# Software Advice Scraper (`crawlerbros/software-advice-scraper`) Actor

Scrape Software Advice profile pages from direct profile URLs or category pages. Extract pricing, ratings, reviews, features, and alternative product data.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/crawlerbros/software-advice-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Crawler Bros](https://apify.com/crawlerbros) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Software Advice Scraper

Scrape Software Advice software profile pages from direct URLs, category pages, or by selecting a category from the dropdown.

### Modes

This actor supports three input modes — combine freely:

1. **Profile URLs** — paste direct profile URLs into `profileUrls`.
2. **Category URLs** — paste full category URLs into `categoryUrls`.
3. **Category dropdown** — pick a top-level category (e.g. `project-management`, `crm`, `erp`) from the `category` enum. The actor builds the category URL automatically.

40+ top-level Software Advice categories are exposed via the `category` dropdown — accounting, CRM, ERP, project management, manufacturing, marketing, HR, supply chain management, and many more.

### Filters

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `minRating` | integer (0-5) | Drop products with a rounded aggregate rating below this value. |
| `minReviews` | integer (0-100000) | Drop products with fewer than N reviews. |
| `freeTrialOnly` | boolean | Only keep products advertising a free trial. |
| `freeVersionOnly` | boolean | Only keep products advertising a free version. |
| `maxItems` | integer (1-250) | Hard cap on emitted records. |

### Anti-bot

| Field | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `useProxy` | `true` | Route HTTP requests through Apify proxy. Software Advice frequently blocks datacenter IPs. |
| `autoEscalateOnBlock` | `true` | Automatically retry blocked fetches via residential Apify proxy. |
| `proxyConfiguration` | RESIDENTIAL | Apify proxy configuration. |

### Output

Each record can include:

- `title` / `description` / `about` / `slug` / `category`
- `ratingValue` / `reviewCount` / `overallRating` / `secondaryRatings`
- `startingPrice` / `hasFreeTrial` / `hasFreeVersion` / `price` / `priceCurrency`
- `operatingSystem`
- `features`
- `alternatives`
- `topReviews`
- `sourceUrl` / `canonicalUrl`
- `recordType` / `scrapedAt`

Empty values are omitted from output.

### Use cases

- Software comparison research.
- Pricing and category intelligence.
- Review-platform aggregation.
- Alternative product mapping.

### Notes

- This actor uses `curl_cffi` impersonation and stays browser-free.
- Software Advice may block cloud datacenter IPs, so the default prefill uses Apify residential proxy.
- Empty values are omitted from output (no `null`, blank strings, or empty arrays).

# Actor input Schema

## `profileUrls` (type: `array`):

Direct Software Advice profile URLs, such as https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/zoho-sprints-profile/.

## `categoryUrls` (type: `array`):

Software Advice category URLs such as https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/.

## `category` (type: `string`):

Software Advice top-level category slug. When set, the actor builds the matching category URL automatically.

## `minRating` (type: `integer`):

Drop products with a rounded aggregate rating below this value. 0 keeps everything.

## `minReviews` (type: `integer`):

Drop products with fewer than N reviews on Software Advice.

## `freeTrialOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Only emit products that advertise a free trial.

## `freeVersionOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Only emit products that advertise a free version.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Hard cap on emitted Software Advice products.

## `useProxy` (type: `boolean`):

Route HTTP requests through Apify proxy. Recommended (Software Advice often blocks datacenter IPs).

## `autoEscalateOnBlock` (type: `boolean`):

Automatically retry blocked fetches via residential Apify proxy.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Apify proxy configuration. Defaults to RESIDENTIAL because Software Advice frequently blocks datacenter IPs.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "profileUrls": [
    "https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/zoho-sprints-profile/"
  ],
  "categoryUrls": [],
  "category": "",
  "minRating": 0,
  "minReviews": 0,
  "freeTrialOnly": false,
  "freeVersionOnly": false,
  "maxItems": 25,
  "useProxy": true,
  "autoEscalateOnBlock": true,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `software` (type: `string`):

Dataset containing Software Advice software profile records.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "profileUrls": [
        "https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/zoho-sprints-profile/"
    ],
    "categoryUrls": [],
    "category": "",
    "minRating": 0,
    "minReviews": 0,
    "freeTrialOnly": false,
    "freeVersionOnly": false,
    "maxItems": 25,
    "useProxy": true,
    "autoEscalateOnBlock": true,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true,
        "apifyProxyGroups": [
            "RESIDENTIAL"
        ]
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("crawlerbros/software-advice-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "profileUrls": ["https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/zoho-sprints-profile/"],
    "categoryUrls": [],
    "category": "",
    "minRating": 0,
    "minReviews": 0,
    "freeTrialOnly": False,
    "freeVersionOnly": False,
    "maxItems": 25,
    "useProxy": True,
    "autoEscalateOnBlock": True,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": True,
        "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"],
    },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("crawlerbros/software-advice-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "profileUrls": [
    "https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/zoho-sprints-profile/"
  ],
  "categoryUrls": [],
  "category": "",
  "minRating": 0,
  "minReviews": 0,
  "freeTrialOnly": false,
  "freeVersionOnly": false,
  "maxItems": 25,
  "useProxy": true,
  "autoEscalateOnBlock": true,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}' |
apify call crawlerbros/software-advice-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,crawlerbros/software-advice-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/eBK8rIQ24o6N0jFbo/builds/wYnLWkXD7QTufFTmn/openapi.json