DataLikers vs Apify

Overview

Apify is a general-purpose web scraping platform with 1,500+ pre-built scrapers (Actors) covering virtually any website. DataLikers is a specialized Instagram and TikTok data platform offering a Cache API, MCP Server for Claude AI, and ready-made datasets. Both extract social media data, but they serve different needs.

If you need to scrape dozens of different websites, Apify is the broader solution. If Instagram and TikTok are your primary data sources, DataLikers delivers the same data at a fraction of the cost -- $0.0003/request vs Apify's ~$0.0023/result, making DataLikers about 7.7x cheaper.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Apify	DataLikers
Type	General web scraping platform	Specialized social media data platform
Platforms	Any website (1,500+ Actors)	Instagram + TikTok (19 endpoints)
Pricing	~$0.0023/result (Instagram Scraper)	$0.0003-$0.0006/request (Cache API)
Plans	Free ($5), Starter $49, Scale $199, Business $499/mo	Pay-per-request, $50 minimum deposit
MCP Server	Generic (wraps any Actor)	Purpose-built for social media data
Datasets	No	Ready-made and custom datasets
Response model	Async (start run, poll for results)	Sync (instant JSON response)
Reviews	G2: 4.7/5 (417), Capterra: 4.8/5 (399)	Newer platform, growing user base
Free tier	$5 platform credit	100 free API requests

Apify

Apify is a mature cloud platform with a massive ecosystem. Its Instagram Scraper Actor alone has 192K+ users, and the platform earns top ratings on G2 (4.7/5) and Capterra (4.8/5). Apify includes scheduling, webhooks, proxy management, and cloud storage -- everything needed for scraping at scale. Its MCP server wraps any Actor for Claude AI integration.

The trade-off is cost and speed. Apify's scrapers run headless browsers, so each request takes seconds to minutes rather than milliseconds. At ~$2.30 per 1,000 results, teams focused on Instagram or TikTok pay significantly more than with a dedicated API. The platform's breadth also means social media coverage is not as deep -- story and highlight data may require custom Actor configuration.

DataLikers

DataLikers is purpose-built for Instagram and TikTok. The Cache API delivers 19 endpoints with synchronous JSON responses -- send a request, get data back instantly. At $0.0003/request on the Ultra plan, it is among the cheapest social media APIs available. The MCP Server is designed specifically for Claude AI, and Datasets provide ready-made or custom Instagram/TikTok data for teams that need bulk extraction without code.

The limitation is scope. DataLikers covers two platforms and nothing else. If you need e-commerce, job board, or news scraping alongside social media, you will need a general-purpose platform. DataLikers is also newer and does not yet have the review history of established players. For teams whose primary need is affordable, fast social media data, these trade-offs are worthwhile.

Code Example

Apify -- scrape an Instagram profile:

import requests

APIFY_TOKEN = "YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN"
run_input = {
    "directUrls": ["https://www.instagram.com/instagram/"],
    "resultsType": "details",
    "resultsLimit": 1,
}

# Start the actor run (async)
response = requests.post(
    "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/apify~instagram-scraper/runs",
    params={"token": APIFY_TOKEN},
    json=run_input,
)
run_id = response.json()["data"]["id"]
print(f"Run started: {run_id}")
# Then poll for results or use a webhook...

DataLikers -- get the same profile (sync):

import requests

headers = {"x-access-key": "YOUR_API_KEY"}
params = {"username": "instagram"}

response = requests.get(
    "https://api.datalikers.com/v1/user/by/username",
    headers=headers,
    params=params,
)
print(response.json())  # Instant JSON response

When to Use Which

Choose Apify if:

• You need to scrape websites beyond Instagram and TikTok
• You want a visual no-code interface for occasional scraping tasks
• You rely on a large ecosystem with 1,500+ pre-built scrapers
• You need built-in scheduling, webhooks, and proxy management in one platform

Choose DataLikers if:

• Instagram and TikTok are your primary data sources
• Cost matters -- $0.0003/request vs $0.0023/result
• You want synchronous API responses for real-time applications
• You need a MCP Server purpose-built for social media data in Claude AI
• You prefer ready-made datasets over building scraping workflows

Getting Started

Try DataLikers with 100 free API requests -- no subscription required.

1. Create an account and get your API key
2. Explore all 19 Cache API endpoints in the documentation
3. Connect the MCP Server to Claude for AI-powered social media queries
4. Browse ready-made datasets or request a custom one
5. Check pricing -- pay only for what you use, starting at $0.0003/request