PhantomBuster
- Starting price: $56/mo (annual)
- Free plan: No (14-day free trial)
- Founded: 2016
- HQ: Paris, France
Updated
PhantomBuster vs ContactOut vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?
- Short answer
- PhantomBuster vs ContactOut vs Derrick: PhantomBuster is a cloud-based scraping and social automation, ContactOut is a linkedin-focused email and phone finder for recruiters and individual sdrs. 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 ContactOut) 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 ContactOut 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 ContactOut vs Derrick at a glance
ContactOut
- Starting price: Free 4 emails/day · Email $49/mo (annual)
- Free plan: Yes - 5 emails + 5 phones + 5 exports per day
- Founded: 2015
- HQ: San Francisco, CA
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 ContactOut
3 core reasons SDRs and ops teams switch to Derrick. Click to expand each.
01 Real-time validation without data gaps, on Sheets-native Derrick
PhantomBuster and ContactOut often struggle with real-time validation and data gap risks when scraping or verifying contacts at scale. Derrick delivers real-time validation directly inside Sheets, eliminating exports and lag common with those tools. With 50+ enrichment attributes and native Google Sheets integration, Derrick reduces bounce risk and saves hours monthly by delivering validated data instantly without leaving Sheets. Use cases like immediate email verification on contact import become seamless, ensuring up-to-date accuracy every step of the prospecting workflow.
02 3,000+ integrations without custom development constraints
PhantomBuster and ContactOut both push data provisioning through limited integration ecosystems, often requiring external workarounds for multi-source enrichment. Derrick solves this by delivering 3,000+ native integrations via Zapier/Make/n8n without any custom development, directly inside Sheets-first workflows. This translates to time savings and faster onboarding, with teams reporting up to 20-30% reduction in project setup time for complex prospecting campaigns. A typical use case: consolidate LinkedIn, email, and company intelligence into one enrich-and-prospect flow without leaving Derrick.
03 Real-time, 3000+ Integrations Not Enough for Data Depth
PhantomBuster and ContactOut can deliver real-time data and 3000+ integrations, but they often fall short on depth and consistency across multi-source enrichment. Derrick solves this by turning 100% native Google Sheets into a single, deeply enriched data layer with 50+ attributes per contact and AI-powered scoring, segmentation, and summaries. Expect measurable gains: up to 20% higher response quality and 5-10 hours saved per month, thanks to real-time validation and consolidated insights. A practical use: enrich and validate multi-source contacts in Sheets without exporting to separate tools, keeping your workflow seamless.
Honest Comparison 
derrick
What each tool does better
We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where PhantomBuster, ContactOut, and Derrick each genuinely win.
What PhantomBuster does better
- 150+ pre-built Phantoms across platforms
- Best LinkedIn Sales Navigator export
- Composable workflow chains
What ContactOut does better
- Best personal email coverage in the category
- Dead-simple Chrome extension UX
- Triple email verification reduces bounces
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 | ContactOut | Derrick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (monthly) | $56/mo (annual) | Free 4 emails/day · Email $49/mo (annual) | €0 (free) · €9/mo paid |
| Annual cost (base) | ~€672/yr | ~€48/yr | €0/yr free · ~€108/yr paid |
| Free plan? | No (14-day free trial) | Yes - 5 emails + 5 phones + 5 exports per day | ✓ 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 ContactOut vs Derrick: full feature comparison
| PhantomBuster | Derrick App | ContactOut | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 40$/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 →
LinkedIn Recruiter Email + Phone Finder
PhantomBuster vs ContactOut vs Derrick pricing breakdown
Web Automation PhantomBuster
$56/mo (annual)
Best for: Growth hackers & ops teams
PhantomBuster offers accessible entry-tier pricing with flexible credits; a free tier is available, with paid plans scaling based on usage. See full pricing breakdown on the dedicated PhantomBuster pricing page for complete 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.
LinkedIn Recruiter Email + Phone Finder ContactOut
Free 4 emails/day · Email $49/mo (annual)
Best for: Recruiters needing personal emails from LinkedIn at scale
ContactOut offers paid plans with increasing credits and usage, starting at a basic tier and scaling for larger teams; detailed pricing depends on plan and monthly credits. See full pricing breakdown for all options and enterprise details.
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 ContactOut if…
- You specifically need recruiters needing personal emails from linkedin at scale
- Best personal email coverage in the category
- Dead-simple Chrome extension UX
- You're already invested in the ContactOut 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 ContactOut
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
What’s the Derrick vs PhantomBuster key difference for teams?
