Beautiful Soup
Beautiful Soup: A focused Python parser for supplied HTML and XML, not an end-to-end scraping service. Ranked #9 of 49 in Web Scraping Tools by our editors (7.5/10); pricing: Free plan; best for python users parsing already-fetched HTML or XML.
At a glance
- Editor score7.5 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forPython users parsing already-fetched HTML or XML
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Scraping modesPython library/framework-driven parsing; built-in html.parser, lxml, html5lib
- Founded2004
- Facts checked4 Oct 2026
Where it wins
- Searches, navigates, and modifies HTML or XML parse trees
- Works with html.parser, lxml, and html5lib
- Converts input to Unicode and can serialize formatted markup as UTF-8
Where it doesn't
- Does not fetch web pages
- Does not render JavaScript
- No built-in scheduling; self-hosted use requires a separate workflow
Our verdict on Beautiful Soup
Beautiful Soup is an open-source Python library for parsing HTML and XML that have already been supplied to it. It is aimed at developers who need to navigate, search, and modify markup in scripts or screen-scraping projects, rather than teams looking for a hosted service that handles the entire process. It runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS, and supports Python's built-in html.parser as well as lxml and html5lib.
Its central strength is working with parse trees: developers can find tags and content, change attributes or tree contents, and serialize documents as formatted markup. Beautiful Soup also converts input documents to Unicode and outputs UTF-8. The choice of parser allows different parsing behaviors while keeping the core tasks—finding, extracting, and editing markup—within the library. For Python workflows centered on interpreting fetched HTML or XML, that focus can be a practical fit.
The boundary is important: Beautiful Soup parses supplied markup but does not fetch pages, render JavaScript, or provide built-in scheduling. Its self-hosted, open-source model suits developers who want a library in their own Python workflow; the scraping pipeline around it must handle page retrieval and any other processing needs. Choose it when parse-tree navigation and transformation are the main job. Look elsewhere if you need an integrated service for page fetching, JavaScript-rendered content, or scheduled scraping.
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Beautiful Soup pricing
Beautiful Soup fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Scraping modes | Python library/framework-driven parsing; built-in html.parser, lxml, html5lib |
| JavaScript rendering | No |
| Scheduled runs | No |
| Export formats | HTML/XML serialization; UTF-8 output |
| Deployment options | Self_hosted |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, macOS |
| Support | Community |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 3 integrations: lxml, html5lib, Python html.parser |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | crummy.com |
| Facts checked | 4 Oct 2026 |
Beautiful Soup integrations
Beautiful Soup lists 3 integrations on its own site.
- lxml
- html5lib
- Python html.parser
Alternatives to Beautiful Soup
- Bright Data Web Scraper APIA broad managed scraping service with a free tier and usage-based entry pricing.8.9
- ApifyA cloud platform for running, scheduling, and integrating web-scraping workflows.8.7
- Zyte APIA flexible scraping API for developers tackling browser-rendered, hard-to-fetch pages.8.5
See all Beautiful Soup alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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