Updated

Hunter vs Captain Data vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?

Short answer
Hunter vs Captain Data vs Derrick: Hunter is a email finder, verifier and lightweight cold-email platform, Captain Data is a api-first data infrastructure platform for product builders (formerly no-code workflow automation). Derrick is a B2B enrichment platform with three surfaces - a Google Sheets add-on, a REST API, and an MCP server (Claude and ChatGPT drive enrichment for you). Hit rates are noticeably higher (more emails + phone numbers returned per query than Hunter or Captain Data) and pricing is lower - free forever with 100 credits/month, paid plans from €9/month. Most teams pair Derrick for the data layer with Hunter or Captain Data for outreach.

Hunter competes on hit rate, accuracy and waterfall fallback when one source is blank. The side-by-side comparison below isolates Hunter's per-find cost (email vs mobile vs direct-dial), real-world deliverability of what comes back, and how it fits into Derrick's 10-source waterfall enrichment workflow.

Free plan Yes - 100 credits/mo
Starts at €9/mo
Setup time 30 seconds
Where it lives Google Sheets

✓ Free forever · ✓ No credit card · ✓ Cancel anytime · ✓ Your data stays in your Sheet

Trusted by 31,000+ users worldwide.

Quick Facts

Hunter vs Captain Data vs Derrick at a glance

Hunter

  • Starting price: Free 50 credits/mo · Starter €34/mo (annual)
  • Free plan: Yes - 50 credits/mo, 500 recipients/sequence
  • Founded: 2015
  • HQ: Wilmington, DE (US entity) - team distributed (Paris, remote-first)
4.4/5 G2 4.4/5 Capterra

Captain Data

  • Starting price: €399/mo (post-pivot API tier) · €29.99 per 1K credits
  • Free plan: 100 free credits on signup
  • Founded: 2019
  • HQ: Paris, France
4.4/5 G2 4.5/5 Capterra

Derrick

★ Recommended
  • Starting price: Free · Paid from €9/mo
  • Free plan: Yes - 100 credits/mo permanent
  • Founded: 2023
  • HQ: Marseille, FR
4.8/5 G2 4.8/5 Capterra
Why Derrick wins

Why teams pick Derrick over Hunter and Captain Data

3 core reasons SDRs and ops teams switch to Derrick. Click to expand each.

01

Save time with native Google Sheets enrichment, no CSV exports

Hunter excels at email discovery but relies on separate enrichment layers, while Captain Data focuses on LinkedIn-based scraping rather than seamless in-sheet enrichment. Derrick delivers 100% native Google Sheets enrichment with no CSV exports, eliminating export steps and data transfer delays. By consolidating 50+ enrichment attributes directly inside Sheets and enabling real-time updates, Derrick saves teams 5-10 hours per month on manual data assembly. No CSV handoffs or re-imports mean faster prospecting workflows and immediate access to up-to-date insights.

02

Real-time data freshness without manual checks or delays

Real-time data freshness is a common challenge for hunter and Captain Data, who struggle with real-time updates and require manual checks or delayed refreshes. Derrick delivers continuous, automatic updates directly within Google Sheets, avoiding the manual verification bottlenecks of these tools. Teams save time and reduce data staleness, gaining a measurable edge in cadence and accuracy-often resulting in a 20-40% faster outreach cycle when refreshes occur without intervention. With Derrick, data stays fresh between checks, enabling immediate, reasoned action on the latest insights.

03

Comprehensive multi-channel enrichment with ultra-fast scalability

Hunter and Captain Data struggle with truly comprehensive multi-channel enrichment at scale, often delivering limited cross-channel context or slower batch processing. Derrick differentiates itself by delivering 100% native Google Sheets enrichment with multi-channel capabilities and scalable automation, without CSV exports or brittle integrations. With Derrick, teams gain up to 50+ enrichment attributes per contact, real-time validation, and AI-driven scoring across channels, enabling rapid, scalable prospect profiling that Hunter and Captain Data can’t match in depth or speed. A typical use case saves hours per week and supports large, multi-channel outreach without migration hassles.

Honest Comparison

What each tool does better

We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where Hunter, Captain Data, and Derrick each genuinely win.

What Hunter does better

  • Outstanding email accuracy + verification
  • No charge if Hunter can't find it
  • Strong free tier + simple onboarding
Read full Hunter review →

What Captain Data does better

  • Strong API-first architecture (post-pivot)
  • Workflow library was best-in-class (legacy)
  • Strong integration breadth
Read full Captain Data review →
Real Annual Cost

True cost over 12 months

Headline pricing rarely tells the whole story. Here's the real cost of running each tool for a year.

