PhantomBuster
- Starting price: $56/mo (annual)
- Free plan: No (14-day free trial)
- Founded: 2016
- HQ: Paris, France
Updated
PhantomBuster vs AeroLeads vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?
- Short answer
- PhantomBuster vs AeroLeads vs Derrick: PhantomBuster is a cloud-based scraping and social automation, AeroLeads is a b2b email and phone finder pulling data from linkedin, crunchbase, angellist and xing. 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 PhantomBuster or AeroLeads) and pricing is lower - free forever with 100 credits/month, paid plans from €9/month. Most teams pair Derrick for the data layer with PhantomBuster or AeroLeads for outreach.
Where PhantomBuster requires you to build pipelines outside your data, Derrick keeps the data and the logic in the same Sheet. The side-by-side comparison below pits PhantomBuster's no-code IDE, learning curve and per-execution pricing against Derrick's =DERRICK() formula that scales with usage.
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.
CURSOR Quick Facts
PhantomBuster vs AeroLeads vs Derrick at a glance
AeroLeads
- Starting price: Free trial · Take Off $49/mo (2K credits)
- Free plan: Free trial available (no credit card)
- Founded: 2015
- HQ: Bangalore, India
Derrick
★ Recommended- Starting price: Free · Paid from €9/mo
- Free plan: Yes - 100 credits/mo permanent
- Founded: 2023
- HQ: Marseille, FR
Why Derrick wins 01
02
03
Why teams pick Derrick over PhantomBuster and AeroLeads
3 core reasons SDRs and ops teams switch to Derrick. Click to expand each.
01 Real-time verification without manual overhead
Derrick delivers real-time verification directly within Google Sheets, unlike PhantomBuster or AeroLeads, which require external validation steps or post-processing to ensure data quality. While PhantomBuster excels at automation and AeroLeads focuses on speed of email discovery, neither provides native, instantaneous validation within your workflow. Derrick validates emails in real time as you import or enrich contacts, reducing manual overhead and preventing invalid leads from slipping through. This streamlined, in-Sheets validation saves an estimated 5-10 hours per month by eliminating separate verification cycles.
02 Flexible 3000+ integrations for seamless automation
PhantomBuster and AeroLeads rely on fragmented integrations or limited depth, forcing teams to stitch multiple tools for seamless automation. Derrick differentiates by offering 3000+ native integrations via Zapier/Make/n8n, enabling true end-to-end workflows within a single platform. This translates to measurable gains: time-to-prospect reduces by up to 20-40% and monthly automation overhead drops as credits automate across tools without switching contexts. With Derrick, you connect data enrichment, validation, and outreach in one flow, eliminating the need for manual re-entry or external adapters.
03 Real-time data quality with automated enrichment depth
PhantomBuster and AeroLeads often deliver rapid data extraction but struggle with real-time, depth-enriched accuracy across multiple fields. Derrick uniquely leverages 50+ enrichment attributes per contact, native to Google Sheets, delivering real-time validation and deep firmographic context without leaving your workspace. This results in tangible improvements: up to 20% higher email deliverability and a 5-10 hour/month time savings from built-in enrichment and validation workflows. With Derrick, you get continuous, automated depth that PhantomBuster and AeroLeads cannot match at the data quality level.
Honest Comparison 
derrick
What each tool does better
We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where PhantomBuster, AeroLeads, and Derrick each genuinely win.
