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Top 10 PhantomBuster Alternatives for Lead Gen

Looking for simpler lead generation without PhantomBuster's complexity? Compare the best alternatives for LinkedIn scraping, data extraction, and automated outreach.

Updated February 2026
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10 tools compared
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Free options included
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Feature Comparison

See how the top tools stack up against each other

Relevance AI
Relevance AI Best Choice
PhantomBuster
PhantomBuster
Clay
Clay
Apify
Apify
Captain Data
Captain Data
TexAu
TexAu
Pricing
Starting Price Free €56/mo $149/mo $49/mo $399/mo $29/mo
Free Tier
Pay-Per-Use
Platform Support
LinkedIn
Twitter/X
Any Website
AI Features
AI Message Writing
AI Lead Research
Data Enrichment
Ease of Use
No-Code
LinkedIn Ban Risk None High Low High Medium High
Learning Curve Easy Steep Medium Steep Medium Steep
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#1 Best PhantomBuster Alternative for Outreach

AI-powered lead research without the technical complexity or ban risk.

#1 Best Choice
Free to use
LinkedIn Outreach & Follow up

LinkedIn Outreach & Follow up

agent agent • 807 clones • Star 3.9 (8)

💼 LinkedIn Outreach AI Agent This agent helps you master LinkedIn outreach for company_name by combining deep research with personalized messaging. 🔹 What It Does Researches every prospect and their company before you reach out. Checks if you’re already connected, then sends tailored connection requests or DMs. Crafts messages based on real insights—never templates. Tracks replies and helps you handle responses with care. 🔹 Key Features Research tools for prospect and company info. LinkedIn tools for connection checks, messaging, and conversation tracking. Follows best practices: short, relevant, and value-driven messages. 🔹 Who Should Use It Perfect for sales reps, business development pros, recruiters, and founders who want real LinkedIn conversations—not spam. ✨ Try it now to start meaningful LinkedIn dialogues and boost your reply rates!

Integrates with:
HubSpot
Salesforce
Gmail
LinkedIn
Slack
+ more
Tools:
LinkedIn
AI Writer
Email

Why it's #1

  • No technical setup required
  • Zero LinkedIn ban risk
  • AI researches prospects automatically
  • Personalized message writing
  • Completely free to use
Try Free

All PhantomBuster Alternatives Compared

#1 Best Choice
Free to use
LinkedIn Outreach & Follow up

LinkedIn Outreach & Follow up

agent agent • 807 clones • Star 3.9 (8)

💼 LinkedIn Outreach AI Agent This agent helps you master LinkedIn outreach for company_name by combining deep research with personalized messaging. 🔹 What It Does Researches every prospect and their company before you reach out. Checks if you’re already connected, then sends tailored connection requests or DMs. Crafts messages based on real insights—never templates. Tracks replies and helps you handle responses with care. 🔹 Key Features Research tools for prospect and company info. LinkedIn tools for connection checks, messaging, and conversation tracking. Follows best practices: short, relevant, and value-driven messages. 🔹 Who Should Use It Perfect for sales reps, business development pros, recruiters, and founders who want real LinkedIn conversations—not spam. ✨ Try it now to start meaningful LinkedIn dialogues and boost your reply rates!

Integrates with:
HubSpot
Salesforce
Gmail
LinkedIn
Slack
+ more
Tools:
LinkedIn
AI Writer
Email

Why it's #1

  • No technical setup required
  • Zero LinkedIn ban risk
  • AI researches prospects automatically
  • Personalized message writing
  • Completely free to use
Try Free
2
PhantomBuster

PhantomBuster

€56 - €352/month

14-day trial, execution time-based

PhantomBuster screenshot

PhantomBuster is a multi-platform automation tool supporting LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and more. Uses "Phantoms" for individual tasks and "Flows" for chained workflows. Popular with growth hackers for data extraction and automation.

Pros

  • Multi-platform (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram)
  • Powerful data extraction
  • Chainable automation workflows
  • Large phantom library
  • Zapier integration

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • High LinkedIn ban risk
  • Execution time pricing confusing
  • No AI personalization
  • Technical knowledge required
Best for: Technical growth hackers needing cross-platform data extraction
Visit Site
3
Clay

Clay

$149 - $800/month

Free tier available, Starter at $149/mo

Clay screenshot

Clay is a data enrichment and outreach platform that combines 75+ data sources with AI-powered personalization. More expensive than PhantomBuster but easier to use and includes AI message writing.

Pros

  • AI-powered personalization
  • 75+ data enrichment sources
  • No-code spreadsheet interface
  • Lower LinkedIn ban risk
  • Built-in AI message writing

Cons

  • Expensive ($149+/month)
  • Credits deplete quickly
  • Learning curve for full features
  • Can be overwhelming
  • Enterprise features locked
Best for: Revenue teams wanting data enrichment with AI personalization
Visit Site
4
Apify

Apify

$49 - $499/month

Free tier (limited), pay-per-use

Apify screenshot

Apify is a web scraping and automation platform with 2,000+ pre-built "Actors" for different websites. Developer-focused with powerful APIs but requires technical knowledge to use effectively.

Pros

  • 2,000+ pre-built scrapers
  • Powerful for developers
  • Proxy management included
  • Good documentation
  • Flexible pricing

Cons

  • Very technical / developer-focused
  • No outreach features
  • Just data extraction, not messaging
  • LinkedIn scrapers often break
  • Requires coding knowledge
Best for: Developers needing powerful, scalable web scraping infrastructure
Visit Site
5
Captain Data

Captain Data

$399 - $2,499/month

No free tier, growth teams focus

Captain Data screenshot

Captain Data offers no-code workflows for data extraction and enrichment across LinkedIn, company websites, and more. Used by sales and marketing teams for lead generation at scale.

