PhantomBuster
- Starting price: $56/mo (annual)
- Free plan: No (14-day free trial)
- Founded: 2016
- HQ: Paris, France
Updated
PhantomBuster vs UpLead vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?
- Short answer
- PhantomBuster vs UpLead vs Derrick: PhantomBuster is a cloud-based scraping and social automation, UpLead is a b2b contact database with real-time email verification on unlock. 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 UpLead) 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 UpLead 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 UpLead vs Derrick at a glance
UpLead
- Starting price: Free 5 credits trial · Essentials $74/mo (annual)
- Free plan: 7-day free trial - 5 credits
- Founded: 2017
- HQ: Covina, 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 UpLead
3 core reasons SDRs and ops teams switch to Derrick. Click to expand each.
01 Real-time validation and enrichment without data gaps
Real-time validation and enrichment without data gaps is a core weakness for PhantomBuster and UpLead, which struggle with即时 accuracy and deeper validation across multiple data dimensions. Derrick delivers real-time email validation and 50+ enrichment attributes directly inside 100% native Google Sheets, eliminating the need for CSV exports or external validation steps. This means you can deploy verified contact data instantly, reducing bounce rates and improving deliverability while saving 5-10 hours per month. For quick wins, Derrick also keeps credits reportable and integrates with your existing Sheets workflows for rapid case-use deployments.
02 Zero-budget trial, no credit card required for full access
Derrick eliminates the barrier of paid trials by offering zero-budget access, unlike PhantomBuster and UpLead which often require upfront costs or credits for full functionality. Derrick delivers full access without a credit card, avoiding the paywall friction that can stall initial exploration. Users can test 50+ enrichment attributes and real-time validation within Google Sheets without risking spend, saving time and money from day one. A quick trial scenario shows immediate prospect enrichment and verification, with credits staying account-side as you scale.
03 Integrated AI-driven scoring with no deployment friction
PhantomBuster and UpLead offer data extraction and verification, but neither provides integrated AI-driven scoring with zero deployment friction. Derrick delivers native AI scoring inside 100% Google Sheets, removing integration hurdles and platform switching. This means you get automated scoring and segmentation without configuring external tools, saving an estimated 20–40% of time in setup and enabling immediate use across campaigns. With Derrick, AI models (Claude and ChatGPT) power scoring on every contact and company, directly within your existing sheets.
Honest Comparison 
derrick
What each tool does better
We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where PhantomBuster, UpLead, and Derrick each genuinely win.
What PhantomBuster does better
- 150+ pre-built Phantoms across platforms
- Best LinkedIn Sales Navigator export
- Composable workflow chains
What UpLead does better
- Best accuracy positioning in mid-market contact data
- Highest G2 score in B2B contact data (4.7/5 across 824 reviews)
- Bundled intent + technographics + filters at mid-tier
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 | UpLead | Derrick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (monthly) | $56/mo (annual) | Free 5 credits trial · Essentials $74/mo (annual) | €0 (free) · €9/mo paid |
| Annual cost (base) | ~€672/yr | ~€60/yr | €0/yr free · ~€108/yr paid |
| Free plan? | No (14-day free trial) | 7-day free trial - 5 credits | ✓ 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 UpLead vs Derrick: full feature comparison
| PhantomBuster | Derrick App | UpLead | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 99$/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 Contact Database (Verified-on-Unlock)
PhantomBuster vs UpLead vs Derrick pricing breakdown
Web Automation PhantomBuster
$56/mo (annual)
Best for: Growth hackers & ops teams
PhantomBuster offers scalable pricing with a free tier and paid plans starting at accessible monthly credits, designed for automated data extraction and workflow tasks. See the full pricing breakdown for all plan details and limits.
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 Contact Database (Verified-on-Unlock) UpLead
Free 5 credits trial · Essentials $74/mo (annual)
Best for: Mid-market SDR teams who care most about email accuracy
UpLead offers pay-per-verified-record pricing with entry-level plans and scalable credits, plus a full pricing page for all details. For exact tiers, credits, and any free-tier options, see the complete 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
Pick UpLead if…
- You specifically need mid-market sdr teams who care most about email accuracy
- Best accuracy positioning in mid-market contact data
- Highest G2 score in B2B contact data (4.7/5 across 824 reviews)
- You're already invested in the UpLead 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 UpLead
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
Derrick vs PhantomBuster: which is better for automation and data?
