Updated

PhantomBuster vs LinkFinder vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?

Short answer
PhantomBuster vs LinkFinder vs Derrick: PhantomBuster is a cloud-based scraping and social automation, LinkFinder is a ai-powered linkedin email finder with multi-source data aggregation and zero linkedin account dependency. 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 LinkFinder) 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 LinkFinder 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.

Quick Facts

PhantomBuster vs LinkFinder vs Derrick at a glance

PhantomBuster

  • Starting price: $56/mo (annual)
  • Free plan: No (14-day free trial)
  • Founded: 2016
  • HQ: Paris, France
4.4/5 G2 4.4/5 Capterra

LinkFinder

  • Starting price: $49/month (Starter) · 25-credit free trial
  • Free plan: No (paid plans only - credit-based pricing)
  • Founded: 2024 (estimated)
  • HQ: Not publicly disclosed
4.1/5 G2 4/5 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 PhantomBuster and LinkFinder

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

01

Get 5-10h/month back with native Google Sheets enrichment

PhantomBuster excels at bulk data extraction but often requires complex workflows and external validation for true enrichment, which can stall time-to-value. Derrick delivers native Google Sheets enrichment, eliminating CSV exports and tedious imports while staying fully inside Sheets. By enriching 50+ attributes per contact or company with real-time email validation and AI-assisted scoring, Derrick saves users 5-10 hours per month versus using PhantomBuster or LinkFinder separately. A typical use-case: bulk enrichment directly in Sheets, with credits kept and no credit card needed for the free tier.

02

Real-time data quality without manual verification turnaround

PhantomBuster and LinkFinder excel at automation and bulk enrichment, but they struggle with real-time data quality and on-the-fly verification within a live workflow. Derrick delivers real-time data quality directly in Google Sheets, eliminating manual verification turnaround and ensuring accurate enrichments as you work. Users see measurable gains, with up-to-date fields and reduced post-processing time, enabling faster outreach and higher deliverability. A typical use case is instant correction of outdated contact details during prospect research, without leaving the sheet.

03

Seamless in-workspace enrichment with real-time validation edges

PhantomBuster and LinkFinder both operate outside your in-workspace flow, forcing manual exports and disjointed enrichment steps that disrupt real-time collaboration. Derrick delivers seamless, in-workspace enrichment with real-time validation edges by embedding 50+ attributes directly into Google Sheets and validating them on the fly, so data stays current without context-switching. Users see measurable gains, such as faster prospect research cycles and improved deliverability due to instant validation, with up to 10x faster iteration in live sheets. For quick wins, Derrick’s native Sheets integration eliminates CSV handoffs, enabling immediate action on enriched records within the same document.

Honest Comparison

What each tool does better

We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where PhantomBuster, LinkFinder, and Derrick each genuinely win.

What LinkFinder does better

  • Zero LinkedIn account ban risk (private network architecture)
  • No Sales Navigator dependency
  • Feature-flat pricing across all tiers
Read full LinkFinder 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.

PhantomBuster LinkFinder Derrick
Starting price (monthly) $56/mo (annual) $49/month (Starter) · 25-credit free trial €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) No (paid plans only - credit-based pricing) ✓ 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 LinkFinder vs Derrick: full feature comparison

PhantomBuster Derrick App LinkFinder
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 lifetime deal
Permanent free plan
Rollover credits to next month
Simple and transparent credit system
Simple setup & onboarding
Complete documentation
Pricing in a nutshell

PhantomBuster vs LinkFinder vs Derrick pricing breakdown

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
Read full PhantomBuster review →

Pick LinkFinder if…

  • You specifically need solo sdrs wanting linkedin email finder without sales nav dependency
  • Zero LinkedIn account ban risk (private network architecture)
  • No Sales Navigator dependency
  • You're already invested in the LinkFinder ecosystem
Read full LinkFinder 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 PhantomBuster vs LinkFinder

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

What’s the main difference Derrick vs PhantomBuster for automation?

