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docs: Add code examples, comparison guide, and search script #2

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docs: add code examples and API comparison guide
nKOxxx Mar 4, 2026
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feat: add API search script with filtering capabilities
nKOxxx Mar 4, 2026
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# Social Media API Comparison Guide

Quick comparison of top APIs by platform, use case, and pricing.

## By Platform

### LinkedIn APIs

| API | Price/1K | Auth Required | Best For | Speed | Rating |
|-----|----------|---------------|----------|-------|--------|
| [LinkedIn Profile Scraper](https://apify.com/dataweave/linkedin-profile-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | $2 | ❌ No | Profiles, work history | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.8 |
| [LinkedIn Email Scraper](https://apify.com/x_guru/linkedin-email-scraper-no-cookies?fpr=p2hrc6) | $2 | ❌ No | Email discovery | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.5 |
| [LinkedIn Company Scraper](https://apify.com/dev_fusion/linkedin-company-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | $2 | ❌ No | Company data | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.6 |
| [LinkedIn Sales Navigator](https://apify.com/solana/advanced-linkedin-sales-navigator-scraper-verified-leads?fpr=p2hrc6) | Custom | ✅ Cookie | Verified leads | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.9 |

**Recommendation:** Start with "LinkedIn Profile Scraper" for general use. Use Sales Navigator for enterprise leads.

---

### Instagram APIs

| API | Price/1K | Auth Required | Best For | Speed | Rating |
|-----|----------|---------------|----------|-------|--------|
| [Instagram Post Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapearchitect/instagram-post-video-scraper-video-post-downloader?fpr=p2hrc6) | $3 | ❌ No | Posts, videos, metadata | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.7 |
| [Instagram Profile Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/instagram-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | $0.50 | ❌ No | Bulk profiles, posts | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.8 |
| [Instagram Followers](https://apify.com/louisdeconinck/instagram-followers-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | $3 | ❌ No | Follower lists | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.4 |
| [Instagram Comments](https://apify.com/apidojo/instagram-comments-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | $0.50 | ❌ No | Comments, engagement | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.6 |

**Recommendation:** "Instagram Profile Scraper" (Pay Per Result) is cheapest for bulk. Use Post Scraper for media downloads.

---

### Twitter/X APIs

| API | Price/1K | Auth Required | Best For | Speed | Rating |
|-----|----------|---------------|----------|-------|--------|
| [Tweet Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/tweet-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | $0.40 | ❌ No | Tweets, search, profiles | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.9 |
| [X Profile Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/twitter-user-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | $0.40 | ❌ No | User profiles | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.7 |
| [X Thread Scraper](https://apify.com/yellowchimp/twitterx?fpr=p2hrc6) | Custom | ❌ No | Full threads | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.5 |
| [Cheap Twitter API](https://apify.com/practicaltools/cheap-simple-twitter-api?fpr=p2hrc6) | $0.40 | ❌ No | Budget option | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.3 |

**Recommendation:** "Tweet Scraper" is best overall - cheapest, fastest, most reliable.

---

### TikTok APIs

| API | Price/1K | Auth Required | Best For | Speed | Rating |
|-----|----------|---------------|----------|-------|--------|
| [TikTok Video Downloader](https://apify.com/scrapearchitect/tiktok-video-audio-mp3-downloader?fpr=p2hrc6) | $2 | ❌ No | Video downloads | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.8 |
| [TikTok Profile Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/tiktok-profile-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | $0.30 | ❌ No | Bulk profiles | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.9 |
| [TikTok Comments](https://apify.com/apidojo/tiktok-comments-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | $0.30 | ❌ No | Comments | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.7 |
| [TikTok Transcriber](https://apify.com/ingeniela/tiktok-video-transcriber?fpr=p2hrc6) | $5 | ❌ No | AI transcripts | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.6 |

**Recommendation:** "TikTok Profile Scraper" (Pay Per Result) is cheapest. Video Downloader for media.

---

### YouTube APIs

| API | Price/1K | Auth Required | Best For | Speed | Rating |
|-----|----------|---------------|----------|-------|--------|
| [YouTube Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/youtube-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | $0.40 | ❌ No | Videos, channels, search | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.8 |
| [YouTube Transcript](https://apify.com/agentx/youtube-video-transcriber?fpr=p2hrc6) | $3 | ❌ No | AI transcripts | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.7 |
| [YouTube Channel Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/youtube-channel-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | $0.40 | ❌ No | Channel data | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.6 |
| [YouTube Comments](https://apify.com/dz_omar/youtube-comments-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | Custom | ❌ No | Comments | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ 4.5 |

**Recommendation:** "YouTube Scraper" (Pay Per Result) best for most use cases.

---

## By Use Case

### Lead Generation

| Rank | API | Why |
|------|-----|-----|
| 🥇 | [LinkedIn Profile Scraper](https://apify.com/dataweave/linkedin-profile-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | Complete profiles, work history, $2/1k |
| 🥈 | [LinkedIn Email Scraper](https://apify.com/x_guru/linkedin-email-scraper-no-cookies?fpr=p2hrc6) | Direct emails, $2/1k |
| 🥉 | [Leads Generator](https://apify.com/microworlds/leads-generator?fpr=p2hrc6) | $3/1k, Apollo alternative |

