TikTok Profile Data Grind - What Actually Worked (and now, what's free?)

Our company needed it for some influencer stuff and trend-spotting. We kicked off with the official TikTok API, and honestly, it's kinda basic. Good for some things, but super limited when you need granular deets like engagement trends or follower growth across a ton of profiles.

So, hit me up, if there any free or super cheap alternatives for reliable TikTok data. Need fresh TikTok data, though. Lemme know your tips!