I would guess: 1. Narrow target Your market is people who need scraped data to input into some kind of app/program/code, but don't have the resources/skills/t

I would guess: 1. Narrow target Your market is people who need scraped data to input into some kind of app/program/code, but don't have the resources/skills/time to use scrapy or whatever. 2. Sensitive to configuration This is also the problem with visual code and ML apps, but you even a small issue with the source you are scraping from -- say, captcha, or login, or some weird format or css you did not anticipate -- makes it almost useless, whereas if you were coding up a solution you can (usually, not always) deal with it more easily. Those are the reasons they shut down. The reasons why they launch: 1. Many developers have this need Many developers have built scrapers internally, and then used them so a lot of people have worked on this problem. What follows from this is that they can productize it, see that other people have the need, imagine the market etc.