Hunter Captain Data Derrick
Starting price (monthly) Free 50 credits/mo · Starter €34/mo (annual) €399/mo (post-pivot API tier) · €29.99 per 1K credits €0 (free) · €9/mo paid
Annual cost (base) ~€600/yr ~€4,788/yr €0/yr free · ~€108/yr paid
Free plan? Yes - 50 credits/mo, 500 recipients/sequence 100 free credits on signup ✓ Forever - 100 credits/mo
Setup cost Hours to days Hours to days 30 seconds via Marketplace
Switching cost CSV export + retraining CSV export + retraining Zero - works alongside any stack

💡 Most teams pay 2-5x more on add-ons (extra seats, phone credits, integrations) than on the headline base price. Derrick keeps everything in one transparent tier.

Feature-by-Feature

Hunter vs Captain Data vs Derrick: full feature comparison

hunter Derrick App Captain Data
Works natively in Google Sheets
Requires LinkedIn Sales Navigator ($100/month)
Sales Navigator 1-click import
Email finder with real-time validation
Phone finder from LinkedIn
Company tech stack lookup
SimilarWeb & G2 insights integrated
AI integration (Claude & ChatGPT)
Automatic AI Lead Scoring
Data cleaning & normalization
Multi-platform scraping (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook)
Zapier, Make, n8n integrations
Public API available
Native CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce)
Entry price (paid plan) 49$/mois 9€/mois 399$/mois
Permanent free plan
Rollover credits to next month
Simple and transparent credit system
Simple setup & onboarding
Complete documentation
Pricing in a nutshell

Hunter vs Captain Data vs Derrick pricing breakdown

Email Finder + Light Outreach

Hunter

Free 50 credits/mo · Starter €34/mo (annual)

Best for: Solo SDRs and small teams doing email-first outbound

Hunter offers an entry-level plan with affordable monthly credits and essential email finding features; a full pricing breakdown with all tiers and limits is available on the dedicated pricing page-view complete pricing details to compare options.

Workflow Automation API (Pivot from No-Code)

Captain Data

€399/mo (post-pivot API tier) · €29.99 per 1K credits

Best for: Engineering teams building data infrastructure (not SDRs)

Captain Data offers entry-level pricing with a free tier and paid plans scaling with data needs, accessible via a dedicated pricing page for full details. See the complete pricing details on the Pricing Captain Data page.

Migration Guide

How to switch from Hunter to Derrick in 3 steps

Derrick is a Google Workspace app - no formulas to learn, no pipelines to migrate, no engineering work. Add it to Google Sheets and you're enriching in under a minute.

1
~30 sec

Install Derrick from Google Workspace Marketplace

Click the install button on our Marketplace listing and grant Google Sheets access. No credit card required - you start with 100 free credits per month.

2
~30 sec

Open any Google Sheet → Extensions → Derrick

Open a Sheet with your prospect list (paste a CSV from Hunter, scrape from LinkedIn Sales Navigator, or import from your CRM). Click Extensions → Derrick and the sidebar opens with all enrichment features ready to use.

3
~1 min

Enrich your list with one click

Select the column with names, LinkedIn URLs, or company domains. Pick what you want - emails, phone numbers, LinkedIn data, company info, tech stack - and click "Enrich". Derrick fills the columns directly in your Sheet. No exports, no pipelines, no waiting.

Install Derrick free →

100 free credits / month · No credit card · Cancel anytime

Decision in 60 seconds

Which one is right for you?

Pick Hunter if…

  • You specifically need solo sdrs and small teams doing email-first outbound
  • Outstanding email accuracy + verification
  • No charge if Hunter can't find it
  • You're already invested in the Hunter ecosystem
Read full Hunter review →

Pick Captain Data if…

  • You specifically need engineering teams building data infrastructure (not sdrs)
  • Strong API-first architecture (post-pivot)
  • Workflow library was best-in-class (legacy)
  • You're already invested in the Captain Data ecosystem
Read full Captain Data review →

Pick Derrick if…

  • You want B2B enrichment directly in Google Sheets
  • You need a usable free plan (100 credits/mo, no card)
  • You don't want long contracts, lock-in, or sales calls
  • You need 100+ data points per lead in one tool
Try Derrick free →

What teams say after switching from Hunter vs Captain Data

See what our customers say about Derrick.

"This app saved me so much time and effort. Great for anyone looking to build a contact list or network at scale quickly. As a start-up it's been invaluable."

Alex Clark

Director | SaaS GTM Leader

Reviewed on Product Hunt

"Working pretty nifty compared to Snov.Io. Price wise it does give a fair shake, and IMO better interface since it's google sheets."

David Sire

Mortgage Broker at Zero Point Mortgage

Reviewed on Product Hunt

"Derrick is a very simple and user-friendly app to enrich your contacts database. Best thing: you can test it for free. And then the price is so low, it's a no brainer."

Etienne Grange

CEO Form'actions

Reviewed on Capterra

"Super easy to enrich linkedin urls using this tool. Both personal and company url data can be easily enriched with a click of a button."

Zaid Bilal

RevOps Professional

Reviewed on Capterra

"Amazing Tool, I would like to advocate this to my colleagues. So that you can get more users. Keep it Up. 5 Stars!"

Asif Hanzala

Lead Generation Specialist at IdeaPeel

Reviewed on Capterra

"This app is fantastic. Brilliantly created to help small and mid sized businesses."

