Freelancer, SaaS, API, Proxy, Subscription-based - A practical guide to choosing a web scraping service that suits your situation
Reading Time: 8 minutes | Last Updated: January 2026
Why Use Web Scraping Services?
Creating your own web crawler may work well at first. However, reality is different:
- You have to rewrite the code when the site structure changes
- If your IP is blocked, you need to buy proxies
- When CAPTCHA appears, you need to add bypass logic
- If it's a weekly task, maintenance becomes bigger than your main job
The reason for using web scraping services is simple: to spend time on your main business, not on data collection.
In this article, we compare 5 types of data collection services as of 2026 and summarize which scraping service is suitable for each situation.
Summary of 5 Types of Web Scraping Services
| Type | Suitable Situation | Price Range | Technical Requirement | Representative Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer Outsourcing | One-time, small scale | ₩500,000~₩5,000,000 per project | None | Kmong, Soomgo, Upwork |
| Self-serve SaaS | Non-developers, regular collection | $30~$500 per month | Low | Octoparse, HashScraper Credits |
| Web Scraping API | Developers, system integration | $16~$499 per month | High | Firecrawl, ScrapingBee |
| Proxy/Unblocker | Self-crawler + bypassing blocks | $499~$1,999 per month | High | Bright Data, Oxylabs |
| Subscription-based Agency | Core business, stable supply | ₩3,000,000~₩12,000,000 per month | None | HashScraper Subscription |
We will compare the advantages, disadvantages, and recommended services for each type below.
1. Freelancer Outsourcing
Suitable for: One-time collection, budget ₩500,000~₩5,000,000, cases where only the results are needed
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Pros | Low initial cost, quick matching, no need to develop directly |
| Cons | Large quality deviation, no maintenance, difficult to respond when blocked |
| Cost | Simple site ₩500,000~₩1,000,000, complex site ₩2,000,000~₩5,000,000 |
| Note | If regular collection is needed, re-contracting each time → costs accumulate quickly |
Recommended Platforms: Kmong (domestic, review-based), Soomgo (cost comparison), Upwork (international experts)
Recommended for: Cases where you need to gather price data of competitors for market research only once
2. Self-serve SaaS
Suitable for: Non-developers, regular collection, want to set up without coding
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Pros | No coding required, scheduled collection, low cost |
| Cons | Difficult to set up for complex sites, limited support for Korean sites |
| Cost | Free~$500 per month |
| Note | High failure rate for Korean sites (Naver, Coupang, etc.) with overseas SaaS |
Recommended Services:
- Octoparse: Point-and-click method. Most intuitive UI. Suitable for collecting from overseas sites
- ParseHub: Free plan available. Good for small-scale collection testing
- HashScraper Credits: Starting from ₩30,000 per month. Provides 80+ pre-built crawling bots. Specialized for Korean sites. 3 steps from Excel upload to parameter setting to downloading results
Recommended for: MD personnel who want to collect Naver Shopping prices weekly and organize them in Excel
3. Web Scraping API
Suitable for: Developers, integrating scraping functionality into their own systems, connecting with AI agents
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Pros | Complete control, easy system integration, capable of processing large amounts |
| Cons | Development skills required, structured extraction requires separate work |
| Cost | ₩1~₩15 per page, $16~$499 per month |
| Note | Level of bypassing blocks varies greatly between services - testing is essential |
Recommended Services:
| Service | Features | Price | Bypassing Blocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firecrawl | Automatically converts web to Markdown, optimized for LLM pipeline | $16~$333 per month | Basic |
| ScrapingBee | Simple REST API, automatic proxy management | $49~$249 per month | Medium |
| Crawl4AI | Open source, free | Free (self-hosted) | None |
Recommended for: Developers who want to attach real-time scraping to AI chatbots
4. Proxy/Unblocker
Suitable for: Already have a crawler but facing blocking issues, large-scale collection
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Pros | Can be added directly to existing crawlers, specialized in bypassing blocks, suitable for large-scale operations |
| Cons | Development and maintenance of crawler required, billing proportional to traffic |
| Cost | Web unblocker $1~$1.5 per 1,000 requests, proxy $5~$15 per GB |
| Note | Consider separate costs for developing and maintaining the crawler |
Recommended Services:
- Bright Data: Industry's largest scale. Proxy + web unblocker + scraping browser integration. Starting from $499 per month
- Oxylabs: Similar features to Bright Data. Europe-based, stable
- SmartProxy: Excellent cost performance. Suitable for small to medium-scale operations
Recommended for: Teams facing issues with Amazon or Coupang blocking despite having their own web crawling infrastructure
