In today’s era, companies get data from diverse sources ranging from web pages, print media, documents, forums, blogs, videos, etc. Harnessing potential information from these data sources helps corporations make incisive and business–improving decisions. This process of extracting valuable insights from multiple data sources is called Data Extraction and the tools they use to achieve this are called Data Extraction Tools.
Data Extraction can be quite a cumbersome process because any company will stutter in trying to make a valuable in-depth analysis of the data generated. Hence, to simplify the Data Extraction process, Data Extraction Tools were developed. Using the right Data Extraction Tool you can draw useful and helpful conclusions about a lot of things.
This article will give you a comprehensive list of the best Data Extraction Tools that are available in the market, along with their features and prices. It will also talk about the Data Extraction process, its types, and its benefits.
What is Data Extraction?
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Data Extraction can be defined as the process where data is retrieved from various data sources for further data processing and analysis to gather valuable business insights or storage in a central Data Warehouse. The data obtained from different sources can be Unstructured, Semi-Structured, or Structured.
Corporations, individuals, or companies frequently extract data to analyze it using Business Intelligence (BI) tools, migrate the data to a repository, or replicate data as a backup.
Data Extraction is the first step in the Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) processes in the data ingestion paradigm. It helps in preparing data that would be cast to a required format for further analysis to gain useful insights. The data could be from multiple sources and types, therefore, there has to be a synchronized tool for effective analysis and this can be done using a Data Extraction Tool.
Benefits of Data Extraction Tools
There are many reasons why data is extracted from a source to a destination. Whatever may be the case, extracting data helps in managing not only streaming data but also helps in analytical use. Some of the benefits of Data Extractor Tools are:
- Improving your Accuracy: Data Extraction Tools greatly enhance the correctness of data transfer as this is largely done without human interference which reduces errors and bias, therefore, improving the quality of data.
- Giving you Control: Data extraction Tools largely determine which data is necessary for extraction. This is done when gathering data from different sources as it determines the exact data that is required for such an operation and leaves the rest for subsequent transfers.
- Increases Efficiency and Productivity: Using a Data Extraction Tool increases the overall efficiency as the time required for collecting data is reduced as the whole process is automated, invariably increasing productivity.
- Scalability: Organisations can determine the scale at which they want data collected because of the use of Data Extraction Tools. It helps you avoid manually phasing through sources to collect information rather, you can easily increase or reduce the amount of data you want to be collected and for what purpose.
- Ease of Use: Data Extraction Tools are easy to use as they are interactive and provide a visual representation of your data whereby one who is not equipped with a vast knowledge of programming can easily use them.
Categories of Data Extraction Tools
In order to determine the best Data Extraction Tool for a company, the type of service the company provides and the purpose of Data Extraction is very important parameter. In order to understand this all the tools are categorized into 3 categories and are given below:
1) Batch Processing Tools
There are times when companies need to transfer data to another location but encounter challenges because such data are stored in obsolete forms, or are legacy data. In such cases moving the data in batches is the best solution. This would mean the sources may involve a single or few data units, and may not be too complex. Batch Processing can also be helpful when moving data within a premise or closed environment. To save time and minimize computing power, this can be done during off-work hours.
2) Open Source Tools
Open Source Data Extraction Tools are preferable when companies are working on a budget as they can acquire Open-Source applications to extract or replicate data provided. Company employees have the necessary skills and knowledge required to do this. Some paid vendors also offer limited versions of their products for free, therefore, this can be mentioned in the same bracket as Open-Source tools.
3) Cloud-Based Tools
Cloud-Based Data Extraction Tools are the predominant extraction products available today. They take away the stress of computing your logic and discard the security challenges of handling data yourself. They allow users to connect data sources and destinations directly without writing any code making it easy for anyone within your establishment to have quick access to the data which can then be used for analysis. There are several Cloud-Based tools available in the market today.
Top 10 Data Extraction Tools
This section of the blog talks about various Data Extraction Tools available in the market that help extract data seamlessly:
1) Hevo Data
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Hevo allows you to replicate data in near real-time from 150+ sources to the destination of your choice including Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, Databricks, and Firebolt. Without writing a single line of code. Finding patterns and opportunities is easier when you don’t have to worry about maintaining the pipelines. So, with Hevo as your data pipeline platform, maintenance is one less thing to worry about.
For the rare times things do go wrong, Hevo ensures zero data loss. To find the root cause of an issue, Hevo also lets you monitor your workflow so that you can address the issue before it derails the entire workflow. Add 24*7 customer support to the list, and you get a reliable tool that puts you at the wheel with greater visibility. Check Hevo’s in-depth documentation to learn more.
