gotvsmechanize
Got is a lightweight and powerful HTTP client for Node.js. It is built on top of the http and https modules and provides a simple, consistent API for making HTTP requests.
Got is one of the most feature-rich http clients in NodeJS ecosystem offering http2, proxy and asynchronous support making it ideal for web scraping.
Got also supports many specific domain integrations like AWS, plugins for various public APIs like github.
Note that Got has some inconsistent behaviors when it comes to web scraping use.
For example, it normalizes http headers
which is undesired functionality in scraping and should be disabled.
Mechanize is a Ruby library for automating interaction with websites. It automatically stores and sends cookies, follows redirects, and can submit forms — making it behave like a web browser without needing an actual browser engine.
Key features include:
- Automatic cookie management Stores cookies received from servers and sends them back on subsequent requests, maintaining session state across multiple pages.
- Form handling Can find, fill in, and submit HTML forms programmatically. Supports text inputs, selects, checkboxes, radio buttons, and file uploads.
- Link following Navigate through pages by clicking links using their text content, CSS selectors, or href patterns.
- History and back/forward Maintains a browsing history, allowing you to go back and forward through visited pages.
- HTTP authentication Supports basic and digest HTTP authentication.
- Proxy support Can route requests through HTTP proxies.
- Redirect handling Automatically follows HTTP redirects (configurable).
Mechanize is one of the oldest and most established web interaction libraries in Ruby. It is best suited for scraping traditional server-rendered websites with forms and multi-page workflows. For JavaScript-heavy sites, a browser automation tool like Selenium or Playwright is recommended instead.