Dan Hughes

Founder/CEO, AlmanacIO

Reviewed on Product Hunt

"I have been using other expensive apps or freemium like phantombuster, but Derrick has replaced them all. I love the simplicity of the Google sheet add-in, but what is best is the efficiency it delivers."

Julien Walon Cohen

CEO & Co-founder @ Diffly | B2B Sales Advisor

Reviewed on G2

"The LinkedIn scraping and email finder combo is incredibly powerful. I can build a complete prospect list with contact info in under an hour. Absolute must-have for outbound."

Michael Kim

SDR Team Lead at CloudScale

Reviewed on Capterra

"Have tested over 10+ LI scraper apps, Derrick beats them all. Simple to use, accurate data, and affordable price."

AJ Alexander

Opportunity Prospector

Reviewed on Capterra

Frequently Asked Questions

Derrick vs hunter: which is better for email enrichment?

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Both Hunter and Derrick excel at email enrichment, but they serve different workflows. Hunter specializes purely in email discovery and verification with strong accuracy rates, making it ideal if you only need valid email addresses. Derrick, however, provides comprehensive email enrichment within Google Sheets alongside 50+ additional contact and company attributes, real-time email validation, and integrated AI scoring-all without leaving your spreadsheet. If you need deeper prospect context beyond just emails, Derrick's all-in-one approach eliminates the need for multiple tools and manual data consolidation.

Derrick vs Captain Data: which offers more features?

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Derrick and Captain Data take different approaches to B2B data enrichment. Captain Data specializes in LinkedIn-based prospecting with web scraping and automation workflows, excelling at lead generation from social platforms. Derrick, however, offers broader feature depth with 50+ enrichment attributes per contact, integrated AI scoring using Claude and ChatGPT, real-time email validation, and native Google Sheets functionality that eliminates CSV exports entirely. While Captain Data focuses on LinkedIn automation, Derrick provides more comprehensive data enrichment capabilities with greater flexibility, rollover credits, and no credit card required for free access, making it more suitable for teams needing diverse enrichment data beyond LinkedIn-sourced leads.

Derrick vs hunter vs Captain Data: which is best overall?

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The best choice depends on your specific needs. Hunter excels as a standalone email finder with strong verification accuracy, making it ideal for teams focused purely on email discovery. Captain Data specializes in LinkedIn-based prospecting with automation workflows, suiting sales teams prioritizing LinkedIn sourcing. Derrick stands out as a comprehensive solution native to Google Sheets, eliminating CSV exports and complex setup while offering fifty-plus enrichment attributes, integrated AI scoring with Claude and ChatGPT, real-time email validation, and rollover credits with no credit card required for the free tier. If you need simplicity, deep enrichment, and seamless Google Sheets integration without technical overhead, Derrick delivers the most complete platform. For email-only needs, Hunter works well; for LinkedIn-centric workflows, Captain Data fits better.

Does hunter offer better pricing than Derrick?

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Does Hunter offer better pricing than Derrick? Not inherently. Hunter and Derrick price on different models and goals: Hunter emphasizes email discovery and verification with plan tiers that scale by usage, while Derrick offers a credit-based system tied to 100% Google Sheets-native enrichment, with free credits and monthly rollovers. In many scenarios, Derrick’s lower-friction, no-CB required free tier and transferable credits provide cost predictability for ongoing prospecting, especially when you value deep enrichment across 50+ attributes and broad integration reach. For pure email finding, Hunter may seem cheaper upfront; for comprehensive, scalable B2B enrichment, Derrick often proves more cost-effective.

What are Derrick's key differences from Captain Data?

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Derrick operates as a 100% native Google Sheets platform, eliminating the need for CSV exports or complex external integrations that Captain Data requires. While Captain Data excels at LinkedIn-based automation and multi-channel enrichment, Derrick provides deeper integration capabilities through Zapier, Make, and n8n, plus built-in AI with Claude and ChatGPT for intelligent scoring and segmentation. Derrick's rollover credits, no credit card requirement for free tier, and fifty plus enrichment attributes per contact make it more flexible for teams seeking streamlined prospecting without platform switching or mandatory subscriptions.

Is Derrick a good alternative to both hunter and Captain Data?

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Yes, Derrick is a strong alternative to both Hunter and Captain Data, though it serves a different niche that can complement or even surpass them depending on your needs. Compared to Hunter, Derrick provides 50+ enrichment attributes per contact and company, real-time email validation, and a native Google Sheets workflow without CSV exports, all within a vast 3000+ integration ecosystem, reducing data wrangling and improving deliverability. Against Captain Data, Derrick offers deeper native data enrichment, AI-powered scoring and segmentation, and an all-in-one prospecting center inside Sheets, plus credits that roll over and no credit card required for the free tier, which can accelerate setup and scale without heavy technical overhead. If your goal is seamless, ongoing enrichment, robust automation, and cost-efficient, scalable outreach within familiar Sheets, Derrick stands out as a compelling alternative to both.
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