### Content Download

| Rank | API | Why |
|------|-----|-----|
| 🥇 | [TikTok Video Downloader](https://apify.com/scrapearchitect/tiktok-video-audio-mp3-downloader?fpr=p2hrc6) | No watermark, HD quality |
| 🥈 | [Instagram Post Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapearchitect/instagram-post-video-scraper-video-post-downloader?fpr=p2hrc6) | Videos + metadata |
| 🥉 | [YouTube Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/youtube-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | Videos, audio, transcripts |

### Sentiment Analysis

| Rank | API | Why |
|------|-----|-----|
| 🥇 | [Tweet Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/tweet-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | Fastest, cheapest at $0.40/1k |
| 🥈 | [YouTube Transcript](https://apify.com/agentx/youtube-video-transcriber?fpr=p2hrc6) | 156+ languages |
| 🥉 | [TikTok Transcriber](https://apify.com/ingeniela/tiktok-video-transcriber?fpr=p2hrc6) | Multi-language |

### Competitor Monitoring

| Rank | API | Why |
|------|-----|-----|
| 🥇 | [Social Media Trend Scraper](https://apify.com/manju4k/social-media-trend-scraper-6-in-1-ai-analysis?fpr=p2hrc6) | 6 platforms + AI analysis |
| 🥈 | [Tweet Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/tweet-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | Real-time monitoring |
| 🥉 | [Instagram Profile Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/instagram-scraper?fpr=p2hrc6) | Posts, engagement, growth |

---

## Price Comparison Matrix

| Platform | Cheapest API | Price/1K | Premium API | Price/1K |
|----------|--------------|----------|-------------|----------|
| LinkedIn | Profile Scraper | $2 | Sales Navigator | $20/mo |
| Instagram | Profile Scraper | $0.50 | Post Scraper | $3 |
| Twitter/X | Tweet Scraper | $0.40 | Thread Scraper | $2 |
| TikTok | Profile Scraper | $0.30 | Video Downloader | $2 |
| YouTube | Scraper | $0.40 | Transcriber | $3 |

---

## Quick Start Recommendations

### Budget Starter Pack (Under $10)
1. **Twitter:** Tweet Scraper ($0.40/1k) - 2,500 tweets
2. **TikTok:** Profile Scraper ($0.30/1k) - 3,300 profiles
3. **YouTube:** Scraper ($0.40/1k) - 2,500 videos

### Lead Gen Starter Pack ($20-30)
1. **LinkedIn:** Profile Scraper ($2/1k) - 500 profiles
2. **LinkedIn:** Email Scraper ($2/1k) - 500 emails
3. **Twitter:** Tweet Scraper ($0.40/1k) - 2,500 tweets

### Content Creator Pack ($30-50)
1. **TikTok:** Video Downloader ($2/1k) - 500 videos
2. **Instagram:** Post Scraper ($3/1k) - 330 posts
3. **YouTube:** Transcriber ($3/1k) - 330 transcripts

### Enterprise Pack ($100+)
1. **LinkedIn:** Sales Navigator (subscription)
2. **All-in-One:** Social Media Trend Scraper (6 platforms)
3. **Custom:** Dedicated proxies + rate limiting

---

## Authentication Requirements

### No Authentication Required ✅
- Most Apify Pay-Per-Result actors
- Public data scrapers
- Video downloaders

### Requires Authentication ⚠️
- Sales Navigator (LinkedIn cookie)
- Some Instagram actors (for private data)
- Telegram (phone auth)

---

## Speed Comparison

| Speed | APIs | Best For |
|-------|------|----------|
| ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡ (600+/sec) | TikTok, Tweet Scraper | Bulk scraping |
| ⚡⚡⚡⚡ (100-300/sec) | YouTube, LinkedIn | Medium scale |
| ⚡⚡⚡ (10-50/sec) | Instagram, Facebook | Careful scraping |

---

## Data Quality Ratings

| API | Data Completeness | Accuracy | Freshness |
|-----|-------------------|----------|-----------|
| Tweet Scraper | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Real-time |
| LinkedIn Profile | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | < 24h |
| TikTok Profile | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | < 6h |
| Instagram Post | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | < 1h |
| YouTube Scraper | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | < 1h |

---

## Troubleshooting Guide

| Issue | Solution | API to Use |
|-------|----------|------------|
| Rate limited | Add proxies, reduce speed | Any with proxy support |
| Data incomplete | Try alternative actor | Check comparison above |
| Too expensive | Use Pay-Per-Result | apidojo actors |
| Need real-time | Use webhooks | Apify webhooks |
| Large scale | Batch processing | Run with higher memory |

---

## Need Help Choosing?

**Tell me:**
1. What platform? (LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
2. What data? (Profiles, posts, comments)
3. What volume? (100, 1k, 10k)
4. Budget? ($10, $50, $100+)

**I'll recommend the perfect API!** 🎯

---

*Last updated: March 2026*
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