BuzzStream vs ListBrew (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick BuzzStream: it is first in our ranking of link building tools, and it grades higher too, 2.2 against 2.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
BuzzStream grades higher on features and platforms. ListBrew grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BuzzStream
Outreach CRM for link building and digital PR
ListBrew
Finds listicles that feature rivals but not you, with editor contacts
Which one is for you
Pick BuzzStream if
- Fits if you pitch journalists or bloggers and need every past conversation kept on file
- Works for teams sharing prospect lists who must not pitch the same contact twice
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you send pitches in bulk, as Starter has no bulk sends, automated follow-ups or reports
- Pricey if you need the API, which is only on Professional at $424 a month and Custom
- Watch out: contacts count against your limit until deleted, and archiving a project frees none
- Not for you if you want a trial without payment details, as the first charge comes on day 15
- Pricey if you want AI-built media lists, as ListIQ is a separate subscription from $24 a month
Pick ListBrew if
- Fits if your competitors appear on best-of lists and you don't
- Works for SaaS and ecommerce brands building listicle target lists
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want pitches sent from the same tool, as outreach is still listed as coming soon
- Tight if you're staying free, as the 50 credits are a one-time grant that doesn't renew
- Pricey if you track Gemini or Perplexity citations, which need Pro at $99 a month
- Watch out: credits go per keyword, results depth, AI engine per prompt and contact found
- Too light for link building beyond listicles, comparisons and alternatives pages
How we grade them
| 2.2GPABuzzStreamFair | 2.0GPAListBrewFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is $49 a month for 1 user and 500 contacts, right in the middle of what this category charges. Bulk sending and automated follow-ups need Growth at $174 a month for 3 users, and the API needs Professional at $424. | CSolo is $49 a month for 100 credits, the middle of this category. Gemini and Perplexity citations need Pro at $99, and credits are spent per keyword, engine, prompt and contact. |
| Free plan and trial | DNo free plan. The 14-day trial takes its first charge on day 15 unless you cancel, so it starts with your payment details. | CA free plan with 50 credits and every feature, no card needed. The credits are one-time and don't renew, so in practice it's a trial. |
| Features | BContact discovery, pitch templates with open and reply tracking, follow-ups, a shared record of every conversation, a Chrome extension and link monitoring. It covers the whole outreach job, though Starter leaves out bulk sends, auto follow-ups and reports. | CListicle discovery, AI citation checks, Google rank and domain data, an editor finder through Hunter.io and Apollo, and a check for existing mentions. It does listicle prospecting fully, but that's a smaller job, and outreach is still coming soon. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. The Chrome extension adds prospects from any page, but you still connect your mailbox, set up projects and build templates before the first pitch goes out. | CNo rating on record. You enter keywords and rivals and spend credits per search, engine and contact, which takes some working out. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus a Chrome extension, with Gmail, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Exchange, Ahrefs and Hunter. There's an API on Professional and Custom. No desktop or phone app. | CWeb only, with Hunter and Apollo for contact data and CSV export. No API or built-in sending on record. |
| Best for | keeping outreach conversations in one place | finding best-of lists your rivals are on |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: BuzzStream and ListBrew. How we grade
Price against what you get
BuzzStream starts at $49 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. ListBrew starts at $49 a month and scores 2.0.
BuzzStream scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other link building tools on the chart, none scores higher than BuzzStream for less, and 12 score higher than ListBrew for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- BuzzStream also covers reports.
- ListBrew also covers AI search visibility.
At a glance
| BuzzStream | ListBrew | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49 per month, billed monthly | $49 per month for 100 credits, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial; the first charge is taken on day 15 unless you cancel | Free plan with 50 one-time credits and every feature; the credits do not renew. No credit card needed |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | BuzzStream | SDN Software Services Ltd |
| Price read from | buzzstream.com | listbrew.ai |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
BuzzStream
- Starter is one user without bulk sends, automated follow-ups or reports; those start at Growth for $174 a month.
