Octoparse

No-code visual web scraper. Point-and-click data extraction with cloud execution, IP rotation, and 469+ pre-built scraper templates.

Data & analysis

Caution

https://www.octoparse.com · Reviewed 2026-04-11 · Editorial assessment by Mike Schneider — not an independent security audit

What should journalists know about Octoparse?

Octoparse is a capable no-code scraper, but its corporate structure demands scrutiny. The company was founded in Shenzhen, China in 2012 by Keven Liu (Liu Baoqiang) as Shenzhen Skieer Information Technology Co. Ltd (SVIT). The U.S. subsidiary, Octopus Data Inc., was established in 2015 in Walnut, California. The company markets itself as U.S.-based, but the parent entity and founding team are Chinese. This matters because all scraped data processed through Octoparse's cloud passes through their infrastructure. For public data scraping — price monitoring, government directories, business listings — Octoparse works well. The visual builder handles JavaScript-rendered pages, pagination, and login-protected sites. The 469+ pre-built templates are a genuine time-saver. IP rotation is included in paid plans, which helps avoid blocks. Meta sued Octopus Data Inc. in 2022 for scraping Facebook and Instagram data, which tells you something about how the platform has been used. For journalism, the core question is: do you trust this company's infrastructure with your scraped data? For public records, probably fine. For investigative scraping where the targets or patterns of your queries reveal an active investigation, run scrapers locally with open-source tools (Scrapy, Playwright, Puppeteer) instead.

Best for

Repeatable, scheduled scraping of public websites without coding. Government databases, business directories, price monitoring, court record aggregation. Pre-built templates for common data sources. Teams that need cloud-based scraping with IP rotation.

Not for

Sensitive investigative scraping where query patterns reveal an active story. Data you don't want processed through third-party cloud infrastructure with Chinese parent company ownership. Quick one-off table grabs (use Instant Data Scraper browser extension instead — it's free and instant). Journalists who need full control over their scraping infrastructure.

Security & Privacy

Encryption in transit Yes

Data is scrambled while being sent to their servers

Encryption at rest Unknown

Data is scrambled when stored on their servers

Data jurisdiction United States (Octopus Data Inc., Walnut, California) with parent company in Shenzhen, China (Shenzhen Skieer Information Technology Co. Ltd). Data processed on cloud servers — specific hosting locations not publicly documented. Claims GDPR and CCPA compliance. EU-U.S. Privacy Shield certification. Infrastructure providers audited for SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001.

Where servers are located — affects which governments can request your data

Security rating Caution

Octopus Data Inc. transfers personal data to the United States. Claims EU-U.S. Privacy Shield and GDPR compliance. Uses outsourced cloud infrastructure providers with SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications. The company's Data Processing Agreement describes GDPR compliance steps. Scraped data passes through their cloud infrastructure when using cloud extraction. No transparency report published. The dual U.S./China corporate structure adds jurisdictional complexity.

How to protect yourself:

Use local extraction mode (not cloud) for any sensitive scraping — data stays on your machine. Never scrape login-protected sites through Octoparse's cloud if the credentials or scraped content are sensitive. Export data locally and delete cloud projects promptly. For investigative scraping, use open-source tools (Scrapy, Playwright) running entirely on your own machine. Check robots.txt and terms of service of target sites. Be aware that the U.S. subsidiary's parent company is based in China.

The dual corporate structure — U.S. subsidiary with Chinese parent company — is the primary concern. Cloud-scraped data passes through infrastructure controlled by a company with roots in Shenzhen. The company claims GDPR, CCPA, and Privacy Shield compliance, and its cloud providers have SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications. But Meta's 2022 lawsuit against Octopus Data for scraping Facebook/Instagram data raises questions about corporate oversight. For public data scraping, the risk is manageable. For sensitive investigations, use the local extraction mode or switch to open-source scraping tools you control entirely.

Who Owns This

Owner Octopus Data Inc. (U.S. subsidiary, Walnut, California). Parent company: Shenzhen Skieer Information Technology Co. Ltd (SVIT), Shenzhen, China. Founded by Keven Liu (Liu Baoqiang) in 2012.

Funding VC-backed. $16.2M raised from investors including Huayi Ventures, Miracleplus (formerly Y Combinator China), Redpoint China Ventures, Viewpoint Capital, and CITIC Capital. Chinese venture capital backing.

Business model Freemium SaaS. Free tier for local extraction. Revenue from Standard ($89-119/mo), Professional ($209-299/mo), and Enterprise subscriptions. Pre-built template marketplace with plan-tier discounts. Revenue reached $5.7M with a 22-person team.

Pricing

Free: limited features, local extraction only, no cloud runs. Standard: $89/month annually ($119/month monthly) — cloud extraction, IP rotation, scheduled runs. Professional: $209/month annually ($299/month monthly) — advanced features, priority support, higher limits. Enterprise: custom pricing. Professional plan users get 20% off template pricing; Enterprise gets 40% off.

This is an editorial assessment based on publicly available information as of 2026-04-11, using our published methodology. Independent security review is pending. Security posture can change at any time. This is not a guarantee of safety.

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