# Instagram Profile & Post Scraper (cheap) (`istmobot/instagram-scraper-cheap`) Actor

Low-cost Instagram scraper with the same input and output fields as the popular Instagram profile and post scrapers: followers, bio, links, verified/business flags, latest posts, and post feeds with likes, comments, captions, hashtags, video URLs. No login needed. $1.40 per 1,000 results.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/istmobot/instagram-scraper-cheap.md
- **Developed by:** [Istmobot](https://apify.com/istmobot) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Lead generation, Marketing
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.40 / 1,000 profiles

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Instagram Profile & Post Scraper (cheap)

**A cheaper drop-in alternative with the same input and output fields** as the most popular Instagram profile and post scrapers. Switch your existing runs, schedules and integrations without changing any code, and pay about half.

| What you get | This Actor | Typical price elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 profiles | **$1.40** | $2.60 |
| 1,000 posts | **$1.40** | $2.70 |
| Run start | $0.005 | — |

Errors (deleted accounts, invalid input) are returned as free rows: you only pay for real results.

### What it scrapes

- **Profiles** (`usernames`): id, username, fullName, biography, externalUrl(s), followersCount, followsCount, postsCount, highlightReelCount, verified, private, isBusinessAccount, businessCategoryName, profilePicUrl / profilePicUrlHD, relatedProfiles, igtvVideoCount, latestIgtvVideos and the 12 **latestPosts**.
- **Posts** (`directUrls` with a profile URL, `resultsType: "posts"`): the profile's feed, newest first, with id, shortCode, caption, hashtags, mentions, url, likesCount, commentsCount, timestamp, displayUrl, images, videoUrl, audioUrl, videoDuration, childPosts (carousels), taggedUsers, coauthorProducers, musicInfo, ownerUsername, ownerFullName, productType, paidPartnership.
- **Single posts / reels** (`directUrls` with `/p/...` or `/reel/...`).
- `resultsType: "details"` on a profile URL returns the profile item.
- `usernames` with an explicit `resultsType: "posts"` returns each profile's feed instead of its profile item.

#### Built for scheduled monitoring

Set `onlyPostsNewerThan` to a date (`2026-01-31`) or a relative value (`1 day`, `2 weeks`). The scraper stops paging at the first older post, so a daily run only pays for the new posts.

### Input example

```json
{
  "usernames": ["natgeo", "nasa"],
  "directUrls": ["https://www.instagram.com/humansofny/", "https://www.instagram.com/p/DfAWxdIFmVB/"],
  "resultsType": "posts",
  "resultsLimit": 50,
  "onlyPostsNewerThan": "7 days"
}
```

### Output example (profile, shortened)

```json
{
  "inputUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/nasa",
  "id": "528817151",
  "username": "nasa",
  "fullName": "NASA",
  "followersCount": 104375612,
  "followsCount": 87,
  "postsCount": 4986,
  "verified": true,
  "isBusinessAccount": true,
  "businessCategoryName": "Government Agencies",
  "latestPosts": [{ "shortCode": "...", "likesCount": 512345, "timestamp": "2026-10-30T15:02:11.000Z" }]
}
```

### Public data only, no login

The Actor never logs in and uses no Instagram account or cookies. Things Instagram only shows to logged-in users are **not supported**: followers/following lists, stories, comments text (`firstComment` / `latestComments` are empty), private profiles, hashtag and place feeds, search. Fields Instagram hides from logged-out visitors stay `null`: `joinedRecently`, `businessCategoryName`, `igtvVideoCount` (and `latestIgtvVideos` is empty), `videoPlayCount`, and `videoViewCount` on feed posts (profile `latestPosts` do include `videoViewCount`). The automatic "May be an image of…" alt text is not available; `alt` gets Instagram's short form ("Photo by NASA on October 27, 2026.").

### Tips

- Private profiles return their profile item (counts, bio) but no posts.
- Pinned posts are skipped in the posts feed, like in the original scraper.

# Actor input Schema

## `usernames` (type: `array`):

Instagram usernames or profile URLs. Each one returns one profile item: followers, following, posts count, bio, links, verified/business flags, profile picture, related profiles and the 12 latest posts. Set "What to scrape" to Posts to get each profile's feed instead.

## `directUrls` (type: `array`):

Profile URLs (https://www.instagram.com/nasa/) return that profile's posts. Post or reel URLs (/p/..., /reel/...) return that single post.

## `resultsType` (type: `string`):

<b>Posts</b> returns the profile's feed (pinned posts are skipped). <b>Details</b> returns the profile itself. Left empty, usernames return profile items and profile URLs in Direct URLs return posts. Comments, stories, reels tab and mentions need a logged-in account and are not supported.

## `resultsLimit` (type: `integer`):

How many posts to return for each profile when posts are requested.

## `onlyPostsNewerThan` (type: `string`):

Skip older posts and stop paging there. A date (YYYY-MM-DD or ISO) or a relative value like "1 day", "2 weeks", "3 months". Ideal for scheduled runs.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "usernames": [
    "humansofny"
  ],
  "resultsLimit": 50
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# 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 = {
    "usernames": [
        "humansofny"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("istmobot/instagram-scraper-cheap").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 = { "usernames": ["humansofny"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("istmobot/instagram-scraper-cheap").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 '{
  "usernames": [
    "humansofny"
  ]
}' |
apify call istmobot/instagram-scraper-cheap --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/SRBM5kO03Efpn92ib/builds/2eAgQtBt2cpzWyllH/openapi.json