Tired of Phantombuster? Here’s What Actually Works Better in 2025

If you’ve ever tried automating lead scraping with PhantomBuster, you probably know the headache, phantom slots, execution time limits, and confusing resource caps. It works, but managing it feels like babysitting your workflows. The good news? There are tools that skip the complexity entirely. For example, IGLeads’ email scraper offers unlimited scraping without time limits, credit caps, or phantom slots: perfect for lead generation without the hassle.
This guide breaks down the best PhantomBuster alternatives in 2025. Whether you’re looking for simpler pricing, easier automation, or more scalable scraping, you’ll find what actually works better right now.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly which alternative fits your workflow and why sticking with Phantombuster in 2025 is costing you leads.
- IGLeads
- SalesRobot
- TexAu
- Evaboot
- Kaspr
- Cognism
- Apify
- Lobstr.io
- Captain Data
- Lemlist
- Waalaxy
- Meet Alfred
- DropContact
- Lusha
- DuxSoup
Quick comparison between competitors
Here’s how the top alternatives compare: straight to the point, with only the facts that actually impact your prospecting workflow.
Feature | ![]() |
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Best For | Social media & local business lead scraping | LinkedIn lead scraping & contact enrichment | Custom web scraping & automation workflows | B2B contact data enrichment & sales prospecting |
Starting Price | $49.99/month | €30/month | $49/month | $36/month |
Key Features | – Scrape from Instagram, LinkedIn, Google Maps, YouTube, TikTok – Flat pricing, no credits – AI keyword assistant – Cloud-based automation – Scheduled scraping |
– LinkedIn Chrome extension – Email & phone number extraction – Instant contact enrichment – CRM integrations – Pay-per-credit or subscription |
– No-code web scraping – Advanced API for developers – Cloud & local execution – Proxy management – Build custom automation workflows |
– Find B2B emails & direct dials – Chrome extension for LinkedIn – CRM integrations – Data enrichment – Credit-based pricing |
Notable Pros | – Easy to use, no coding – Flat pricing, no limits – Fast delivery – Perfect for social & local leads – Works on multiple platforms |
– Fast LinkedIn contact enrichment – Simple Chrome extension – Easy to set up – Affordable for small teams – Phone number accuracy |
– Fully customizable scraping – Handles complex websites – API access for scale – Proxy and anti-ban tools built-in – Flexible deployment |
– Large B2B contact database – Easy CRM syncing – Simple UI – Fast access to phone numbers – Strong for outbound sales teams |
Notable Cons | – Focused on lead scraping only – Not built for scraping large complex datasets outside of leads |
– Only works on LinkedIn – Credit-based pricing can get expensive – No full website scraping |
– Developer-friendly, but steep learning curve – Not focused on lead generation – Pricing can grow with usage |
– Expensive at scale (credit-based) – Limited to B2B databases – No website scraping – No automation workflows |
IGLeads: The Easiest Way to scrape social media & local leads
If PhantomBuster’s phantom slots, execution limits, and constant resource juggling are driving you crazy, IGLeads offers a much simpler solution. This tool is designed specifically for scraping social media profiles and local businesses, with zero coding, zero proxy headaches, and no confusing usage caps.
What IGLeads Does Best
IGLeads pulls emails, phone numbers, and business data from popular platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Google Maps, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. It’s fully cloud-based, meaning your scrapes run in the background, even when your computer is off.
- Automated scraping bots that run 24/7 in the cloud
- Supports multiple platforms in one subscription: social media + Google Maps
- Real-time data extraction without needing accounts or proxies
- High-speed delivery: most scrapes finish within 2–3 hours (guaranteed under 8)
- Target leads using keywords, hashtags, locations, or job roles
Unlike PhantomBuster’s task-based system, there’s no micromanaging execution time or phantom slots. Just input what you’re looking for, and IGLeads delivers clean, usable data.
Why People Choose IGLeads (and Why They Don’t)
✅ Pros:
- Transparent, flat pricing: no credits, slots, or hidden fees
- Perfect for scraping social media and local businesses
- Zero technical setup: runs entirely in the cloud
- Fast turnaround, typically same day
❌ Cons:
- Focused exclusively on lead scraping, not a general web scraping tool
- No built-in email verification, works best when paired with a validation tool
IGLeads Pricing Breakdown
- Starter: $59.99/month for up to 10,000 emails per month (or $49/month annually)
- Business: $149/month for 50,000 emails (drops to $79/month with annual billing)
- Unlimited: $299/month for unlimited emails (or $239/month if billed yearly)
If you’re overwhelmed by PhantomBuster’s complicated credit system, execution timers, and slot management, IGLeads offers a refreshing alternative. You get fast, reliable lead lists from social platforms and Google Maps, without any of the technical headaches.
