Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Diffbot VS CSS Scan

Compare Diffbot VS CSS Scan and see what are their differences

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Diffbot logo Diffbot

Get data from web pages automatically

CSS Scan logo CSS Scan

Instantly check or copy computed CSS from any element for only ~95$
  • Diffbot Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-02
  • CSS Scan Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-14

Diffbot features and specs

  • Automation
    Diffbot automates the process of extracting structured data from web pages, saving time and reducing the need for manual data entry.
  • Accuracy
    By using machine learning and AI, Diffbot provides highly accurate data extraction, reducing errors compared to manual scraping.
  • Scalability
    Diffbot can handle large-scale data extraction, making it suitable for businesses with high-volume data needs.
  • Ease of Use
    The platform is user-friendly and provides APIs and tools that simplify the process of integrating data extraction into various applications.
  • Customizable
    Diffbot offers customization options to fine-tune the data extraction process according to specific requirements, ensuring relevance and precision.

Possible disadvantages of Diffbot

  • Cost
    Diffbot can be expensive, especially for small businesses or individual developers, as pricing scales with usage.
  • Learning Curve
    While the platform is powerful, it may have a steeper learning curve for users unfamiliar with API usage or web scraping concepts.
  • Dependency
    Relying on an external service like Diffbot can create dependencies, meaning any downtime or changes in the service can impact your operations.
  • Limited Control
    Using an automated service can limit the control users have over the data extraction process compared to custom-built scrapers.
  • Compliance
    There may be concerns about compliance with website terms of service or legal regulations regarding data scraping, which users need to manage responsibly.

CSS Scan features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    CSS Scan offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy for developers of all skill levels to inspect and copy CSS styles directly from the browser.
  • Time-Saving
    It significantly reduces the time needed to debug and replicate styles by allowing quick copying of well-structured CSS rules from any element on the page.
  • Accuracy
    The tool ensures that the copied CSS maintains the exact styling, including computed styles and vendor prefixes, providing high accuracy in replication.
  • Live Edits
    CSS Scan enables live editing of styles, allowing developers to make real-time changes and see the results instantly, which is beneficial for testing and adjustments.
  • Visual Representation
    The extension visually displays how CSS rules are applied, making it easier to understand complex styling hierarchies and cascades.

Possible disadvantages of CSS Scan

  • Cost
    CSS Scan is a paid tool, so there is a financial investment required, which might not be feasible for all developers, especially those working on personal or non-commercial projects.
  • Browser Compatibility
    As a browser extension, its functionality may be limited to supported browsers, potentially excluding users of less common or unsupported browsers.
  • Limited Scope
    While CSS Scan is powerful for copying and analyzing CSS, it does not offer features for editing or managing CSS files directly, requiring another tool or manual intervention for those tasks.
  • Dependency
    Relying on a third-party tool can be a downside if the tool experiences downtime, changes its pricing, or ceases development, leaving users in a difficult position.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Using browser extensions can raise privacy concerns, as they typically have access to the pages you visit; ensuring the trustworthiness of the extension is crucial.

Analysis of Diffbot

Overall verdict

  • Diffbot is considered a good solution for businesses and developers in need of powerful and flexible web data extraction services. Its cutting-edge technology, along with positive feedback from users for ease of use and quality of data extraction, contributes to its reputation as a reliable option in the field.

Why this product is good

  • Diffbot is widely regarded as a highly effective tool for web data extraction and analysis. It employs advanced machine learning and computer vision technologies to automate the process of extracting data from web pages, transforming unstructured web content into structured datasets. The service is praised for its accuracy, robustness, and ability to handle a wide variety of web content types, making it valuable for businesses and developers looking to collect and analyze vast amounts of web data efficiently.

Recommended for

  • Data scientists needing accurate web data for modeling and analysis.
  • Developers looking to integrate web data into applications.
  • Market researchers analyzing trends and competitor data.
  • SEO specialists seeking detailed information on web pages.
  • Businesses requiring structured data for decision-making and strategy development.

Analysis of CSS Scan

Overall verdict

  • CSS Scan is considered a valuable tool for web developers, particularly for those who frequently work with CSS. Its user-friendly interface and time-saving features make it highly effective for both learning and practical development needs.

Why this product is good

  • CSS Scan is popular among developers because it provides a fast and easy way to inspect and copy CSS styles from any website. It enhances productivity by simplifying the process of understanding and replicating complex styles without manually digging through source code.

Recommended for

  • Front-end developers seeking to understand and replicate existing styles.
  • Web designers aiming to improve their CSS skills through real-world examples.
  • Developers needing to quickly prototype or analyze website designs.
  • Teams looking for an efficient tool to streamline CSS workflows.

Diffbot videos

Correcting Diffbot API Output Using the Custom API Toolkit

CSS Scan videos

Chrome CSS Viewer CSS Scan 2.0 - All Your CSS Secrets Revealed

More videos:

  • Review - CSS Scan and Microthemer are buddies

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Diffbot and CSS Scan)
Web Scraping
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Data Extraction
100 100%
0% 0
Design Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Diffbot and CSS Scan

Diffbot Reviews

Best Data Scraping Tools
Diffbot uses computer vision, unlike any other tools to identify relevant information on a page. As long as the page looks the same visually, the web scrapers will never break even if the HTML structures change.
Creating an Automated Text Extraction Workflow — Part 1
The 600 lbs gorilla, Diffbot, comes with a swath of solid APIs but starts at $300, which is ridiculous if you’re just extracting text. Scrapinghub’s News API, Extractor API, and plenty more are better priced if you want an affordable alternative; plus, Extractor API includes a visual online tool for extracting hundreds of articles at once, if you want to do things via UI.
Source: medium.com

CSS Scan Reviews

We have no reviews of CSS Scan yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, CSS Scan seems to be a lot more popular than Diffbot. While we know about 13 links to CSS Scan, we've tracked only 1 mention of Diffbot. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Diffbot mentions (1)

  • Social Impact Trends / Emergent Issues using Data Science
    I work in non-profit/social impact and I'm trying to get a snapshot of themes/issues that concern a subset of organizations (say a total of 500) in our network via news/articles that these orgs may have published or that these orgs may have been referenced in within the last 30-60 days. Using Diffbot (diffbot.com), I can get a list of articles, news, content etc. That relate to these orgs. Understandably, this... Source: almost 3 years ago

CSS Scan mentions (13)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Diffbot and CSS Scan, you can also consider the following products

import.io - Import. io helps its users find the internet data they need, organize and store it, and transform it into a format that provides them with the context they need.

CSS Scan Pro - The easiest way to get and edit the CSS of any website, live

Octoparse - Octoparse provides easy web scraping for anyone. Our advanced web crawler, allows users to turn web pages into structured spreadsheets within clicks.

Hoverify - All-in-one browser extension to improve your web dev experience.

Content Grabber - Content Grabber is an automated web scraping tool.

CSS Peeper - Smart CSS viewer tailored for Designers.