If you don’t want SaaS tools with unclear pricing that burn a hole in your pocket, opt for a tool that offers a simple, transparent pricing model. Hevo has 3 usage-based pricing plans starting with a free tier, where you can ingest upto 1 million records.
Hevo was the most mature Extract and Load solution available, along with Fivetran and Stitch but it had better customer service and attractive pricing. Switching to a Modern Data Stack with Hevo as our go-to pipeline solution has allowed us to boost team collaboration and improve data reliability, and with that, the trust of our stakeholders on the data we serve.
– Juan Ramos, Analytics Engineer, Ebury
Check out how Hevo empowered Ebury to build reliable data products here.
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2) Import.io
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This is a web-based tool that is used for extracting data from websites. It does this by allowing you to convert your unstructured or semi-structured data from web pages into structured forms that can be used for business decisions or integrations with other applications.
Pricing Model for Import.io
The pricing model depends on the number of websites and the number of web pages that need to be monitored for the Data Extraction process. Users that want to use Import.io need to schedule a consultation with their sales team.
In order to know more about Import.io, click this link.
3) Octoparse
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This is a modern visual Web Data Extraction Tool. It is a Cloud-Based web crawler that enables you to easily extract web data without coding.
Pricing Model for Octoparse
Octoparse has 4 plans that companies can choose- Free, Standard, Professional, and Enterprise. This choice depends on the budget of the companies.
Image Source: Octoparse
In order to know more about Octoparse, click this link.
4) Parsehub
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This is a free Web Scrapper that helps you extract data with a few clicks. You can easily turn any site into a spreadsheet or API for subsequent extraction.
Pricing Model for Parsehub
Similar to Octoparse, Parsehub also has 4 plans companies can choose from- Free, Standard, Professional, and Enterprise. This choice depends on the budget of the companies.
Image Source: Parsehub
In order to know more about Parsehub, click this link.
5) OutWitHub
Image Source: Outwit
This is a Data Extraction Tool that automatically helps you to extract information from media and online sources, and organize them in a suitable format.
Pricing Model for OutWitHub
In order for customers to use OutWitHub, they need to set up a meeting with the sales team of OutWitHub.
In order to know more about OutWitHub, click this link.
6) Web Scraper
Image Source: Webscrapper
This is one of the popular Data Extraction Tools today. It extracts content from websites and can replicate entire website content elsewhere.
Pricing Model for Web Scraper
Similar to Import.io and OutWitHub, customers need to set up a meeting with the sales team of Web Scrapper to use their services.
In order to know more about Web Scrapper, click this link.
7) Mailparser
Image Source: Mailparser
This is an Email Parser tool that allows you to extract data from emails and attachments to automate your workflow.
Pricing Model for Mailparser
Mailparser also offers 4 plans- Free, Professional, Business and Business++. Companies can choose either of the plans based on their budget.
In order to know more about Mailparser, click this link.
8) Mozenda
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
This is a Cloud-Based web scraping service. It allows you to scrape information from web pages.
Pricing Model for Mozenda
Mozenda also offers 4 plans- Free, Professional, Enterprise, and High–Capacity. Companies can choose either of the plans based on their budget.
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In order to know more about Mozenda, click this link.
9) DocParser
Image Source: Docparser
This is a leading Document Parser. It can be used to extract data from PDF to Excel, JSON, etc. It takes information from in-accessible formats and converts them to usable format such as Excel sheets.
Pricing Model for DocParser
DocParser offers 5 plans- Free, Starter, Professional, Business, and Enterprise. Companies can choose either of the plans based on their budget.
Image Source: Docparser
In order to know more about DocParser, click this link.
10) Table Capture
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This is an extension of the Google Chrome browser. It gives you the ability to capture HTML tables for easy use in a Spreadsheet application.
Pricing Model for Table Capture
Table Capture is a free extension for Google Chrome.
In order to know more about Table Capture, click this link.
Conclusion
This article provided in-depth knowledge about the best and popular Data Extraction Tools in the market today that can be used in order to simplify the extraction process. It also gave the pricing models for each of the tools and also provided benefits for companies when they use these tools.
Overall, Data Extraction plays a crucial part in any company, and choosing the correct Data Extraction Tool is part of that.
Since now we know much about Data Extraction, we can now learn more about the ETL process and the best ETL tools that are available in the market.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, that will not only help you transfer data but also transform it into analysis-ready form, then Hevo Data is the right choice for you! It will take care of all your analytics needs in a completely automated manner, allowing you to focus on key business activities.
Visit our Website to Explore Hevo
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Share your experience of learning about the popular Data Extraction Tools in the comments section below!