Start using IGLeads and turn hours of manual prospecting into clean, ready-to-use lead lists.
SalesRobot: Best for LinkedIn and Email Automation
If you’re using PhantomBuster mainly for LinkedIn automation, like connection requests, follow-ups, or message sequencing, SalesRobot offers a more focused, ready-to-use alternative. No complex Phantom setup flows. No worrying about execution slots or resource management.
SalesRobot Features:
SalesRobot is built specifically for LinkedIn prospecting and outreach automation:
- Automated LinkedIn outreach campaigns with smart sequencing and follow-ups
- Hyper-personalization using dynamic text variables for each prospect
- Built-in inbox management to track replies and ongoing conversations inside the dashboard
- Cloud-based execution with dedicated IPs. No need to leave your browser open
- AI-based timing optimization to reduce risk of LinkedIn account restrictions
The entire platform is designed for non-technical sales teams who want fast LinkedIn outreach results without scripting or API setup.
SalesRobot Assessment
✅ Pros:
- Super intuitive UI built for sales reps, not developers
- Cloud-based with dedicated IPs, avoids most LinkedIn detection issues
- Excellent onboarding and customer support
- Pre-built campaign templates for faster setup
- No browser extensions required
❌ Cons:
- Only works with LinkedIn, no multi-platform scraping like IGLeads
- Credit-based pricing: costs scale with outreach volume
- Limited data scraping: this is outreach automation, not contact extraction
- More expensive compared to DIY scraping tools for raw data
SalesRobot Pricing:
SalesRobot uses a credit-based, user-seat model:
- Basic Plan: Starts around $99/month per user for up to 800 connection requests and 1,500 messages monthly
- Pro Plan: Custom pricing for higher volumes and advanced automation features
Key pricing notes:
- All plans are billed monthly with no long-term contracts
- 7-day free trial available (no credit card required)
- Seat-based pricing: each LinkedIn account requires a separate subscription
- Pricing may vary depending on outreach volume and features selected
Bottom line: If your main use case with PhantomBuster was LinkedIn outreach automation, SalesRobot gives you a more intuitive, safer, and cloud-based solution. Just keep in mind it’s not a scraping tool, it’s strictly for sending messages and managing LinkedIn campaigns at scale.
TexAu: Best for Multi-Platform Automation
TexAu is often seen as the closest competitor to PhantomBuster in terms of functionality. It’s a cloud-based and desktop automation tool designed to handle tasks across LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google Maps, and more. If you used PhantomBuster for scraping + automation workflows, TexAu offers a very similar, arguably simpler, experience.
TexAu Features:
TexAu combines web scraping with task automation for various social media and web platforms:
- 100+ pre-built automation workflows for LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google Maps, and more
- Cloud-based execution or desktop-based runner: choose between flexibility or full automation
- Lead extraction, auto-connection, message sequencing, and data scraping
- API access and Google Sheets integration for automated data pipelines
- Built-in scheduling to run workflows on autopilot without user input
TexAu is perfect for users who need a blend of scraping + outreach automation without writing a single line of code.
TexAu Assessment
✅ Pros:
- Supports dozens of platforms: far beyond just LinkedIn
- Choice of cloud-based or desktop runner based on your needs
- Easy-to-use UI with drag-and-drop workflow builders
- API available for deeper integrations
- Affordable entry-level plans compared to PhantomBuster
❌ Cons:
- Pay-per-execution model: can get expensive at scale
- Desktop runner requires keeping your device on (if not using cloud)
- More complex to set up compared to simple scrapers like IGLeads
- Similar LinkedIn automation risks (account bans) if overused
TexAu Pricing:
TexAu offers a mix of seat-based and execution credit pricing:
- Cloud Starter: $29/month for 5 daily automations (desktop only)
- Cloud Growth: $79/month for 25 daily automations
- Cloud Business: $199/month for 100 daily automations + API access
- Cloud Agency: $399/month for 200+ daily automations
Key pricing notes:
- Each automation run counts towards your daily limits
- Switch between cloud-based or desktop-based runners anytime
- 7-day free trial available (no credit card needed)
- API access included only in Business and Agency plans
Bottom line: If you liked PhantomBuster’s balance of scraping + automation, TexAu is one of the most natural alternatives. It’s ideal for sales prospecting, growth hacking, and multi-platform data scraping, without the slot management headaches that come with Phantom.
Evaboot: Best for Cleaning and Extracting LinkedIn Sales Navigator Leads
Evaboot isn’t a traditional scraper like PhantomBuster. Instead, it specializes in cleanly extracting and enriching leads from LinkedIn Sales Navigator. If you’re frustrated with PhantomBuster’s complexity or unreliable LinkedIn scraping, Evaboot simplifies the process into a one-click export.
