Articles » Alternatives » Octoparse vs Scrap.io: The Ultimate Google Maps Scraper Comparison

Google Maps is a gold mine for generating B2B leads. In this comprehensive comparison, we're going to find out which of these two Google Maps scraping tools is the best Octoparse alternative.
How do they work? What data can you extract from Google Maps? Can we scrape at a large scale?

Today we are comparing Octoparse and Scrap.io to help you choose the best Google Maps scraper for your business needs.

Table of Contents

Understanding the Fundamental Difference: Generalist vs Specialist Google Maps Data Extractor

Let's start with the basics, meaning let's start by answering our first question: how do these two Google Maps scraping tools work? What I like to do first is taking a look at their landing pages, and we notice a main difference. Octoparse's promise is "Easy Web scraping for anyone" and Scrap.io is "your Google Maps list generator." It implies one thing: Octoparse is a generalist web scraper, Scrap.io is a specialist Google Maps data scraper.

Octoparse is useful for scraping everyday websites, if we can call it that. Scrap.io's mission is Google Maps lead generation specifically. Using Octoparse for Google Maps data extraction is like getting a giant box of Lego without any instructions. The good news: you are free to build whatever you want. The bad news: you are free to build whatever you want. You are thrown into the jungle, and if you mess up your construction, that's on you. Good luck with that.

Scrap.io, on the other hand, is more like a coffee machine. The delivery guy came over, installed it for you. You've got a lot of options: regular coffee, long coffee, coffee with milk, and in the end, you just press a button and boom, coffee is ready. You have no idea how the whole process works, and honestly, you couldn't care less. What matters is how easily you got your result.

Google Maps Data Extraction Challenge: What Information Can You Actually Get?

Now, ladies and gentlemen, it's time to answer our second question: what data is included in these Google Maps scrapers? The best way to answer this question is to give you a quick demo, so let's start with Octoparse, shall we?

The Octoparse Experience: Manual Setup and Google Maps Scraper Template Troubles

There are two options, two ways to scrape Google Maps data from Octoparse. I won't show you the exact step-by-step tutorial of doing it - that's not the whole point - but I will explain the logic behind it. First option is to create my task from scratch, and option two is to use a pre-made Google Maps scraper template. The template is not in free access, though.

So the first step is to make a Google Maps search, right? I will check restaurants near Nashville, Tennessee, US. Say I end up with my URL - correct, this is our starting point. So I copy and paste my URL and I click on start.

If you wonder why I have something like this, it's because there is another main difference between Octoparse and Scrap.io: Scrap.io is a SaaS, it's an online tool, while Octoparse is an app you have to download it beforehand. But that's all right.

So what I can do on Octoparse is interact with web elements the way I want. So I can remove this popup - that's a first thing. Octoparse also has an AI web scraping assistant, but I prefer to warn you right away: it's not really efficient. But at least it gives you a glimpse of what your workflow should look like.

So we have a "scroll page" first, meaning we have to scroll down to that part of the page only in order to load more restaurants, more establishments, right? Because that's what we should do on our real browser. At the beginning, I only have access to, I don't know, around five restaurants only, but if I want to get more of them, I have to scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Because I've already created a similar template, a similar workflow in Octoparse, I can tell you for sure that the parameters are not correct. Then we have the "loop item," so the loop item's purpose is to select all different items - as its name suggests, all different restaurants - and for each of these restaurants, we can extract some data.

So here we have extracted the category, I guess, "close soon" - it doesn't make any sense. See, it's not really working that well. I know what you're thinking: you're going to tell me that you can do it yourself. Indeed, you can do it, but it will simply take much more time.

So to overcome this problem, you can use a pre-made template with zero setup. I guess I'm going to pick up that one: "Google Maps email finder," because usually people who want to scrape Google Maps are expecting to retrieve email addresses. With that template, we are able to retrieve:

  • Input URL
  • Name
  • Rating
  • Review
  • Website
  • Telephone
  • Google Maps URL
  • Email
  • Social media links

All right, let's give it a try. What is the input? "Google Maps listing page URL." Okay, here is an example. I'm going to go with restaurants in Nashville. I inserted "Google Maps email finder" - good. And I click on start. I run on my device, and the new popup has just appeared.