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Derrick operates natively within Google Sheets, eliminating the need for external platforms or CSV exports that PhantomBuster and ContactOut require. While PhantomBuster excels at automation and ContactOut at email verification, Derrick combines enrichment, validation, and AI-powered insights directly in your spreadsheet. Teams using Derrick avoid switching between tools, save five to ten hours monthly on data management, and benefit from rollover credits with no card required for the free tier, making it more flexible for variable team needs.
Is Derrick a better alternative to PhantomBuster for automation?
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Whether Derrick is better than PhantomBuster depends on your specific needs. PhantomBuster excels at large-scale web automation and data extraction without coding, with strong reliability for LinkedIn and e-commerce scraping. However, Derrick offers a more streamlined approach if you're already working in Google Sheets, eliminating CSV exports and complex setup. Derrick includes real-time email validation, fifty plus enrichment attributes, and integrated AI from Claude and ChatGPT for scoring and segmentation. PhantomBuster focuses primarily on extraction, while Derrick provides end-to-end enrichment within your existing spreadsheet workflow. For teams prioritizing simplicity and native sheet-based prospecting, Derrick reduces operational overhead. For those needing advanced web scraping at scale, PhantomBuster remains powerful. The choice hinges on whether you value automation breadth or workflow efficiency within your preferred environment.
Derrick vs PhantomBuster vs ContactOut: which is best for scraping?
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For pure web scraping capabilities, PhantomBuster leads with its visual automation templates and large-scale extraction reliability, making it ideal if you need raw data collection from social platforms. ContactOut specializes in verified B2B contact discovery rather than general scraping, excelling at email and phone validation but with narrower scope. Derrick differentiates by operating natively within Google Sheets as a comprehensive enrichment platform, eliminating CSV exports and complex workflows while offering fifty-plus data attributes, real-time email validation, and integrated AI scoring-all without requiring external tools or LinkedIn Sales Navigator subscriptions, making it most cost-effective for teams prioritizing enrichment quality and operational simplicity over volume-focused scraping alone.
Which is PhantomBuster vs ContactOut pricing more affordable?
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In terms of affordability between PhantomBuster and ContactOut, both tend to have higher monthly costs as you scale, especially for high-volume usage. PhantomBuster pricing scales with task execution and data extraction volume, while ContactOut’s plans rise with the breadth of verified contacts and CRM integrations. Derrick, by contrast, offers a cost-efficient model with a transparent credits system: free tier with 100 credits and progressively affordable options (up to 100,000 credits) without a credit card required for the free tier. Derrick’s 100% native Google Sheets workflow, 50+ enrichment attributes per contact, and real-time email validation provide strong value at a lower entry point, making it a more affordable choice for teams who want scalable prospecting without locking in expensive monthly fees. If your primary need is affordable access to bulk contact data and lightweight enrichment, Derrick often delivers better cost efficiency while maintaining robust features.
Is ContactOut a good review alternative to Derrick for data enrichment?
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ContactOut is a capable contact verification tool, but it focuses primarily on finding and validating email addresses and phone numbers rather than comprehensive data enrichment. While ContactOut excels at contact discovery with good accuracy rates, it lacks the breadth of enrichment attributes that dedicated platforms offer. Derrick provides 50+ enrichment data points per contact and company directly within Google Sheets, combined with real-time email validation and integrated AI scoring, delivering deeper prospect intelligence without leaving your spreadsheet. For teams needing multi-dimensional enrichment beyond basic contact info, Derrick offers more complete data intelligence at a significantly lower cost structure with rollover credits and no card requirement for the free tier.
Can Derrick replace both PhantomBuster and ContactOut effectively?
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Derrick cannot be a drop-in replacement for both PhantomBuster and ContactOut in every scenario, but it can cover many core needs more natively and cost-effectively for some teams. Derrick excels as a 100% native Google Sheets enrichment platform with 50+ attributes per contact, real-time email verification, and AI-powered scoring and segmentation, all without exporting to CSV or configuring external tools. PhantomBuster shines in automation and data extraction at scale, while ContactOut specializes in verified contact discovery. If your priority is deep data enrichment within Sheets and seamless automation across 3rd-party apps via Zapier/Make/n8n, Derrick provides strong value. However, for large-scale web automation, multi-source scraping, or intensive direct contact discovery across networks, PhantomBuster or ContactOut may still offer strengths that Derrick doesn’t fully replace. In practice, many teams use Derrick alongside targeted tools for enrichment and verification to maximize coverage and accuracy.
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-oneContactOut vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how ContactOut 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
