AlternativeTo Scraper

What does AlternativeTo Scraper do?

AlternativeTo Scraper collects software and tool data from AlternativeTo.net. Search by keyword, or provide AlternativeTo browse, search, and software pages directly. The Actor returns structured records with names, descriptions, categories, ratings, pricing, licenses, platforms, logos, screenshots, developer details, and source URLs.

Use it for competitor research, software discovery, market analysis, content research, and building searchable tool databases without copying listings by hand.

Why use AlternativeTo Scraper?

• Structured software data - Collect consistent records instead of copying details from individual pages.
• Two input modes - Start with a keyword search or scrape specific AlternativeTo URLs.
• Useful coverage - Gather alternatives, browse tags, and search results in one dataset.
• Duplicate control - Each tool appears once per run, even when several pages overlap.
• Fast cloud runs - In testing, 100 tools across 7 result pages completed in about 2 seconds of Actor processing.
• Automation-ready output - Export to JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, or send results to other tools through the Apify API.
• Repeatable research - Schedule runs to refresh a software landscape or monitor a category over time.

Who is AlternativeTo Scraper for?

• Product and competitive research teams - Build a comparison set for a category or track alternatives to a known tool.
• Market analysts - Collect pricing, licensing, platforms, and positioning signals across a software market.
• Content and SEO teams - Gather tool lists for roundups, category pages, and buying guides.
• Developers and data teams - Feed a searchable software database, internal dashboard, or AI research workflow.

What data can you extract from AlternativeTo?

Field	Description
title	Name of the software or tool
description	Short description or tagline
category	Primary category or application type
rating	User rating when the source page provides one
pricing	Pricing model such as Free, Freemium, Paid, or Open Source
cost	Combined pricing and license text
license	License name or family
likes	Number of community likes
platforms	Supported platforms such as Windows, Mac, Linux, Web, Android, or iOS
applicationTypes	Application categories and subtypes
images	Screenshot URLs
origins	Developer or company country when available
bestAlternative	Top suggested alternative when available
developer	Developer or company name when available
logoUrl	Tool logo or icon URL
url	AlternativeTo software page URL
_source	Source label for the record

Some fields are optional because AlternativeTo does not publish the same details on every page. Browse tag pages usually provide the richest records, while keyword search summaries contain fewer details.

How to use AlternativeTo Scraper

1. Open the Actor on Apify.
2. Enter a keyword, or add one or more AlternativeTo URLs.
3. Set the maximum number of tools and page limit.
4. Run the Actor.
5. Review the dataset, then export it or connect it to your workflow.

If you provide startUrls, those URLs take precedence over the keyword. If you leave startUrls empty, the Actor searches using keyword.

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
startUrls	Array	No	[]	AlternativeTo browse, search, or software page URLs to scrape
keyword	String	No	"AI image generator"	Search term used when no start URLs are provided
results_wanted	Integer	No	20	Maximum number of unique tools to save
max_pages	Integer	No	20	Safety cap on result pages visited per start target
proxyConfiguration	Object	No	{"useApifyProxy": false}	Optional proxy settings for larger or repeated runs

Supported start URLs

• Search pages, for example https://alternativeto.net/browse/search/?q=video%20editor
• Browse tag pages, for example https://alternativeto.net/browse/all/?tag=ai-image-generator
• Software alternative pages, for example https://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-photoshop/

Category URLs are converted to their working browse equivalent. Software about, review, and alternative tabs are normalized to the main software page.

Data depth by input type

Input	Best for	What to expect
Keyword	Broad discovery across a topic	Core listing fields, often without ratings or developer names
Browse tag URL	Exploring a category or tag	Richer records with ratings, developer details, and more metadata
Software URL	Finding alternatives to one tool	Alternative records with core fields; some summary details may be absent
Category URL	Category-based research	Converted to a browse tag page and collected like a browse target

For the most complete records, use browse tag URLs. Use software URLs when you need the alternative set for one tool, and keyword search when you want to discover which tools exist in a topic.

Output Data

Field	Type	Description
title	String	Software name
description	String	Tool description or tagline
category	String	Main category
rating	Number	Rating on a 5-point scale when available
pricing	String	Pricing model
cost	String	Pricing and license summary
license	String	License name or family
likes	Integer	Community likes
platforms	Array	Supported platforms
applicationTypes	Array	Application categories
images	Array	Screenshot image URLs
origins	Array	Company or developer countries
bestAlternative	String	Suggested alternative when available
developer	String	Developer or company name when available
logoUrl	String	Logo or icon URL
url	String	AlternativeTo software page
_source	String	Source label

Usage Examples

Search by keyword

Collect tools related to a keyword when you do not have a specific AlternativeTo URL.

{
  "keyword": "AI image generator",
  "results_wanted": 50,
  "max_pages": 5
}

Scrape browse and software pages

Collect rich records from a browse tag page and a software alternatives page in one run.