Pros

  • No-code workflow builder
  • Multi-step data extraction
  • CRM integrations
  • Team collaboration
  • Good for lead enrichment

Cons

  • Very expensive ($399+/month)
  • No free tier
  • Overkill for small teams
  • LinkedIn ban risk still exists
  • No AI message writing
Best for: Enterprise growth teams with budget for scaled data extraction
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6
TexAu

TexAu

$29 - $199/month

Free trial, cloud & desktop options

TexAu screenshot

TexAu offers growth automation across LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and more. Similar to PhantomBuster but with "Spices" (automations) and "Recipes" (workflows) instead of Phantoms.

Pros

  • More affordable than PhantomBuster
  • Multi-platform support
  • Desktop + cloud options
  • Pre-built automation recipes
  • Good for growth hacking

Cons

  • High LinkedIn ban risk
  • Technical setup required
  • Less polished than PhantomBuster
  • Smaller community
  • Documentation gaps
Best for: Budget-conscious growth hackers wanting PhantomBuster features
Visit Site
7
Dripify

Dripify

$59 - $99/month

7-day free trial

Dripify screenshot

Dripify focuses specifically on LinkedIn automation with an intuitive drip campaign builder. Less technical than PhantomBuster but LinkedIn-only and lacks multi-platform data extraction.

Pros

  • Much easier to use than PhantomBuster
  • Clean campaign interface
  • Good analytics
  • Smart inbox included
  • Lower learning curve

Cons

  • LinkedIn only (no multi-platform)
  • No raw data scraping
  • Still has LinkedIn ban risk
  • No AI personalization
  • Expensive for agencies
Best for: Sales teams wanting simple LinkedIn automation without technical complexity
Visit Site
8
Expandi

Expandi

$99/month

7-day trial

Expandi screenshot

Expandi is a LinkedIn + email automation tool with smart sequences and Hyperise integration. More outreach-focused than PhantomBuster but limited to LinkedIn automation.

Pros

  • LinkedIn + email sequences
  • Hyperise integration for images
  • Multi-channel outreach
  • Cloud-based
  • Dedicated IPs

Cons

  • LinkedIn + email only
  • No multi-platform scraping
  • Reports of account bans
  • Steep learning curve
  • Cannot extract raw data
Best for: Sales teams focused on LinkedIn + email outreach sequences
Visit Site
9
Octoparse

Octoparse

$89 - $249/month

Free tier (limited)

Octoparse screenshot

Octoparse is a visual web scraping tool with point-and-click interface. No coding required for basic scraping but lacks the outreach and LinkedIn-specific features of PhantomBuster.

Pros

  • Visual point-and-click scraping
  • No coding required
  • Good for general web scraping
  • Scheduled scraping runs
  • Data export options

Cons

  • No LinkedIn-specific features
  • No outreach or messaging
  • Just data extraction tool
  • Can be slow for large jobs
  • LinkedIn often blocks scraping
Best for: Non-technical users needing general web scraping (not LinkedIn-specific)
Visit Site
10
Bardeen

Bardeen

Free - $20/month

Generous free tier

Bardeen screenshot

Bardeen is a browser automation tool that lets you automate repetitive tasks with playbooks. More general-purpose than PhantomBuster, good for workflow automation beyond just lead generation.

Pros

  • Very affordable/free
  • Browser-based automation
  • General workflow automation
  • Easy to create playbooks
  • Good integrations

Cons

  • Not designed for lead gen specifically
  • Limited data extraction depth
  • Less powerful than PhantomBuster
  • Browser-dependent
  • Not for scaled operations
Best for: Individual users wanting lightweight browser automation
Visit Site

PhantomBuster Alternatives FAQ

For LinkedIn lead generation specifically, Relevance AI is the best free alternative - it researches prospects and writes personalized messages without the technical complexity or ban risk. For general web scraping, Apify and Octoparse offer limited free tiers, though they require more technical knowledge.

Common reasons include: steep learning curve, confusing execution-time pricing that leads to unexpected bills, high LinkedIn account ban risk, technical setup requirements, and lack of AI personalization. Many switch to simpler tools like Relevance AI for outreach or Clay for data enrichment.

Yes, there's significant risk. PhantomBuster directly automates LinkedIn actions which violates LinkedIn's terms of service. Many users report account restrictions or bans. Safer alternatives include Relevance AI (no LinkedIn automation, uses AI research instead) or tools with dedicated proxy management.

PhantomBuster is a technical automation tool for data extraction across platforms - you build workflows to scrape data. Clay is a data enrichment platform with 75+ data sources and AI personalization - you input leads and it enriches them. Clay is easier to use but more expensive; PhantomBuster is more powerful but requires technical skills.

Partially. PhantomBuster has pre-built "Phantoms" that work without coding, but advanced workflows require understanding APIs, JSON, and chaining logic. For truly no-code alternatives, consider Relevance AI (for outreach), Clay (for enrichment), or Captain Data (for workflows).

It depends on your needs. For AI-powered personalized outreach with zero ban risk: Relevance AI (free). For multi-platform scraping with technical control: PhantomBuster. For data enrichment with AI: Clay. For simple LinkedIn drip campaigns: Dripify or Expandi.
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