How to choose an Instagram scraper in 2026
Most Instagram scrapers look alike on their pricing page. The differences show up a month later: an account that got locked, a run that came back empty and was charged anyway, reels that were days old, or a script to rewrite because Instagram changed something. Here's what to check before you pay, and how SocialHz answers each question.
Updated 2026-11-02
In their own words
Real comments from Reddit, quoted as written. Usernames are left out.
“Even scraping the Instagram accounts we track takes a decent amount of time and a ton of manual cleanup every week because Instagram doesn't have an API.”
“…you're either paying for a scraping service or maintaining scrapers that break whenever a page changes. That's not a one-time build, it's ongoing maintenance, and it lands on you every time it breaks.”
“…one scripted call to instagram's web profile data from a logged in chrome and it came back rate limited and then asked for an sms code.”
What to compare
Ask every tool you're considering these questions, ours included. The answers matter more than the price per result.
- Does it need your Instagram login? Anything that signs in as you, or asks for your cookies, puts that account at risk. Instagram asks for SMS codes and locks accounts that make scripted calls.
- What do a thousand results really cost? Prices are quoted per result, per page, per request or per minute of computing. Work out the price of 1,000 reels, 1,000 comments and 1,000 profiles at your real volume, including pages that come back half empty.
- Are failed requests charged? Instagram blocks and slows down scrapers often. Ask whether a request that fails, or brings back nothing, still costs you.
- Can it search, or only read links? Many tools fetch a profile or a post you already know about. Fewer can search reels by keyword or hashtag, which is what you need to find posts you don't know about yet.
- Does it get all the comments? Opinions are in the comments. Check that you get every comment on a post, page by page, and not only the few shown under it.
- How fresh is the data? Some tools answer from a copy that's days old. Search a busy hashtag and look at how new the newest post is.
- Who fixes it when Instagram changes? With a script you run yourself, every change is yours to fix. With a service, ask how quickly its Instagram support was fixed the last time it broke.
- Is the data in the same shape as your other platforms? If you also collect TikTok, YouTube or Reddit, a different shape for each one means a parser for each one.
How SocialHz answers them
Short answers, so you can hold us to them.
- Login: None. You send a search or a link with your SocialHz key. Nothing signs in to Instagram as you, so there's no account of yours to lose.
- Cost: Search costs 1 credit per page of about 30 reels, so roughly 34 credits for 1,000 reels. Comments cost 5 credits per page of about 15, roughly 333 credits for 1,000. A profile, a post, or an account's latest reels costs 1 credit each.
- Failed requests: Not charged. If a request fails, its credits come back, and the refund is listed on your credits page.
- Search: Reels by keyword or by hashtag. Search #evcar instead of evcar and you get the reels tagged with it.
- Comments: Every comment on a post, a page at a time, each with its author, likes, the comment it replies to and its sentiment.
- Freshness: Every post carries metrics_captured_at, the time its likes, comments and views were read, so you can see how fresh each number is.
- Changes: Ours to fix. When Instagram changes something, your code keeps calling the same endpoint.
- Data shape: Every post has the same fields on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Reddit and the rest.
When SocialHz isn't the right fit
Better to know now than after the trial.
- You need the list of an account's followers. You get follower and following counts, not who the followers are.
- You want to post, reply or send messages. That needs Meta's own Instagram API and an app Meta has approved.
- You need private accounts or stories. We only fetch what anyone can see without logging in.
Try it on your own searches
A new workspace gets a 7-day free trial. Each kind of request is below, ready to run from your own code.
Comments on one post
GET /api/v1/comments?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fp%2FDPq1Xv0Eh2b%2FInstagram post from a link
POST /api/v1/quick-run
{
"links": ["https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT8FJQkiOvl/"]
}Instagram profile from a link
POST /api/v1/quick-run
{
"links": ["https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/"]
}Instagram reels from a link
POST /api/v1/quick-run
{
"links": ["https://www.instagram.com/martingarrix/"]
}Search Instagram
GET /api/v1/search?platform=instagram&query=%23evcarQuestions people ask
Is there a free Instagram scraper?
There are free browser extensions and open-source scripts. You pay for them in time and in accounts when Instagram changes something or locks the account they use. SocialHz has a 7-day free trial, no card needed.
Can I scrape Instagram without logging in?
Yes, for public posts, reels, profiles and comments. SocialHz never logs in. Private accounts and stories need a login, so we don't fetch them.
Can I scrape an account's followers?
You get the follower and following counts, the number of posts, the bio, links and engagement rate. You don't get the list of who follows the account.
Is it legal to scrape Instagram?
We fetch only what's public and never log in. Whether your use is allowed depends on what you do with the data and where you are, so ask your own lawyer about anything sensitive, such as personal data.
What does 1,000 Instagram reels cost?
About 34 credits from search, since each page of about 30 reels costs 1 credit. Comments are about 333 credits per 1,000, and profiles 1 credit each.