Evaboot Features:
- One-click export of lead lists directly from LinkedIn Sales Navigator
- Automatic data cleaning: removes irrelevant or low-quality leads
- Email verification and enrichment included with each export
- Chrome extension-based tool: no coding, no setups, just click and export
- GDPR-compliant with strict privacy controls
Evaboot Assessment
✅ Pros:
- Extremely easy to use for LinkedIn Sales Navigator users
- Includes built-in cleaning and verification: no extra tools needed
- Fast export speed
- 100% browser-based (Chrome extension)
- No phantom slots, execution limits, or workflow errors
❌ Cons:
- Works only with LinkedIn Sales Navigator: not standard LinkedIn or other platforms
- No general web scraping features
- Limited to lead extraction: no outreach or automation
Evaboot Pricing:
- Starter: €49/month for 2,000 leads/month
- Pro: €99/month for 6,000 leads/month
- Team: €249/month for 25,000 leads/month
Key pricing notes:
- Pay-as-you-go option for €49 per 2,000 leads
- Email verification credits included in plans
- 7-day free trial with 100 leads
Bottom line: If PhantomBuster’s LinkedIn scrapers are too clunky or error-prone, Evaboot is a streamlined alternative for LinkedIn Sales Navigator users. It doesn’t do automation or scraping outside LinkedIn, but it nails its one job: clean, verified lead exports.
Kaspr: Best for Real-Time LinkedIn Contact Enrichment
Kaspr is a LinkedIn contact enrichment tool designed for users who want phone numbers and emails directly from LinkedIn profiles. Unlike PhantomBuster’s scraping workflows, Kaspr works in real-time via its Chrome extension, pulling verified contact data while you browse.
Kaspr Features:
- Real-time email and phone number discovery directly from LinkedIn profiles
- Chrome extension-based scraping: click to reveal contacts instantly
- Dashboard for lead management with CSV export capabilities
- CRM integrations with HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, and others
- Lead sequencing tools (basic outreach workflows included)
Kaspr Assessment
✅ Pros:
- Instant contact enrichment while browsing LinkedIn
- Phone numbers as well as emails: rare among LinkedIn scrapers
- Easy to use with zero technical setup
- CRM syncing built-in
- Affordable entry-level pricing
❌ Cons:
- Limited to LinkedIn: no scraping from other websites or platforms
- Credit-based pricing can get expensive at scale
- No broader web scraping or automation capabilities
- Overuse can trigger LinkedIn restrictions if safety limits aren’t followed
Kaspr Pricing:
- Basic: €30/month with pay-as-you-go credits
- Pro: €60/month with more credits and access to phone numbers
- Business: €99/month with higher limits + CRM integrations
Key pricing notes:
- Phone number credits cost more than email credits
- Pay-per-contact model: cost scales with usage
- Free trial includes 5 credits to test
Bottom line: Kaspr is ideal if your workflow lives inside LinkedIn. It won’t replace PhantomBuster for multi-platform scraping, but for instant, real-time lead enrichment with phone numbers, it’s one of the simplest tools out there.
Cognism: Best for Enterprise-Grade B2B Contact Data
Cognism is an enterprise-grade sales intelligence platform built for B2B teams that need GDPR-compliant contact data across EMEA, North America, and beyond. Unlike PhantomBuster, which relies on scraping workflows, Cognism operates as a licensed data provider with phone-verified mobile numbers, decision-maker contacts, and intent data.
Cognism Features:
- Diamond Data®: phone-verified mobile numbers with high accuracy
- Global B2B contact database with GDPR/CCPA compliance
- Intent data and technographics to prioritize hot leads
- Native CRM integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, and more
- Unrestricted views: no credit-based restrictions like ZoomInfo or PhantomBuster
Cognism Assessment
✅ Pros:
- Highly accurate phone-verified mobile numbers
- Completely GDPR/CCPA compliant
- Unrestricted lead views on most plans
- Intent signals help prioritize outreach
- Dedicated support for enterprise teams
❌ Cons:
- Expensive: starts at enterprise pricing levels
- No general-purpose web scraping capabilities
- Primarily designed for outbound B2B: not social media scraping
- Requires a 12-month contract commitment
Cognism Pricing:
- Professional: Around $15,000/year (varies based on seats and regions)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing based on team size and data access requirements
Key pricing notes:
- Requires annual contracts: no monthly plans
- Includes unlimited views with fair usage policies
- Intent data and phone-verified numbers included in higher tiers
Bottom line: Cognism isn’t a scraping tool like PhantomBuster. It’s a fully licensed B2B data provider. For enterprise sales teams who prioritize compliance, phone-verified numbers, and unrestricted lead access, Cognism is a premium but powerful alternative.
