"I got an estimate, but what criteria should I choose?"
When looking for a web data crawling company because you need web data, you may feel overwhelmed by similar estimates. It is not uncommon to experience situations like this after choosing a cheaper option based solely on price.
- The data collection that was going well suddenly stops one day, and it takes days to identify the cause.
- Every time the website changes, a separate "modification fee" is charged.
- Although you receive the data, it only comes in Excel files and cannot be automatically integrated.
- Even though the contract is for one year, the necessary websites are not being collected.
Crawling is not a one-time development but an ongoing operation that needs to continue. Therefore, the criteria to consider when choosing a company should also be different. Here are 7 things to check before outsourcing data collection.
1. Can they actually collect data from the desired website?
The first thing to check is whether "the site we want" can actually be collected. Channels with strong blocking like Coupang, Naver Shopping, and Instagram require more than just technical skills. Infrastructure such as dynamic IPs, browser fingerprint manipulation, and CAPTCHA response are also necessary.
Questions to ask
- Can they show a sample of actual data collection (PoC) from the target site first?
- What is the failure rate of collecting from heavily blocked channels?
2. Who will respond when the site structure changes?
E-commerce websites and SNS platforms change their structures every 3 to 6 months. Each time this happens, the crawler stops, and who, how much, and how quickly this maintenance is done determines the actual service quality.
Questions to ask
- Is the modification due to site changes free or charged separately?
- How many days does it take to recover when data collection stops?
3. Is the fee structure predictable?
The costs of a crawling company are usually divided into two main categories.
- One-time development cost: Custom crawler development, maintenance, additional development
- Operating cost: Server fees, proxy (IP) costs, AI API costs, etc.
The most common pitfall here is 'hidden costs'. Most companies budget on an annual basis, so if you try to expand the collection sites or add items in the middle, one-time development costs will be incurred each time. Once the budget is set, these additional costs become obstacles to expansion.
Questions to ask
- How are development costs, operating costs, and maintenance costs divided?
- Does additional development costs occur each time a site is added?
- Can you reduce or cancel the scale of the contract midway?
Subscription models change this structure. Crawler development, maintenance, and additional development are all included in a monthly fixed fee, so additional development costs do not apply even if you expand the sites in the middle. It allows flexible budget management by expanding when needed without additional costs and canceling when the need decreases.
In fact, customers of HashScraper say that the total cost is about 40-50% lower compared to the repeated one-time development cost model. (For small-scale or one-time collections, a per-credit system may be more appropriate.)
4. How do you receive the data?
The way you receive the data determines its usability. If you only receive Excel files, someone has to open them every time, but if it is integrated with APIs or databases, the data flows automatically to your system and dashboard.
Questions to ask
- Do they support Excel downloads, automatic email sending, APIs, or DB loading?
- Are there additional costs for API integration?
5. How stable is the operation?
Crawling is not just about 'running' but also about 'monitoring'. If there is no system to detect and recollect data failures, blocks, and omissions, holes will quietly appear in the data.
Questions to ask
- Do they automatically detect data collection failures or omissions and recollect them?
- Are there compensation (refund, extension) conditions if the service is interrupted?
6. Is it legally secure?
Crawling is an area where legal judgments vary depending on the purpose and use. Clearly defining the scope of responsibility in the contract can help avoid risks that may arise later.
Questions to ask
- How is the responsibility for the data collection process and data usage divided in the contract?
- How are personal information and copyrighted materials handled?
7. Is the contract flexible?
When needs change, the scale of data collection changes as well. Starting on a monthly basis and being able to adjust is less risky than a structure that only allows long-term prepayment.
Questions to ask
- Is monthly usage possible? What are the conditions for early termination?
- How is settlement done when scaling up or down?
In-house development vs. general outsourcing vs. crawling service
| Comparison | In-house development | General data collection outsourcing (SI) | Crawling service (Subscription) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | Hiring developers, building infrastructure | High development costs | No development costs (subscription) |
| Maintenance | Continuous internal resource allocation | Additional costs for site changes | Free, quick response |
| Expansion (adding sites) | Reinvestment in development | Additional development costs per item (hidden costs) | No additional costs |
| Blocking response | Direct construction burden | Variability in vendor capabilities | Completed infrastructure |
| Data integration | Direct implementation | Focus on file delivery | Excel, API, DB |
| Contract flexibility | — | Long-term contract | Monthly, early termination |
Each method can be the right answer depending on the situation. However, if you need to collect data from multiple sites continuously, a subscription-based crawling service that includes development, maintenance, and blocking response at once is often advantageous in terms of total cost and stability.
Summary
When choosing a crawling company, it is important to choose based on "how stable and predictable the operation is" rather than "how much it costs." We recommend checking each of the 7 questions next to the estimate.
HashScraper is a subscription-based data collection service that handles crawler development, maintenance, blocking response, and monitoring. Customers only need to receive refined data, and they do not need to directly respond to site policy changes or collection errors.
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Check if the desired site can actually be collected with a free PoC. We also provide a free diagnosis of any data collection issues you are currently experiencing.
