MailboxValidator vs ZeroBounce (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ZeroBounce grades higher than MailboxValidator: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
MailboxValidator grades higher on value for money. ZeroBounce grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
MailboxValidator
Email validation by bulk list upload or API
ZeroBounce
Email list verification with warm-up and DMARC monitoring in one plan
Which one is for you
Pick MailboxValidator if
- Fits if you want an API check in a signup form and can start on 300 free queries a month
- Works for one-off list cleaning with a bulk pack
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, as API-FREE is 300 queries a month
- Watch out: bulk queries are valid for 30 days, so unused ones lapse
- Not for you if you need Yahoo addresses checked, as that isn't supported at the moment
- Watch out: bigger bulk packs list support replies of up to 72 hours
Pick ZeroBounce if
- Fits if you want list cleaning, warm-up and DMARC for one domain on one bill
- Works for developers who want an API with SDKs in 16 languages, or checks from an iPhone or iPad
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you only need a list cleaned, at about $129 for 10,000 checks
- Tight if you send from several domains, as ONE watches DMARC for just one
- Watch out: unused tests, monitors and warm-up seeds on ONE don't roll over, only verification credits do
- Watch out: the free 100 checks a month need a business email domain at sign-up
- Not for you if you're on Android or a desktop, as the only app is for iPhone and iPad
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMailboxValidatorFair | 2.4GPAZeroBounceFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$29.95 a month for 3,000 queries, or $19.95 for 1,000 bulk queries, around the category's $23 middle for far fewer checks. | DAbout $129 for a one-off pack of 10,000 checks, or $79 a month billed yearly on ONE for 10,000 credits a month with warm-up and DMARC included. Its listed rivals charge $39 to $70 for 10,000, so even ONE is the dearest way to check a list. |
| Free plan and trial | CAPI-FREE gives 300 queries a month, renewing, which a list will pass. Bulk has 100 free queries valid 30 days. | CA free plan: 100 checks a month that refill, plus one inbox test, one server test and one blacklist monitor. You need a business email to get it, and 100 checks won't clean a list. |
| Features | CBulk cleaning, an API, disposable and role detection and SDKs. But the plans page says Yahoo validation isn't supported at the moment. | BIt covers all three jobs: validation with spam-trap and abuse flags, AI scoring and an email finder, then on ONE, warm-up seeds, 100 inbox tests, blacklist monitors and DMARC reports. DMARC covers just one domain, though. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You upload lists or call the API. | BNo App Store rating on record. The core job needs nothing set up: upload a list and download it cleaned. There's an iPhone and iPad app for checking lists away from your desk, too. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb with Mailchimp, SendGrid, AWeber, Mailgun and ActiveCampaign links, plus SDK modules. | BWeb and an iOS app, an API with SDKs in 16 languages and an MCP server, plus Mailchimp and Zapier. No Android or desktop app. |
| Best for | email validation by list upload or API | list cleaning with warm-up and DMARC on one bill |
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: MailboxValidator and ZeroBounce. How we grade
Where they differ
- ZeroBounce also covers inbox warm-up and dMARC.
At a glance
| MailboxValidator | ZeroBounce | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $29.95 per month for 3,000 queries | $39 one-time for 2,000 verification credits |
| Free plan | API-FREE plan: 300 queries a month, auto-renewing. | Freemium: 100 verification credits a month for sign-ups with a business email domain, plus 1 inbox test, 1 server test, 1 blacklist monitor and 10 Email Finder searches. No warm-up or DMARC. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | MailboxValidator.com | ZeroBounce |
| Price read from | mailboxvalidator.com | zerobounce.net |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
MailboxValidator
- The plans page says Yahoo email validation is not supported at the moment.
- Bulk plan queries are valid for 30 days, so unused queries lapse.
- Higher-volume bulk packs have longer stated support response times, up to 72 hours.
- Larger bulk packs above 100,000 queries are listed up to 1,000,000.
ZeroBounce
- Warm-up and DMARC monitoring come only with ZeroBounce ONE, and it covers a single DMARC domain.
- Unused tests, monitors, searches and warm-up seeds on ONE do not roll over; only verification credits do.
- The FAQ says credits never expire with an active ONE subscription; otherwise expiry rules may apply depending on when they were bought.
- The free credits need a business or premium email domain at sign-up.
Key features
MailboxValidator
- Bulk list cleaning
- Buy a pack of queries with no setup fee or subscription and upload a list of emails to be validated.
- Email validation API
- Subscription API plans let a website or program check addresses on demand, with auto renewal and auto recharge.
- Disposable and role detection
- Separate validation pages cover disposable email, role email and domain checks alongside the main email check.
- SDK modules and extensions
- The site lists SDK modules and extensions for developers integrating the API.
- Listed integrations
- Integrations include Mailchimp, SendGrid, AWeber, Mailgun and ActiveCampaign, with a longer list on its integrations page.
ZeroBounce
- Email validation
- Checks lists by file upload or real-time API and flags invalid, catch-all, disposable, role-based, abuse and spam-trap addresses. Unknown results and duplicates are free.
- AI scoring
- An AI model scores each address for quality at one extra credit, which helps decide whether to send to catch-all and other uncertain addresses.
- Email Finder
- Finds a person's work address from a name and company domain, at 20 credits per successful search; unknown results cost nothing.
- Warm-up and placement tests
- ZeroBounce ONE includes warm-up through a seed network, inbox placement tests against 20+ providers and email server tests.
- Blacklist and DMARC monitoring
- Monitors IPs and domains on blacklists and gathers daily DMARC reports for one domain on the ONE plan.
- API, SDKs and iOS app
- A validation and scoring API with SDKs in 16 languages, an MCP server, and an iOS app for checking lists from an iPhone or iPad.
Plans
MailboxValidator
API-FREE$0
300 queries per month with standard support.
API-3$29.95
per month for 3,000 queries
Auto renewal and recharge with email support. Next steps: $69.95 for 15,000, $139.95 for 75,000, $339.95 for 375,000.
BULK-1$19.95
one-time for 1,000 queries, valid 30 days
Upload a list to clean. Larger packs: $59.95 for 10,000, $199.95 for 100,000 and $699.95 for 1,000,000.
BULK-TRIAL$0
100 free queries, valid for 30 days, for trying the bulk upload.
ZeroBounce
Freemium$0
100 verification credits that refill each month, one inbox placement test, one server test and one blacklist monitor.
Pay-As-You-Go$39
one-time for 2,000 credits
The minimum purchase. Per-credit rates fall with volume: about $129 for 10,000 ($0.0129 each) and $0.0032 each at 1 million.
ZeroBounce ONE$79
per month for 10,000 credits, billed annually ($99 monthly)
Credits roll over, plus 250 warm-up seeds, 100 inbox tests, 100 server tests, 10 blacklist monitors, 1 DMARC domain and 15% off extra credits.
EnterpriseCustom
Purchases or subscriptions of more than 1 million credits, with onboarding and training.
Ways to pay less
MailboxValidator
No public discounts listed.
ZeroBounce
- Annual discount
20% off ZeroBounce ONE billed annually
ZeroBounce ONE costs $79 a month when paid annually in one charge, against $99 billed monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MailboxValidator or ZeroBounce?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MailboxValidator starts at $29.95 per month for 3,000 queries, and ZeroBounce starts at $39 one-time for 2,000 verification credits.
Which has a free plan, MailboxValidator or ZeroBounce?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both MailboxValidator and ZeroBounce have a free plan.
Which platforms do MailboxValidator and ZeroBounce run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only ZeroBounce lists an iOS app. 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.