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Derrick focuses on native Google Sheets automation with seamless enrichment directly within your spreadsheet, eliminating CSV export friction entirely. PhantomBuster excels at large-scale web scraping and data extraction through visual workflows, but requires external processing and manual data syncing back to your systems. While PhantomBuster is powerful for bulk data collection, Derrick streamlines the entire workflow by keeping enrichment, validation, and automation within Google Sheets, saving teams five to ten hours monthly on data management and integration overhead without requiring complex setup or technical expertise.

Is Derrick a better alternative to PhantomBuster for teams?

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Whether Derrick is better for teams depends on your workflow priorities. PhantomBuster excels at large-scale web automation and data extraction, making it ideal if you need robust scraping capabilities across multiple platforms. However, Derrick offers distinct advantages for teams already using Google Sheets: it's 100% native to Sheets with no CSV exports, includes AI-powered enrichment with Claude and ChatGPT, provides rollover credits monthly, and requires no credit card for the free tier. If your team values seamless spreadsheet integration and wants to avoid external platforms, Derrick streamlines prospecting workflows more efficiently than PhantomBuster's automation-focused approach.

Can Derrick replace both PhantomBuster and LinkFinder in workflows?

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Derrick can effectively replace both tools depending on your workflow needs. PhantomBuster excels at web automation and large-scale data extraction, while LinkFinder focuses on bulk CSV enrichment. Derrick combines these strengths natively within Google Sheets, eliminating manual CSV imports and exports that both alternatives require. You get 50+ enrichment attributes, real-time email validation, and built-in AI scoring without switching between platforms. However, if you need advanced web scraping beyond standard enrichment, PhantomBuster's automation capabilities remain specialized. For most B2B prospecting workflows, Derrick consolidates both functions into one seamless, native spreadsheet experience with rollover credits and no upfront payment required.

Which offers better pricing between Derrick and PhantomBuster?

+
Between Derrick App and PhantomBuster, Derrick generally offers better pricing for ongoing, high-volume prospecting needs due to its credits-based model, monthly rollovers, and a no-credit-card-free-tier option. PhantomBuster pricing scales with usage and can become expensive for large outreach or complex automations. Derrick’s 100 free credits and scalable Small to XL plans (with 4,000 to 100,000 credits) provide predictable budgeting, plus native Google Sheets integration and 50+ enrichment attributes, which reduce overhead and CSV-related costs. If you primarily need rapid data enrichment without exporting to CSV, Derrick tends to deliver a more cost-efficient, flexible option.

How does PhantomBuster compare to LinkFinder for data enrichment?

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PhantomBuster excels at web automation and large-scale data extraction, particularly from social platforms, but lacks comprehensive data enrichment capabilities-it's primarily a collection engine requiring manual verification. LinkFinder focuses on endpoint discovery for security research rather than B2B data enrichment, making it unsuitable for sales and marketing workflows. Both require external tools for complete enrichment pipelines. Derrick differentiates by operating natively within Google Sheets, eliminating CSV export friction while offering 50+ enrichment attributes, real-time email validation, and integrated AI for automated scoring and segmentation-all without requiring LinkedIn Sales Navigator or complex configurations.

What are Derrick’s reviews and pricing compared to LinkFinder?

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Derrick's reviews across comparisons consistently highlight its native Google Sheets integration, which eliminates CSV exports and complex setup, making enrichment and outreach feel seamless for teams already using Sheets. In pricing terms, Derrick offers a transparent tiering: a Free plan with 100 credits and monthly rollovers, plus Small, Medium, Large, and XL plans that scale credits (e.g., 9€, 20€, 47.50€, 175€ equivalents) with no credit card required for the free tier. Compared to LinkFinder, Derrick provides broader data enrichment beyond URLs and basic contacts, plus 50+ enrichment attributes per contact or company, real-time email validation, and AI scoring/segmentation. While LinkFinder excels at bulk CSV enrichment without LinkedIn login risk, it lacks native Google Sheets workflow, broader enrichment depth, and the credit-based pricing flexibility Derrick offers. Overall, Derrick positions itself as a more integrated, scalable prospecting platform within Sheets, with flexible credits and native workflow advantages that can justify its pricing for teams seeking end-to-end enrichment without platform switching.
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