Click here if you want to read an entire Cognism review.
Apify: Best for Custom Web Scraping at Scale
Apify is a flexible scraping and automation platform built for developers and businesses who need to extract complex web data at scale. Unlike PhantomBuster’s template-based approach, Apify offers fully customizable scraping with powerful APIs, cloud infrastructure, and a developer marketplace.
Apify Features:
- Pre-built scraping actors for websites like Amazon, Google, LinkedIn, and Zillow
- Custom actor development: build scrapers for any website
- Proxy management and anti-ban tools built-in
- Serverless cloud execution: runs scrapes at scale without local machines
- API integration for automating workflows and sending data to other apps
Apify Assessment
✅ Pros:
- Highly flexible for complex scraping tasks
- Scales from small to enterprise-level projects easily
- Marketplace offers ready-to-use scrapers
- Robust API and webhook support
- Excellent for developers and data teams
❌ Cons:
- Steep learning curve for non-technical users
- Pricing grows with usage: can become expensive at scale
- Not ideal for fast, simple lead scraping workflows
- Requires technical maintenance for custom scrapers
Apify Pricing:
- Free: $0 with 10,000 actor compute units (CU) per month
- Developer: $49/month with 100,000 CU
- Team: $499/month with 1,000,000 CU
- Business: $999/month with 2,500,000 CU
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for larger needs
Key pricing notes:
- Pay for compute time (CU): longer scrapes cost more
- Proxy usage and extra storage billed separately
- Free plan for small tasks or testing
Bottom line: Apify is best suited for users who need custom, large-scale web scraping. If PhantomBuster feels too limited or template-driven, Apify offers deeper flexibility, but it’s designed for users with technical experience.
Looking for an Apify review? We got it!
Lobstr.io: Best for Scalable Data Scraping Without Code
Lobstr.io is a scraping platform designed to combine the flexibility of custom data extraction with a no-code interface. If you like PhantomBuster’s scraping capabilities but hate dealing with phantom slots and execution limits, Lobstr offers a more scalable, pay-as-you-go experience.
Lobstr.io Features:
- Pre-built scraping templates for LinkedIn, Google Maps, Amazon, and more
- Point-and-click scraper builder: no coding needed
- Cloud-based execution that runs 24/7
- JSON, CSV, and API export formats
- Built-in proxy management with anti-ban protection
Lobstr.io Assessment
✅ Pros:
- Intuitive no-code interface for non-technical users
- Cloud scrapes run reliably without local setup
- Transparent pay-per-task pricing: no subscriptions required
- Handles dynamic websites and JavaScript rendering
- Fast delivery speeds on most scrapes
❌ Cons:
- Can get expensive for high-volume scraping
- Limited outreach or automation features: scraping only
- Not as customizable as full-code tools like Apify
- Fewer workflow automation options compared to PhantomBuster
Lobstr.io Pricing:
- Pay-as-you-go: Typically $0.01 to $0.05 per record, depending on the source
- No subscriptions: buy credits for the data you need
- Custom pricing available for enterprise users or high-volume projects
Key pricing notes:
- Only pay for successful data records
- No phantom slots, execution hours, or credit resets
- Free trial available with limited data pulls
Bottom line: Lobstr.io is ideal for users who want scalable web scraping without monthly fees or coding. It’s a great alternative to PhantomBuster for pure scraping tasks, but doesn’t offer outreach automation or lead engagement tools.
Captain Data: Best for Automated Sales & Marketing Workflows
Captain Data bridges the gap between scraping, enrichment, and workflow automation. While PhantomBuster focuses on isolated scraping tasks, Captain Data is built for end-to-end automation, helping sales and marketing teams pull data and send it directly into CRMs or outreach platforms.
Captain Data Features:
- Automation templates for LinkedIn, Google Maps, Sales Navigator, and more
- Multi-step workflows: combine scraping, enrichment, and syncing
- Direct CRM and outreach tool integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, Outreach.io, Lemlist)
- Team collaboration features with shared dashboards and task tracking
- Compliance-friendly scraping with proxy rotation and anti-ban tools
Captain Data Assessment
✅ Pros:
- Combines scraping with workflow automation in one tool
- Excellent CRM and sales tool integrations
- Team features and dashboards for collaboration
- API access and webhook support for custom setups
- No coding required
❌ Cons:
- More expensive than pure scraping tools
- Focuses on sales workflows: less useful for general-purpose scraping
- Learning curve for setting up complex workflows
- Credit-based pricing can add up with large tasks
Captain Data Pricing:
- Starter: €399/month for 100 tasks per month
- Growth: €699/month for 500 tasks per month
- Scale: €1,099/month for 1,000+ tasks and API access
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for large teams and tasks
Key pricing notes:
- Pricing is based on the number of tasks (a task = one automation workflow run)
- Includes scraping, enrichment, and CRM sync in one workflow
- Premium support and API access included in higher plans
Bottom line: Captain Data is built for teams that want to automate not just data extraction, but the entire lead generation pipeline. It’s more expensive than PhantomBuster, but it replaces multiple tools by combining scraping, enrichment, and syncing into one system.
