The Best Managed Data Services in 2025

Managed data collection services provide a practical alternative to building and maintaining in-house scraping infrastructure, particularly for data-intensive industries such as retail, travel, and financial services.

What do you need a managed data service provider to do for your business? Is it to:

Comparison table for the providers:

*: File-based delivery refers to receiving data in downloadable formats such as CSV, JSON, or Excel.

**:BI tool integration means the provider can connect data directly to platforms like Tableau.

For a deeper look at the ethical and legal aspects of web scraping, see our web-scraping ethics guide.

What are managed data collection services?

Managed data collection services are outsourced, end-to-end solutions that enable companies to automatically collect specific data from websites at scale.

This approach is akin to having an external data operations team on demand, handling the technical and compliance-heavy aspects behind the scenes.

How managed services differ from basic scraping tools

Rather than relying on general-purpose scrapers and managing proxies, managed services build custom crawling architectures to:

• Operate at high volumes. Managed providers deploy distributed systems capable of handling millions of requests per day.
• Handle JavaScript-heavy pages. They use headless browsers or rendering engines (e.g., Puppeteer, Playwright) to ensure data is captured even when it doesn’t exist in the page’s initial HTML.
• Bypass anti-bot protections. They offer ongoing monitoring and automated or manual script adjustments.

How to choose the right provider

Here are the key factors to consider when choosing the right managed service provider for your business:

• Data scope: Determine whether the provider supports the type, volume, and structure of data you require. For example, suppose you need product listings scraped daily from several marketplaces with varying sizes, prices, reviews, and inventory levels. A managed provider should configure the crawler to extract the necessary fields. Can they manage multi-source data aggregation, or do they give data in your preferred format?
• Scalability: Will the solution scale as your needs grow? You can check if they offer load balancing and concurrency controls. If the provider cannot handle the scale, target sites may experience data delays or rate limiting.
• Compliance and ethical standards: Depending on your industry, geography, and type of data being collected, here are the key regulatory frameworks and standards you should check for:
  • GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): If you’re collecting or using any data that could be linked to individuals in the EU, the provider must ensure no sensitive data is collected without explicit consent.
  • CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act): Even if you are not headquartered in California, you can still be liable under the CCPA if you are scraping information on Californians, such as user-generated material or customer reviews.
  • SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls Type 2): This assures that your provider adheres to strict best practices when handling sensitive or regulated data and is regularly audited by a third party.
  • ISO/IEC 27001: This shows that the provider secures your data at every stage of its lifetime using a verified, risk-based methodology.

Top managed data collection providers

Bright Data

Bright Data’s Managed Data Acquisition solution provides a comprehensive, end-to-end service, encompassing everything from source targeting and infrastructure setup to data validation, enrichment, and final delivery.

One of the biggest residential proxy networks supports its service. The service is fully compliant with leading standards, including ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, and CCPA. However, its pricing may be better suited for mid-sized to large enterprises rather than smaller businesses.

Oxylabs

While Oxylabs is best known for its proxy infrastructure, it also offers managed scraping solutions such as Data Collector. Their managed data services provide an API-first approach, making them a suitable choice for use cases in employment data, travel, and e-commerce.

The service offers both batch and real-time delivery options, along with built-in proxy rotation and management capabilities.

Apify

Apify combines a managed data extraction service with an open-source SDK and a no-code platform. The provider offers fully managed data collection services, but many of its clients use it to create and operate their web scrapers, also known as “actors.”

Workflows that are fully managed are accessible through Apify Enterprise plans. With support for JSON, CSV, Excel, and direct interfaces, they facilitate API-driven delivery. However, it may require some effort to develop their service.

ScrapeHero

ScrapeHero managed data services focus on custom data projects with specialized requirements, including job postings, real estate listings, and product pricing. Their solutions support file-based delivery, API integration, and direct connections with BI tools.

They also offer advanced capabilities such as image and PDF scraping when needed. While ideal for complex or large-scale use cases, their offering may be more than necessary for basic data collection tasks.

Zyte

Zyte offers “Standard” feeds that use ready-made schemas for product, job, and SERP data. Data is available in various formats, including JSON, CSV, and XML. Their managed data services handle proxy rotation (residential IPs), smart ban detection, and headless rendering.

Managed Data services utilize a headless-browser layer that renders JavaScript, executes clicks and scrolls, and adapts a proxy strategy. This makes them suitable for data scraping from Single-Page Applications built with React, Angular, or Vue.

Why managing and securing your business data is essential

As businesses generate and rely on vast amounts of data, ensuring that this data is properly handled is paramount. A managed data service provider can:

• Protect sensitive business information from unauthorized access or cyber threats.
• Ensure that your data practices align with relevant laws and standards (such as GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA).
• Identify potential vulnerabilities in your data infrastructure and audit to prevent data theft or loss.