennoPoster guy - I barely know coding (only basic html/css/js/php) or programming, so that’s out for me. I might eventually hire someone to build a bot, but for now, I’ll skip that route.
I recently bought Hrefer (business plan, got 30% off for Halloween) and plan to play around with it. A-Parser seems like another solid option to try.
Has anyone here ever used this scraper before? It looks interesting but pretty pricey on a monthly basis: http://scraper.rddz-tools.com/
Much appreciated!