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Derrick and PhantomBuster serve different automation needs. PhantomBuster excels at web scraping and workflow automation through pre-built templates, making it ideal for large-scale data extraction without coding. However, Derrick operates natively within Google Sheets, eliminating export friction and manual data handling while offering real-time email validation, 50+ enrichment attributes, and integrated AI scoring from Claude and ChatGPT. For teams prioritizing seamless data automation directly in their existing spreadsheets with rollover credits and no upfront payment required, Derrick delivers faster deployment and lower operational overhead than PhantomBuster's template-based approach.
Is Derrick a good alternative to PhantomBuster for LinkedIn scraping?
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Yes, Derrick is an excellent alternative to PhantomBuster for LinkedIn scraping, particularly if you prefer a simpler, more integrated approach. While PhantomBuster excels at large-scale automation workflows, Derrick operates natively within Google Sheets, eliminating the need for CSV exports and complex setup. Derrick requires no LinkedIn Sales Navigator subscription, saving you significant costs annually, and provides real-time email validation for better deliverability. Both platforms handle LinkedIn data extraction effectively, but Derrick's rollover credits, built-in AI capabilities with Claude and ChatGPT, and zero credit card requirement for the free tier make it more accessible for teams seeking streamlined prospecting without technical overhead or unpredictable scaling costs.
How does Derrick compare to PhantomBuster and UpLead in features?
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Derrick operates natively within Google Sheets, eliminating the need for CSV exports and complex setup that both PhantomBuster and UpLead require. While PhantomBuster excels at web automation and data extraction, Derrick focuses on seamless enrichment directly in your spreadsheet with 50+ attributes per contact. UpLead specializes in real-time email verification and contact validation, whereas Derrick combines enrichment with integrated AI tools using Claude and ChatGPT for scoring and segmentation. Derrick's rollover credits, no credit card requirement for free tier, and native Google Sheets integration make it more cost-effective and operationally efficient for teams prioritizing convenience and speed without switching platforms.
What’s the Derrick vs PhantomBuster vs UpLead pricing difference?
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Derrick pricing differs from PhantomBuster and UpLead in a few clear ways. Derrick uses a credits-based model with tiers: Free 100 credits, Small 4000 credits for $9, Medium 10000 credits for $20, Large 25000 credits for $47.50, and XL 100000 credits for $175, with credits rollable and no credit card required for the free tier. Unlike PhantomBuster, Derrick is 100% native to Google Sheets and eliminates CSV exports and complex setups, delivering immediate value without rate-limiting concerns typical of large-scale scraping tools. Compared to UpLead, Derrick focuses on prospecting and enrichment within Sheets, while UpLead centers on verified contact data with per-record pricing. Derrick’s combination of 50+ enrichment attributes, real-time email validation, AI scoring/segmentation, extensive Zapier/Make/n8n integrations, and a no-SaaS-CRM requirement delivers a cost-versus-value advantage for teams that want a self-contained, scalable prospecting workflow without ongoing seat or API overhead.
PhantomBuster vs UpLead: which offers better data quality and pricing?
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PhantomBuster and UpLead serve different purposes in the data pipeline. PhantomBuster excels at large-scale web scraping and automation with competitive pricing, but data quality varies by source and requires manual verification. UpLead focuses on real-time email and phone verification with higher accuracy guarantees, though it comes with per-record costs that scale quickly for high-volume operations. PhantomBuster suits teams prioritizing extraction speed, while UpLead works better for those prioritizing verification quality. However, Derrick App combines the strengths of both within Google Sheets natively-offering real-time email validation like UpLead, 50+ enrichment attributes, and rollover credits that prevent wasted spend, all without requiring external platforms or CSV exports.
Can Derrick replace both PhantomBuster and UpLead for lead enrichment?
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Derrick cannot fully replace both PhantomBuster and UpLead for all lead enrichment needs, but it can handle a significant portion of the workflow in a fully native Google Sheets environment. PhantomBuster specializes in web automation and data extraction, often requiring external enrichment steps, while UpLead focuses on real-time data verification and improved contact accuracy. Derrick excels as an enrichment and prospecting hub inside Sheets, offering 50+ enrichment attributes per contact, real-time email validation, and AI-powered scoring and segmentation, along with extensive Zapier/Make/n8n integrations. For teams needing heavy multi-source data enrichment and advanced validation across campaigns, using Derrick in combination with UpLead or PhantomBuster may provide the strongest overall solution. If your priority is entirely seamless in-Sheets enrichment with cost efficiency and no CSV exports, Derrick offers compelling value, but for complex automated scraping or deep, multi-source company data, you might still rely on PhantomBuster or UpLead alongside Derrick.
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-oneUpLead vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how UpLead 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
