Desktop or cloud Google Maps scraper? The differences that matter
There are two kinds of Google Maps scrapers. Cloud services run the scraping on their servers and send you the result. Desktop apps run it on your own computer. Neither is always better.
Cost
A cloud service pays for servers, so it usually charges per record or per credit. A desktop app uses your computer and your internet, so the maker has no per-lead cost and can sell a one-time license. See the numbers in Google Maps scraper cost per lead.
Privacy
In the cloud, your searches and lists live in your account on someone else's servers. On your computer, they stay in a folder on your computer. EverScrape sends only license data to our server, not your searches or lists. The details are on How it works.
Speed and scale
Cloud services can run many scrapes in parallel and are easy to call from code through an API. A desktop app is limited by your connection and computer. For a typical sales team that is enough: about 10 to 20 minutes for 1,000 leads in EverScrape.
Setup
A cloud service needs only a browser. A desktop app needs an install, and an unsigned installer shows a Windows or macOS warning. We explain why, and how to check the file yourself, on the How it works page.
Which one should you choose?
- You need an API, other countries or one-off jobs: cloud.
- You scrape often, in many niches, and want mobile numbers sorted without a second tool: desktop.
We also wrote a direct comparison: EverScrape vs Outscraper.