Octoparse vs PhantomBuster (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Octoparse if

• Fits if you want web data such as business listings without writing code
• Works for teams that want scheduled scrapers without running servers

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you stay on Basic, because custom tasks run on your own computer
• Watch out: proxies, CAPTCHA solving, the AI assistant and pay-per-result templates draw on credits that reset each month
• Pricey if you want the cloud, which starts at $69 a month billed annually ($83 monthly)
• Skip it if you want ready contact data, as it scrapes pages and does not supply emails itself

Pick PhantomBuster if

• Fits if your leads come from LinkedIn and Sales Navigator searches
• Works for HubSpot users who want LinkedIn leads synced both ways, without writing code

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if lots of lookups come back empty, as each attempt uses an email credit and credits reset monthly
• Not for you if you use Salesforce or Pipedrive and want two-way sync, and Salesforce needs its Enterprise edition
• