How to Make $5K-$20K/Month with Web Scraping in 2026 (Complete Side Hustle Guide)
Real people are making $5,000 to $20,000+ per month selling web scraping services and data products. Here are 7 proven business models, exact pricing, and step-by-step setup using Apify.
The Web Scraping Gold Rush of 2026
The web scraping market is worth $4.3 billion in 2026, and it's growing 40% year-over-year. Businesses are desperate for data: competitor prices, lead lists, market research, social media analytics, real estate data, and more. Most of them don't know how to scrape — and they'll pay handsomely for someone who does.
The best part? With platforms like Apify, you don't need to be a coding expert. Their 3,000+ ready-made scrapers handle the technical work. You just need to understand what data businesses need and how to deliver it.
The Opportunity in Numbers
Market size 2026
YoY growth rate
Of companies use scraped data
Avg hourly rate for scraping freelancers
7 Proven Business Models (With Exact Pricing)
1. Lead Generation Service
Use Apify's Google Maps, LinkedIn, and Yellow Pages scrapers to build targeted lead lists for businesses. Charge $0.10-0.50 per verified lead. A real estate agency needs 5,000 leads/month = $500-2,500/month per client. Get 5-10 clients.
Setup cost: $49/mo Apify plan | Time: 2-3 hours/week per client | Margin: 85-90%
2. Price Monitoring SaaS
Build a price monitoring dashboard for e-commerce businesses using Apify's Amazon, Shopify, and e-commerce scrapers. Charge $200-500/month per client for daily competitor price tracking. The scrapers run on autopilot.
Setup cost: $149/mo Apify plan | Time: 1-2 hours/week maintenance | Margin: 80-85%
3. Social Media Data Service
Agencies and brands pay $500-2,000/month for social media intelligence. Use Apify's TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter scrapers to deliver influencer analytics, brand mention reports, and competitor content analysis.
Setup cost: $149/mo Apify plan | Time: 3-4 hours/week | Margin: 85-90%
4. Real Estate Data Provider
Real estate investors and agencies need property data, rental prices, and market trends. Use Apify's Zillow, Realtor, and Airbnb scrapers to deliver weekly market reports. Charge $300-800/month per client.
Setup cost: $49/mo Apify plan | Time: 2 hours/week | Margin: 90%
5. SEO & SERP Data Service
SEO agencies need ranking data, keyword research, and backlink analysis. Use Apify's Google Search and SERP scrapers to deliver data that replaces $200+/month SEO tools. Charge $300-1,000/month per agency.
Setup cost: $149/mo Apify plan | Time: 3 hours/week | Margin: 85%
6. Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) Products
Create niche datasets and sell them on platforms like Datarade, AWS Data Exchange, or your own website. Use Apify to automate collection. Examples: restaurant menus, job listings, product catalogs, event listings.
Setup cost: $49/mo Apify plan | Time: 5 hours initial setup, 1 hour/week maintenance | Margin: 95%
7. Custom Scraping Freelancing
Freelance on Upwork, Fiverr, or Toptal building custom scrapers. Average rate: $100-200/hour. Use Apify's Crawlee framework to build scrapers 5x faster than from scratch. Deploy on Apify cloud for zero-maintenance delivery.
Setup cost: $49/mo Apify plan | Time: 10-20 hours/week | Margin: 90%+
How to Start This Week (Step-by-Step)
Day 1: Sign Up for Apify (Free)
Create your free Apify account. Explore the Actor marketplace. Run 3-5 different scrapers to understand what data you can collect. Total cost: $0.
Day 2-3: Pick Your Niche
Choose one of the 7 business models above. Research your target market. Find 10 potential clients on LinkedIn or in Facebook groups. Understand their data pain points.
Day 4-5: Build a Sample Deliverable
Use Apify to create a sample data report for your niche. Make it look professional in Google Sheets or a simple dashboard. This is your portfolio piece.
Day 6-7: Start Outreach
Send personalized messages to your 10 prospects with a free sample of their competitor data. Offer a free 7-day trial. Convert 2-3 into paying clients at $300-500/month each.
💰 Quick Math
5 clients × $500/month = $2,500/month with ~10 hours/week of work. Your Apify cost: $49-149/month. That's a 95%+ profit margin. Scale to 15-20 clients and you're at $7,500-10,000/month.
Start Your Web Scraping Business Today
Sign up for Apify free. Get $5/month in credits. Access 3,000+ scrapers. Build your first data product this week.
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