Lemlist: Best for Multichannel Outreach with Personalization
Lemlist is an outreach automation tool designed to help sales teams personalize and automate cold emails, LinkedIn messages, and more. Unlike PhantomBuster, which focuses on scraping, Lemlist is built for sending highly personalized campaigns at scale.
Lemlist Features:
- Multichannel outreach: email, LinkedIn, and cold calls in one platform
- Hyper-personalization tools: custom images, videos, and text fields
- Automated follow-ups across channels until a reply is received
- Native CRM integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, and more
- Lead warmer to improve email deliverability
Lemlist Assessment
✅ Pros:
- Industry-leading personalization (text, images, video)
- Multichannel workflows, not just email
- Powerful follow-up automation
- Built-in deliverability tools like Lemwarm
- Excellent CRM sync options
❌ Cons:
- No scraping capabilities: requires external lead sources
- Focused purely on outreach, not lead generation
- Pricing grows quickly with team size
- Not suitable for general web automation
Lemlist Pricing:
- Email Outreach: $59/month per user
- Multichannel: $99/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing with advanced features and dedicated support
Key pricing notes:
- Pricing is per user seat
- Unlimited campaigns within your account limits
- Includes deliverability tools like Lemwarm
Bottom line: Lemlist isn’t a scraping tool. It’s a multichannel outreach powerhouse. If your focus is on contacting leads with personalized email and LinkedIn sequences, Lemlist replaces PhantomBuster’s outreach automations, but not its scraping functions.
Waalaxy: Best for LinkedIn Outreach Without Coding
Waalaxy is a LinkedIn automation tool designed to help users send connection requests, messages, and follow-ups on autopilot. If you used PhantomBuster primarily for LinkedIn prospecting, Waalaxy offers a simpler, more beginner-friendly alternative.
Waalaxy Features:
- Automated LinkedIn connection requests and messaging sequences
- Email enrichment if LinkedIn contacts are unavailable
- Multistep sequences combining LinkedIn and email
- Chrome extension interface: runs directly in-browser
- Inbox management and campaign performance tracking
Waalaxy Assessment
✅ Pros:
- Super beginner-friendly with an intuitive UI
- Combines LinkedIn and email in one workflow
- Affordable compared to most outreach tools
- Includes lead enrichment features
- No coding or technical setup required
❌ Cons:
- Limited only to LinkedIn and email: no web scraping
- Browser-based: can’t run in the cloud
- May trigger LinkedIn restrictions if overused
- Not designed for large teams or enterprise-scale automation
Waalaxy Pricing:
- Freemium: Free for up to 80 actions per week
- Advanced: €25/month per user (adds multistep sequences)
- Business: €50/month per user (unlocks all features)
Key pricing notes:
- Pricing is per user seat
- Includes unlimited campaigns within action limits
- Free trial available with limited daily actions
Bottom line: Waalaxy is the easiest PhantomBuster alternative for LinkedIn outreach. It doesn’t offer scraping or cloud execution but excels at simple, effective LinkedIn prospecting workflows.
Meet Alfred: Best for LinkedIn, Email, and Twitter Outreach Automation
Meet Alfred is an outreach automation platform that combines LinkedIn, email, and Twitter messaging into one workflow. If PhantomBuster’s LinkedIn automations feel clunky, Meet Alfred offers a smoother, more user-friendly alternative focused on multichannel prospecting.
Meet Alfred Features:
- Automated connection requests and messaging on LinkedIn, Twitter, and via email
- Multistep campaign builder across all channels
- Built-in CRM for lead tracking and segmentation
- Inbox management to handle replies from all channels in one place
- Reporting dashboards for campaign analytics
Meet Alfred Assessment
✅ Pros:
- Supports LinkedIn, email, and Twitter in one platform
- Easy-to-use multistep sequence builder
- Integrated CRM and inbox management
- Cloud-based execution: runs even when your browser is closed
- Built for agencies and teams with multiple users
❌ Cons:
- Does not include scraping or data extraction: requires external lead sources
- More expensive than basic LinkedIn automation tools
- Limited to outreach, not data scraping
- Some users report minor bugs in inbox syncing
Meet Alfred Pricing:
- Personal: $49/month per user
- Business: $99/month per user (includes advanced reporting and integrations)
- Agency: Custom pricing for teams of 5+ seats
Key pricing notes:
- Pricing is per user seat
- Unlimited campaigns within account limits
- 14-day free trial available
Bottom line: Meet Alfred is a powerful multichannel outreach tool that replaces PhantomBuster’s LinkedIn automation with more robust LinkedIn + email + Twitter sequences. However, it doesn’t handle scraping or lead extraction: you’ll need to pair it with a data source.