What PhantomBuster does better
- 150+ pre-built Phantoms across platforms
- Best LinkedIn Sales Navigator export
- Composable workflow chains
What AeroLeads does better
- Guaranteed phone numbers per tier (unique positioning)
- Multi-source prospect data (LinkedIn + Crunchbase + AngelList + Xing)
- Solid CRM integration ecosystem
What Derrick does better
- Free forever - €0/mo with 100 credits permanent in Google Sheets
- 100+ data points per lead - verified emails, phones, LinkedIn, tech stack, SIRET
- Zero LinkedIn ban risk + real-time email verification built in
- Pair with any sequencer - LaGrowthMachine, Smartlead, Lemlist, HeyReach
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.
| PhantomBuster | AeroLeads | Derrick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (monthly) | $56/mo (annual) | Free trial · Take Off $49/mo (2K credits) | €0 (free) · €9/mo paid |
| Annual cost (base) | ~€672/yr | ~€588/yr | €0/yr free · ~€108/yr paid |
| Free plan? | No (14-day free trial) | Free trial available (no credit card) | ✓ 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
PhantomBuster vs AeroLeads vs Derrick: full feature comparison
| PhantomBuster | Derrick App | AeroLeads | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works natively in Google Sheets | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Requires LinkedIn Sales Navigator ($100/month) | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Sales Navigator 1-click import | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email finder with real-time validation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Phone finder from LinkedIn | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Company tech stack lookup | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| SimilarWeb & G2 insights integrated | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| AI integration (Claude & ChatGPT) | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Automatic AI Lead Scoring | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Data cleaning & normalization | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-platform scraping (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Zapier, Make, n8n integrations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Public API available | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Native CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce) | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Entry price (paid plan) | 69$/mois | 9€/mois | 39$/mois |
| Permanent free plan | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rollover credits to next month | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Simple and transparent credit system | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Simple setup & onboarding | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Complete documentation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Pricing in a nutshell Web Automation derrick
best value for money
Results first.
Discover Derrick →
B2B Email + Phone Finder (LinkedIn-First)
PhantomBuster vs AeroLeads vs Derrick pricing breakdown
Web Automation PhantomBuster
$56/mo (annual)
Best for: Growth hackers & ops teams
PhantomBuster offers accessible starting pricing with a free tier and scalable paid plans, designed for automated data extraction and workflow automation. See the full pricing breakdown on the dedicated PhantomBuster Pricing page for all details.
Results first.
Complexity removed.
Free · Paid plans from €9/mo
While other tools pile on features, complex setups, and pricing tiers that grow faster than your results, Derrick focuses on what actually matters:
getting usable leads, directly in Google Sheets.
No heavy workflows, No endless configuration. No learning curve.
B2B Email + Phone Finder (LinkedIn-First) AeroLeads
Free trial · Take Off $49/mo (2K credits)
Best for: Solo SDRs needing guaranteed phone numbers + email finder bundle
AeroLeads offers affordable entry options with a starting plan and credits-based pricing, plus paid tiers for larger needs-see the full pricing breakdown for all details. For complete transparency, view the complete pricing details on AeroLeads’ Pricing page.
Migration Guide
How to switch from PhantomBuster 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 PhantomBuster, 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 PhantomBuster if…
- You specifically need growth hackers & ops teams
- 150+ pre-built Phantoms across platforms
- Best LinkedIn Sales Navigator export
- You're already invested in the PhantomBuster ecosystem
Pick AeroLeads if…
- You specifically need solo sdrs needing guaranteed phone numbers + email finder bundle
- Guaranteed phone numbers per tier (unique positioning)
- Multi-source prospect data (LinkedIn + Crunchbase + AngelList + Xing)
- You're already invested in the AeroLeads ecosystem
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
What teams say after switching from PhantomBuster vs AeroLeads
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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"This app is fantastic. Brilliantly created to help small and mid sized businesses."
Dan Hughes
Founder/CEO, AlmanacIO
"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
"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
"Have tested over 10+ LI scraper apps, Derrick beats them all. Simple to use, accurate data, and affordable price."
AJ Alexander
Opportunity Prospector
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Derrick compare to PhantomBuster for automation?
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Derrick focuses on native Google Sheets enrichment with real-time email validation and integrated AI scoring, while PhantomBuster excels at web automation and large-scale data extraction through visual workflows. PhantomBuster is stronger for scraping and workflow automation at scale, but requires external tools for data enrichment and validation. Derrick differentiates through seamless Sheets integration, rollover credits, and no credit card requirement for its free tier, making it ideal for teams prioritizing enrichment depth and cost flexibility over pure extraction volume.