{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://alternativeto.net/browse/all/?tag=ai-image-generator"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-photoshop/"
    }
  ],
  "results_wanted": 100,
  "max_pages": 10
}

Use a proxy for a larger run

Enable Apify Proxy when you plan to collect more results or run the Actor frequently.

{
  "keyword": "video editor",
  "results_wanted": 200,
  "max_pages": 10,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}

Sample Output

{
  "title": "ChatGPT",
  "description": "ChatGPT is a generative artificial intelligence chatbot created by OpenAI and launched in November 2022. It is built on large language models (LLMs), enabling it to understand and generate human-like text, images, and even speech.",
  "category": "AI Chatbot",
  "rating": 4.1,
  "pricing": "Freemium",
  "cost": "Freemium | Proprietary",
  "license": "None",
  "likes": 719,
  "platforms": ["Mac", "Windows", "Linux", "Online", "Android", "iPhone", "Android Tablet", "iPad", "Google Chrome"],
  "applicationTypes": ["AI Chatbot", "Large Language Model (LLM)", "AI Writing"],
  "images": [
    "https://img.alternativeto.net/s/618x394/jpeg/chatgpt_194760_full.jpg",
    "https://img.alternativeto.net/s/618x394/jpeg/chatgpt_937885_full.jpg"
  ],
  "origins": ["United States"],
  "bestAlternative": "Lumo by Proton",
  "developer": "OpenAI",
  "logoUrl": "https://img.alternativeto.net/icons/140/chatgpt_297228.svg",
  "url": "https://alternativeto.net/software/chatgpt/",
  "_source": "alternativeto"
}

Tips for Best Results

• Use startUrls when you need the richest records. Browse tag pages usually include more details than keyword search summaries.
• Use a software page URL when you want alternatives to one specific tool, and a browse tag URL when you want a category map.
• Start with a small results_wanted value to verify the dataset shape before a large run.
• Keep max_pages high enough for your target. The Actor stops at results_wanted or when pages run out.
• Use exact AlternativeTo paths when possible. Malformed or unsupported URLs may stop the run, so test a new URL pattern with a small limit first.
• If a field is empty, check another record. AlternativeTo may not publish that detail for every tool.
• Schedule repeated runs for category monitoring, or use the Apify API to refresh your own database.

Integrations

• Google Sheets - Send results to a spreadsheet for review and sharing.
• Webhooks - Trigger your own workflow after a run finishes.
• Make or Zapier - Add results to no-code automation flows.
• Apify API - Fetch datasets from applications, scripts, or AI agents.
• Cloud storage - Export files to your warehouse, data lake, or backup process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I export AlternativeTo data to CSV or Excel?

Yes. Apify datasets can be downloaded as CSV, Excel, JSON, XML, and other supported formats from the run page or through the API.

Can I scrape more than one AlternativeTo page in one run?

Yes. Add several URLs to startUrls. The Actor processes each target in order and removes duplicates across the whole run.

Does the keyword search return the same fields as a browse page?

Not always. Keyword search summaries typically include names, descriptions, pricing, likes, platforms, and URLs, but often omit ratings and developer names. Browse tag pages usually include richer metadata. Software pages focus on the alternative list, and some summary fields such as rating may be absent.

Can I collect alternatives for one specific tool?

Yes. Add the software page URL, such as https://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-photoshop/, to startUrls. The dataset contains the alternative tools listed on that page.

How many tools can I collect in one run?

You control the size with results_wanted and max_pages. A tested run returned 100 unique tools across 7 pages. Increase both values for broader coverage, and check the dataset preview before scheduling a larger run.

How fast is the Actor?

Most runs finish in seconds. In cloud testing, a 100-tool run took about 2 seconds of Actor processing, excluding startup and dataset download time. Actual speed depends on result count, page count, and network conditions.

Can I run this Actor on a schedule?

Yes. Create a schedule in Apify Console to refresh your dataset hourly, daily, weekly, or at another interval. Use a larger results_wanted value only when you need broader coverage.

Why are some records missing ratings or developer names?

AlternativeTo does not display every field for every tool. Empty values mean the information was not present on the source page at collection time.

Does the Actor return duplicate tools?

No. Tools are deduplicated by their AlternativeTo software URL within a run, even when several result pages overlap.

What happens if I provide both start URLs and a keyword?

Start URLs take precedence. The keyword is used only when no valid start URLs are supplied.

Is it legal to collect AlternativeTo data?

Collecting publicly available data can be legal, but rules vary by location and use case. You are responsible for following applicable laws, AlternativeTo terms, and privacy requirements.

Support

For issues, feature requests, or custom Actor work, use the Issues tab on the Actor page or contact the developer through Apify.

Legal Notice

This Actor is intended for legitimate collection of publicly available software information. Users are responsible for using the data responsibly and complying with applicable laws and website terms.