Dropcontact: Best for GDPR-Compliant Email Enrichment
Dropcontact is an email enrichment tool that focuses on providing GDPR-compliant contact data for European markets. Unlike PhantomBuster’s scraping-based approach, Dropcontact generates verified email addresses using proprietary algorithms rather than scraping public data.
Dropcontact Features:
- Email finding and verification from names and company domains
- Real-time enrichment with job titles, LinkedIn profiles, and company info
- Fully GDPR-compliant: no database storage, everything is generated on demand
- CRM integration with HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, and others
- Automatic deduplication and cleaning of contact lists
Dropcontact Assessment
✅ Pros:
- 100% GDPR-compliant: no static databases
- Highly accurate for European B2B leads
- CRM native integrations are seamless
- Automatic deduplication and list cleaning
- Simple, API-driven enrichment without scraping
❌ Cons:
- No scraping or lead discovery: only enriches existing leads
- Limited to email and contact info: no phone numbers
- Focuses primarily on European markets
- Not suitable for users looking for broader web scraping solutions
Dropcontact Pricing:
- Starter: €24/month for 1,000 contacts
- Pro: €49/month for 2,500 contacts
- Team: €99/month for 5,000 contacts
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for 20,000+ contacts
Key pricing notes:
- Pricing is based on the number of contacts enriched per month
- Includes API access and CRM integration
- 7-day free trial available with limited credits
Bottom line: Dropcontact is ideal for teams focused on compliant email enrichment. It’s not a scraping tool like PhantomBuster, but if you need accurate, GDPR-safe B2B contact info, especially in Europe, it’s one of the best choices.
Lusha: Best for Simple B2B Contact Enrichment
Lusha is a popular contact enrichment platform that helps sales teams find verified email addresses and phone numbers directly from LinkedIn and company websites. While PhantomBuster focuses on scraping, Lusha offers a faster way to enrich B2B contacts with a browser extension and API.
Lusha Features:
- Chrome extension for LinkedIn and company websites
- Real-time email and phone number discovery
- Dashboard with contact list management and CSV exports
- API for programmatic enrichment into CRMs and outreach tools
- GDPR and CCPA compliant with strong privacy controls
Lusha Assessment
✅ Pros:
- Super simple: click to enrich contacts directly from LinkedIn
- Provides direct dial phone numbers (not just emails)
- API and CRM integrations simplify workflows
- Fast and reliable for LinkedIn-based prospecting
- Low entry pricing compared to enterprise databases
❌ Cons:
- Limited to enrichment: not a scraping or automation tool
- Credit-based pricing gets expensive at high volumes
- Works mostly on LinkedIn and company websites
- Does not support multi-step automation like PhantomBuster
Lusha Pricing:
- Free: 5 credits/month
- Pro: $39/month for 480 credits/year (email-only)
- Premium: $69/month for 960 credits/year (email + phone)
- Scale: $99/month for 1,920 credits/year
Key pricing notes:
- Credits are consumed per contact (emails and phone numbers)
- Phone numbers cost more credits than emails
- Annual plans offer lower per-credit costs
Bottom line: Lusha is a lightweight, fast alternative to PhantomBuster if your goal is simple LinkedIn contact enrichment. It’s not designed for scraping or complex automation but excels at getting accurate phone numbers and emails on demand.
We used this tool this year and we published this Lusha review for you.
Dux-Soup: Best for Affordable LinkedIn Automation
Dux-Soup is one of the oldest LinkedIn automation tools on the market. It helps users automate profile visits, connection requests, messages, and follow-ups on LinkedIn. If you used PhantomBuster primarily for LinkedIn scraping and outreach, Dux-Soup offers a simpler and cheaper alternative.
Dux-Soup Features:
- Automated profile visits, connection requests, and messaging
- Drip campaigns with follow-up sequences
- Data extraction from LinkedIn profiles including name, job title, and company
- CSV export of scraped LinkedIn data
- Zapier and webhook integrations for CRM syncing
Dux-Soup Assessment
✅ Pros:
- Simple LinkedIn automation at a low cost
- Data scraping and outreach combined in one tool
- CSV export makes it easy to work with scraped data
- Zapier integration enables CRM workflows
- Runs in-browser: no coding or cloud required
❌ Cons:
- Browser-based: requires your computer to stay on
- No multi-platform support beyond LinkedIn
- Limited safety features compared to modern tools
- Risk of LinkedIn restrictions if usage limits aren’t managed
Dux-Soup Pricing:
- Starter: Free with basic profile visiting
- Pro: $14.99/month for connection requests, messaging, and CSV export
- Turbo: $55/month with full drip campaigns, CRM integrations, and Zapier
Key pricing notes:
- Pricing is per user seat
- Unlimited campaigns within action limits
- 7-day free trial on paid plans
Bottom line: Dux-Soup is a budget-friendly LinkedIn automation tool that works well for basic scraping and outreach tasks. It lacks multi-platform scraping or cloud automation but is a practical alternative to PhantomBuster for LinkedIn-focused prospecting.