- The API is limited to Professional and Custom plans.
- Contacts count against the plan limit until deleted from the database; archiving a project does not free any.
- ListIQ, BuzzStream's AI tool for building media lists, is a separate subscription from $24 a month.
ListBrew
- Email outreach, the AI pitch writer and email rotation are listed as coming soon, so pitches go out from your own tools for now.
- Gemini and Perplexity citations need Pro at $99 a month; Solo covers Google, AI Overviews and ChatGPT only.
- Credits are spent per keyword, per results depth, per AI engine per prompt and per contact found, at 0.25 credits each.
- The free plan's 50 credits are a one-time grant; extra credits can be bought at any time.
Key features
BuzzStream
- Prospect research
- Search the BuzzStream Discovery database of writers and sites, find contact details, and see publisher and influencer metrics before you pitch.
- Pitch emails and follow-ups
- Templates and open, click and reply tracking on every plan; bulk sends, scheduling and automated follow-ups start at Growth.
- Outreach CRM
- Keeps every conversation with a site or person in one record, shared across projects, so a team does not pitch the same contact twice.
- BuzzMarker Chrome extension
- Adds a site or person to a project, looks up contact details and starts outreach from whatever page you are on.
- Link monitoring
- Watches the links you have won for changes: 1,000 links on Starter, 25,000 on Growth and 100,000 on Professional.
- Reports
- Growth adds email, project and link reports; Professional adds team performance reporting and unlimited report customization.
ListBrew
- Listicle discovery
- Scans for listicles, comparisons and alternatives pages where competitors appear and you do not, with filters for domain authority, traffic and relevance.
- AI citation check
- Shows which pages are cited by AI engines. Solo covers Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT; Pro and Agency add Gemini and Perplexity.
- Google rank and domain data
- Each opportunity shows its Google ranking position, domain rank and domain traffic.
- Contact finder
- Search a site's editors, content managers and writers by job title through Hunter.io and Apollo data, or add contacts by hand.
- Mentions and links check
- Checks whether your brand is already mentioned or linked on a page, so only missing placements are shown.
Plans
BuzzStream
Starter$49
per month
1 user, 500 contacts, 30 prospecting searches, 50 Discovery results per search and 1,000 links monitored.
Growth$174
per month for up to 3 users, $58 per extra user
25,000 contacts, 250 searches, bulk sending, automated follow-ups, reports, the Ahrefs integration and 25,000 links monitored.
Professional$424
per month for up to 6 users, $70 per extra user
100,000 contacts, 1,000 searches, team performance reports, the API, a dedicated account manager and 100,000 links monitored.
Custom$999
per month and up
12 or more users, 300,000+ contacts and 4,000+ searches, with an implementation plan and onboarding for new team members.
ListBrew
Free$0
50 one-time credits with all AI engines, contact data and the mentions and links check.
Solo$49
per month for 100 credits, billed monthly
1 team member. Google results, Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT citations, contact data and CSV export.
Pro$99
per month for 300 credits, billed monthly
3 team members. Adds Gemini and Perplexity citations to everything in Solo.
Agency$199
per month for 700 credits, billed monthly
10 team members, with the same search engines and features as Pro.
Ways to pay less
BuzzStream
- Annual discount
One month free when paying 12 months ahead
BuzzStream's pricing FAQ says paying for 12 months in advance gives one month free, arranged by emailing customer service after signing up.
ListBrew
- Annual discount
Two months free with yearly billing
ListBrew's pricing page marks yearly billing as 2 months free compared with paying monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BuzzStream or ListBrew?
As of Oct 23, 2026, they start at the same price. BuzzStream starts at $49 per month, billed monthly, and ListBrew starts at $49 per month for 100 credits, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, BuzzStream or ListBrew?
As of Oct 23, 2026, neither BuzzStream nor ListBrew has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do BuzzStream and ListBrew run on?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only BuzzStream lists a browser extension. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.