So let's see how it goes. If I click on "show browser"... no way, they didn't even do that. Okay guys, I think... it's not that I think, I'm sure the template is not working for one specific reason: they didn't solve the popup before having access to the Google Maps request, so obviously it won't work.

Another problem with some of the Octoparse templates is that some of them - I don't know if most of them, but let's say some of them - are simply not working. What a disappointment! See, we can just stay here forever, it's simply not going to work.

The Scrap.io Experience: The Best Google Maps Scraper for Simplicity and Power

That's all right. Now let's see if we manage to achieve a better result with Scrap.io - meaning a bit more than zero results.

Once you have logged in, you should end up with the same layout as I do, and as you can notice, things are very straightforward. Each request is divided into five parts, to be honest, more into two parts. To the left part, you have access to the activity, meaning what kind of companies you would like to extract. In total, you have access to more than 4,000 different categories. And to the right part, we have access to location criteria from the city to the country.

You also have access to two fields entitled "level one" and "level two" division. In the United States, it refers to the counties and to the states, but obviously these names depend on the country you are targeting.

So let's make a try with restaurant - that was good - in the United States. I can say Tennessee... I don't know in what country Nashville is located, for I'm sorry, but I don't have to specify it if I don't want to. I can simply type Nashville. I click on search and boom, coffee is ready!

So I'm about to retrieve 1,600 results. That's only an overview preview because obviously, once I click on export, Scrap.io is going to re-scrape all the data to make sure you have up-to-date data.

So not only I don't have any sort of limits, but I also have access to tons of filters for better segmentation: essential filters or advanced filters. What I can do, for example, is to target restaurants as a main activity only, because a restaurant can be a bar, can be a café, can be a hotel... opened restaurants. It might be better with a website, for example, or with a minimum rating of three out of five.

What makes Scrap.io stand out as a Google Maps lead generation tool is its real-time data extraction - unlike other Google Maps scrapers that rely on outdated databases, Scrap.io pulls fresh information directly from Google Maps every time you run a search.

If I click on filter, my database is going to be updated. All that you need to do is to click on export, to give a name to my export, and if you go to the advanced options, I can set up an exported lines limit. For example, if I only want to get 30 data rows, I can perfectly do that, right?

Once you click on export, you will be redirected to the "my exports" tab, and within that tab, you will have access to all the exports you have done so far. You can update them, or you can download your result in a CSV or Excel file.

The Data Goldmine: What Information Can You Actually Extract?

Let's take a look further. So among other things, you have access to:

  • Restaurant's name
  • Description
  • Main type and all types
  • Main category and secondary categories
  • Website
  • Phone number
  • Full address (divided into different subtypes)
  • Coordinates
  • The link
  • Google ID
  • Email address - that's a good thing, it's working!

In some cases, when the company has written its website on the Google Maps card, we can visit this website to gather additional information, meaning you also have access to enrichment data for better targeting:

  • Social media links
  • First reviews
  • Recent reviews
  • Rating
  • Reviews space score
  • Photos
  • Occupancy
  • Working hours
  • Characteristics
  • SEO-related data

Google Maps email scraper capabilities are particularly powerful with Scrap.io. The tool doesn't just extract basic contact information - it dives deep into company websites to find multiple email addresses, contact pages, and social media profiles that other Google Maps scrapers often miss.

Data so related to the website: website title, meta keywords, meta description, meta image, meta generator, additional email addresses with an ultimate column called "all emails." Same thing for contact pages - contact pages are super powerful, they are underrated in my opinion. Same thing for social media links: all LinkedIn links, all Facebook links, Twitter links, etc.

And we end up with website technologies and website ad pixels. In other words, we can know for sure if the company is used to running ads or not. This level of detail makes Scrap.io particularly valuable for agencies looking to target businesses that aren't yet leveraging digital marketing - a key advantage over basic Google Maps data scrapers.

The Ultimate Test: Can We Scrape Google Maps at Large Scale?

Now it's time to answer our final question: can we scrape Google Maps at a large scale? Scraping 100 business records is one thing; scraping 100,000 is a whole different story, trust me. You can scrape data for a single city - that's cool - but can you do the same on a larger scale, like an entire country?