IGLeads vs PhantomBuster: Key Differences
Let’s break down exactly how IGLeads stands apart from PhantomBuster, focusing on the things that actually impact your lead generation workflow.
While PhantomBuster is designed around task-based automation with phantom slots, execution limits, and workflow complexity, IGLeads eliminates all of that friction. You get flat-rate scraping with no slots, no execution timers, and no complicated setup.
PhantomBuster is a great tool for multi-platform scraping automation but requires users to juggle phantom slots, credit consumption, execution hours, and sometimes API configurations. IGLeads, by contrast, is purpose-built for lead generation scraping, particularly from social media and local businesses, with no coding, no proxies, and no credit limits.
Feature | ![]() |
![]() |
Scraping LinkedIn | ✅ (With execution limits & slots) | ✅ (Built-in, no limits) |
Scraping Instagram | ✅ (With API setup or workflows) | ✅ (Built-in) |
Scraping Google Maps | ✅ (Via workflow setup) | ✅ (Built-in, no setup needed) |
Pricing simplicity | ❌ (Execution hours + slot limits + credits) | ✅ (Flat-rate, no slots or credits) |
Lead export limits | ⚠️ (Runs out with slots or execution time) | ✅ (No limits on Unlimited Plan) |
Built for lead generation | ❌ (General scraping & automation) | ✅ (Purpose-built for leads) |
Real-time filtering | ❌ (Pre-built phantoms run in the background) | ✅ (Live scraping with instant filters) |
Ease of use | ❌ (Complex slot & execution management) | ✅ (No-code, intuitive dashboard) |
Check out our in-depth PhantomBuster review right here.
Pricing and user control
One of the clearest differences between IGLeads and PhantomBuster is the pricing model. PhantomBuster operates on phantom slots, execution hours, and resource limits. If your scrape takes longer than expected or if you hit slot limits mid-campaign, you’re stuck until you upgrade or wait for the next billing cycle.
IGLeads removes that entirely with flat-rate pricing starting at $49.99/month and truly unlimited scraping on higher plans. There are no slot counts, no execution timers, and no credits to refill.
PhantomBuster’s starter plans often bottleneck users with just a handful of phantom slots, meaning you can’t run more than a few scrapers at once without upgrades. With IGLeads, your scrapers run in the cloud, without limits, whether you’re pulling leads from Google Maps, LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok.
Do you want more details? Read our PhantomBuster pricing article.
Purpose-built for lead generation, not general scraping
PhantomBuster excels at broad automation, scraping comments, followers, job posts, or automating sequences. But it isn’t specifically designed for lead generation workflows. That means users still have to clean, filter, and process data manually before it’s ready for outreach.
IGLeads flips that model by focusing exclusively on lead generation scraping, offering:
- LinkedIn scraping for professionals and decision-makers
- Instagram scraping for creators, influencers, and businesses
- Google Maps scraping for local B2B and service businesses
- YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter scraping for influencer marketing and niche targeting
This focus makes IGLeads perfect for agencies, sales teams, local businesses, and anyone who doesn’t want to wrangle PhantomBuster’s API settings, execution hours, or phantom slots.
Speed, simplicity, and no maintenance
PhantomBuster users frequently run into slot errors, execution timeouts, or failed scrapes due to changing website structures. While it’s powerful, it requires ongoing babysitting of workflows.
IGLeads runs entirely in the cloud: no extensions, no setup, no proxies. Just select your platform, choose keywords or locations, and start scraping. Leads are delivered in hours, ready to download in CSV.
Skip the maintenance, skip the limits, and just get the leads you need.
Why look for Phantombuster alternatives?
The shift away from Phantombuster isn’t happening in a vacuum. After analyzing user feedback across forums, G2 reviews, and direct conversations with sales teams, clear patterns emerge that explain why businesses are actively hunting for replacements in 2025.
The technical complexity trap
Phantombuster’s biggest promise is also its biggest problem: flexibility through API combinations. What sounds great in theory becomes a nightmare in practice. Simple lead generation tasks require stitching together multiple “Phantoms,” each with its own configuration, limits, and failure points.