5. Subscription-based Agency
Suitable for: Data is core business, no dedicated personnel, stable and continuous data supply is essential
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Pros | All-inclusive (development + operation + maintenance), dedicated manager, 24-hour support |
| Cons | High monthly cost, excessive for small-scale collection |
| Cost | ₩3,000,000~₩12,000,000 per month, initial development cost $0 |
| Differentiator | Additional crawler development is free, includes both site changes and blocking responses |
Recommended Services:
- HashScraper: 7 years of experience. 5,000+ site collection experience. B2B specialist. Step-by-step selection from Credits (₩30,000 per month) to Enterprise (₩12,000,000 per month)
Recommended for: E-commerce teams that need to monitor competitor prices from hundreds of sites daily
How to Choose the Right Type for You? 3 Selection Criteria
Before choosing a service type, first clarify the following three points:
1. Collection Frequency
- One-time → Freelancer outsourcing
- Once or twice a week → Self-serve SaaS or Credits
- Daily/real-time → API, Proxy, or Subscription-based agency
2. Technical Skills
- Non-developer → Self-serve SaaS or Subscription-based agency
- Developer → Web Scraping API or Proxy
- Development team available → Proxy + self-crawler
3. Target Sites
- Mainly overseas sites → Global SaaS/API
- Including Korean sites → HashScraper (Credits or Subscription)
- Need to collect from heavily blocked sites → Proxy or Subscription-based agency
Quick Recommendation Guide by Situation
| Situation | Recommended Service | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| "Just need to collect once" | Freelancer outsourcing (Kmong) | ₩500,000~₩5,000,000 per project |
| "Don't know coding but want to collect regularly" | HashScraper Credits | ₩30,000~₩280,000 |
| "Developer wanting to integrate into the system" | Firecrawl or ScrapingBee | $16~$333 |
| "Want to add scraping function to AI" | Firecrawl + MCP | $16~$333 |
| "Need to collect heavily blocked sites in bulk" | Bright Data | $499~$1,999 |
| "Scraping is crucial but no dedicated personnel" | HashScraper Subscription | ₩3,000,000~₩12,000,000 |
| "Mainly targeting Korean sites" | HashScraper (Credits or Subscription) | ₩30,000~ |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How much does web scraping services cost?
It varies greatly depending on the service type:
- One-time outsourcing: ₩500,000~₩5,000,000 per project
- Self-serve SaaS: ₩30,000~₩280,000 per month (based on HashScraper Credits)
- Web Scraping API: $16~$499 per month (₩1~₩15 per page)
- Proxy/Unblocker: $499~$1,999 per month
- Subscription-based Agency: ₩3,000,000~₩12,000,000 per month (all-inclusive)
For small-scale operations, you can start from ₩30,000 per month (HashScraper Credits).
Q: Is web scraping legal?
Collecting publicly available information through legitimate means is generally allowed. Basic principles to follow:
- Comply with robots.txt
- Do not overload the server
- Do not collect personal information
- Do not redistribute copyrighted content without permission
For detailed legal matters, consult with experts.
Q: Why is it difficult to collect from Korean sites?
Major Korean sites (Naver, Coupang, Baemin, etc.) have sophisticated bot detection:
- Korean IP required: Accessing with overseas IPs may result in blocking or showing different content
- JavaScript rendering: Most content is dynamically loaded with JS
- Complex authentication: Multiple layers of defense like login, identity verification, CAPTCHA
- Frequent frontend changes: Naver, Coupang change UI almost weekly
Using global SaaS to collect from Korean sites often leads to high failure rates. It is safer to use services with specialized experience in Korean sites.
Q: Can't AI do the scraping directly?
AI (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) has clear limitations in web access capabilities:
- Cannot read content rendered with JavaScript
- Unable to access blocked sites
- Not suitable for large-scale or regular collection
- Unable to access sites requiring login
If you need scraping functionality with AI, a combination of Web Scraping API + MCP server is a practical alternative.
Q: What makes HashScraper different from other services?
- Specialized in Korean sites: 7 years of experience, 5,000+ site collection experience. Accumulated know-how for bypassing blocks on Naver, Coupang, etc.
- Flexible pricing: Step-by-step selection from Credits (₩30,000) to Enterprise Subscription (₩12,000,000)
- All-inclusive Subscription: $0 initial development cost, free additional crawlers, includes site changes and blocking responses
- Pre-built bots 80+: Instantly collect from major sites like Naver, Coupang, 11st upon signup
Next Steps
If you're unsure where to start:
- Small-scale, irregular collection → Start with Credits (₩30,000 per month)
- Large-scale, core business focus → Request a free consultation for Subscription
If you find it difficult to determine the right type for you, contact HashScraper. We will recommend a plan that suits your situation.
HashScraper - Handling complex scraping tasks, we'll take care of everything.