We actually made a video about this before. You can check it out by clicking in the top right corner - where is it again? Here, here, I don't know. And the conclusion was simple: technically, with Octoparse, it's possible by breaking your queries into smaller chunks, but let me be real with you - it's slow, it's painful, and I never ever want to do it again. I still have nightmares about it!

Now, with Scrap.io, is it possible? Yes, absolutely! More than that, it works just as flawlessly for extensive extractions as it does for smaller ones. And that's the promise of Scrap.io: from this to that with just two clicks, no matter the scale. This makes it arguably the fastest Google Maps scraper available for large-scale data extraction.

What sets Scrap.io apart for large-scale operations is its ability to handle entire countries worth of data. While Octoparse struggles with Google Maps' complexities and requires manual intervention, Scrap.io's specialized approach means you can extract data from 195 countries with the same ease as a single city search.

Real-World Results: The Proof is in the Numbers

Here we are back to Scrap.io. So as you can see, usually I'm only doing small extractions because I'm simply doing it for showing demos like what I'm doing right now. But sometimes I had to make larger extractions. In that time, for example, I extracted all restaurants in France, and it worked just fine. Same thing for restaurants in the US with a Facebook account.

And here is what it should look like. If I check how many data rows I have... 200,000! This demonstrates the true scalability difference between a specialist Google Maps scraper like Scrap.io versus a generalist tool like Octoparse.

For businesses looking to scale their lead generation efforts, this kind of performance difference is crucial. With Scrap.io's advanced filtering system, you can narrow down millions of potential leads to only the most qualified prospects - something that would take days or weeks with manual Octoparse setups.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Google Maps be scraped?

Yes, Google Maps can be scraped legally for publicly available business information. Tools like Scrap.io and Octoparse extract publicly listed business data such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and ratings. However, it's important to use reputable tools that respect rate limits and comply with Google's terms of service.

Is Google Maps scraper free?

While some free Google Maps scrapers exist, they typically have significant limitations in terms of data volume, features, and reliability. Professional tools like Scrap.io offer free trials (typically 100 leads) but require paid plans for larger-scale extractions. Free tools often lack the advanced filtering, real-time data extraction, and customer support that businesses need.

Is it legal to scrape from Google Maps?

Scraping publicly available business information from Google Maps is generally legal when done responsibly. The key factors are:

  • Using publicly available data only
  • Respecting rate limits and not overwhelming servers
  • Complying with local data protection laws (GDPR, CCPA)
  • Using the data for legitimate business purposes

How do I scrape data from Google Maps?

To scrape Google Maps data effectively:

  1. Choose a specialized tool like Scrap.io for best results
  2. Select your target categories and locations
  3. Apply filters to narrow down to qualified leads
  4. Configure your data fields (emails, phone numbers, social media)
  5. Run the extraction and download results in CSV/Excel format

What is the limit of scraping Google Maps?

Google Maps imposes rate limits to prevent abuse, typically around 120 results per search query. However, professional Google Maps scrapers like Scrap.io work around these limitations by:

  • Breaking large queries into smaller, targeted searches
  • Using advanced techniques to maximize data extraction
  • Offering country-level searches with millions of results

What is the fastest Google Maps scraper?

Scrap.io is widely considered the fastest Google Maps scraper for large-scale operations. Unlike Octoparse, which requires manual setup and often fails with Google Maps, Scrap.io is purpose-built for Google Maps extraction and can process 200,000+ records efficiently while maintaining data quality and accuracy.

What is a Google Maps data extractor?

A Google Maps data extractor is a specialized tool that automatically collects business information from Google Maps listings. These tools extract data like business names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, reviews, and social media links, then export this information to spreadsheets for lead generation, market research, or competitive analysis.

How to install Google Maps scraper?

For browser-based scrapers like Scrap.io, no installation is required - simply sign up and start extracting data immediately. For Chrome extensions, visit the Chrome Web Store and search for reputable Google Maps scrapers. For software-based tools like Octoparse, download from the official website and follow installation instructions.

Ready to try the best Google Maps scraper for your business? Start your free trial with Scrap.io and get your first 100 leads at no cost. Experience the difference between a specialist Google Maps data extraction tool and generic web scrapers.

Ready to generate leads from Google Maps?

Try Scrap.io for free for 7 days.

Try for free