Most teams don’t have a full-time developer to babysit these workflows. When something breaks, and it will, you’re stuck troubleshooting instead of prospecting. The data quality issues make this even worse , with extracted information frequently being inaccurate, potentially triggering LinkedIn account restrictions or getting your domain flagged.
Customer support compounds the problem with response times that leave teams hanging when automations fail. For a tool that requires technical expertise, the lack of real-time support becomes a deal-breaker.
Platform limitations reveal another fundamental issue. Phantombuster works well for Twitter and LinkedIn, but struggles everywhere else. If your leads live on Instagram, TikTok, or Google Maps, you’re out of luck.
The pricing transparency problem
Here’s where Phantombuster really loses teams: their recent change limiting free downloads to just 10 rows forces immediate upgrades to paid plans starting at €69. That’s $75+ monthly before you even know if the tool works for your use case.
The usage-based model creates budget anxiety. Business plans offer only 80 hours monthly, roughly 3 hours daily. For serious lead generation, that’s nowhere near enough. Teams constantly monitor execution time instead of focusing on results.
Even worse, Phantombuster doesn’t visit profile pages during extraction, giving you surface-level data compared to competitors. You’re paying premium prices for incomplete information, then burning email credits on irrelevant prospects because the targeting wasn’t precise enough.
What users actually want
The alternatives gaining traction solve specific problems Phantombuster ignores:
- Transparent pricing: Tools like IGLeads charge per result, not per hour
- Account safety: Platforms that don’t require logins eliminate restriction risks
- Real-time data: Fresh scraping beats stale databases
- Platform coverage: Access to Instagram, TikTok, Google Maps beyond just LinkedIn
- Simplicity: No-code solutions that work without technical expertise
The market has responded with specialized tools that do specific things exceptionally well, rather than trying to be everything to everyone. For most teams, that focused approach delivers better results with less headache.
What to look for in Phantombuster alternatives
Choosing the right alternative comes down to three areas where Phantombuster consistently falls short. After testing dozens of options, we’ve found that the best replacements excel in specific areas that actually matter for your daily workflow.
Ease of use and setup
Phantombuster’s biggest weakness is making simple tasks complicated. The best alternatives flip this entirely. They prioritize Chrome extensions or no-code solutions that eliminate technical barriers. Many provide templates and pre-built workflows that get you generating leads in minutes, not days.
Tools like Scrupp prove this point by offering a smooth Chrome extension experience that requires zero coding knowledge. If you’re spending hours configuring basic automations, you’re using the wrong tool. Straightforward setup processes should get you to results fast.
Data accuracy and enrichment
Bad data kills campaigns, period. The best alternatives provide confidence ratings for each email they find, so you know what you’re working with. Look for tools that verify against multiple sources. Kaspr checks data against 120 different sources, which is why their accuracy rates beat most competitors.
Hunter offers solid validation for cold email workflows. Here’s the reality: accurate data directly impacts your deliverability and response rates. Prioritize tools offering real-time verification over static databases. You want fresh data, not stale lists.
Workflow automation and integrations
Integration headaches are where most teams waste time. The valuable alternatives connect seamlessly with HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive. These integrations let you sync outreach efforts and centralize data in one place.
Look for tools that streamline your workflow through:
- AI-powered search to find contacts based on specific criteria
- Automated workflows that work across your entire tech stack
- Multi-channel capabilities spanning email, LinkedIn, and calls
Bottom line: robust integration capabilities eliminate the manual data transfer headaches that slow down sales teams while giving you a complete view of customer interactions. If you’re copying and pasting data between tools, you’re doing it wrong.
Frequently Asked Questions
IGLeads offers multi-platform scraping without requiring logins, extracts data from more social networks, and provides straightforward per-result pricing instead of Phantombuster’s confusing hourly rates. It also eliminates the risk of account bans and offers better data accuracy.
SalesRobot uses dedicated residential IP addresses and LinkedIn’s mobile APIs to mimic human behavior. It also employs an intelligent throttling system that adjusts activity levels in real-time based on LinkedIn’s responses, significantly reducing the risk of account restrictions.
TexAu stands out for complex multi-platform automation. It offers over 180 no-code automations (called “Spices”) and a visual workflow builder that allows users to create seamless automation sequences across 10+ social networks and business tools.
Kaspr provides instant access to verified contact information through its Chrome extension, with a focus on GDPR and CCPA compliance. Cognism offers phone-verified mobile numbers through its Diamond Data® feature, connecting with 87% of prospects and excelling in European market coverage.
Unlike Phantombuster’s execution-based pricing, many alternatives offer more transparent, results-based pricing. For example, IGLeads charges per number of emails extracted, while tools like Lemlist and Waalaxy offer tiered pricing based on features and usage limits, providing clearer value propositions.