Is Derrick a better alternative to PhantomBuster?
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Whether Derrick is a better alternative to PhantomBuster depends on your specific needs. PhantomBuster excels at web automation and large-scale data scraping from social platforms, while Derrick specializes in B2B data enrichment directly within Google Sheets. If you need automated workflow extraction, PhantomBuster remains strong. However, if you prioritize seamless enrichment without leaving Google Sheets, real-time email validation, rollover credits, and integrated AI scoring, Derrick offers significant advantages with lower operational overhead and no complex setup required.
Derrick vs PhantomBuster vs AeroLeads: which is best?
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The best choice depends on your priorities. PhantomBuster excels at web automation and large-scale data scraping but requires manual enrichment for complete lead intelligence. AeroLeads offers affordable email verification but users frequently report significant accuracy issues requiring additional validation. Derrick stands out for teams already using Google Sheets, providing 50+ enrichment attributes, real-time email validation, integrated AI scoring, and rollover credits without requiring a credit card for the free tier. Unlike competitors, Derrick eliminates CSV exports and complex configurations, saving 5-10 hours monthly while delivering better data quality and deliverability directly in your spreadsheet workflow.
PhantomBuster vs AeroLeads: which is the better choice?
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PhantomBuster vs AeroLeads: which is the better choice? It depends on your immediate needs. PhantomBuster shines for quick automation and large-scale scraping with pre-built templates, ideal for teams wanting fast data collection and workflow automation without heavy coding. AeroLeads excels at real-time email verification and rapid contact discovery with strong CRM integrations, offering cost-effective lead sourcing. If you need robust enrichment and reliable, up-to-date contact data at scale, Derrick App adds native Google Sheets integration, real-time email validation, over 50 enrichment attributes, and AI-powered scoring built directly into your workflow, making it a compelling complement or alternative when you value data quality and seamless, low-friction prospecting without CSV exports or external tools.
What’s the pricing difference between Derrick and AeroLeads?
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Derrick offers flexible credit-based pricing starting at 9€ monthly for 4,000 credits with no card required for the free tier, while AeroLeads operates on a similar credit model but charges per extraction attempt regardless of data quality. Derrick's key advantage is rollover credits-unused credits carry forward monthly-plus integrated email validation for better deliverability and 50+ enrichment attributes per contact. AeroLeads users frequently report accuracy issues requiring manual verification, whereas Derrick combines real-time validation with Claude and ChatGPT AI for automated scoring and segmentation, delivering better value for teams prioritizing data quality and operational efficiency without hidden costs.
Can Derrick replace both PhantomBuster and AeroLeads effectively?
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Derrick can replace some functions of PhantomBuster and AeroLeads, but not as a full one-to-one swap. Derrick excels as a native Google Sheets-based enrichment and prospecting platform with 50+ attributes per contact, real-time email validation, AI-powered scoring and segmentation, and extensive Zapier/Make/n8n integrations, all without exporting to CSV or using LinkedIn Navigator. PhantomBuster focuses on automated data extraction and multi-platform workflow automation, sometimes requiring external enrichment for depth. AeroLeads specializes in fast email discovery and verification but can struggle with broader data enrichment and compliance concerns. If your goal is comprehensive enrichment, strong data quality, and seamless Google Sheets workflow, Derrick provides compelling advantages, and its credit system and free tier add flexibility for ongoing testing. However, for heavy multi-source scraping or niche data enrichment needs, you may still rely on PhantomBuster or AeroLeads in tandem.
One-on-one
PhantomBuster vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how PhantomBuster compares to Derrick alone.
Open the head-to-head → One-on-oneAeroLeads vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how AeroLeads compares to Derrick alone.
Open the head-to-head → Curated stackAll B2B sales tools we reviewed in depth
Step back from the duel - see our hand-picked sales-tool selection and how every category fits together.
See the full curation → Keep Exploring
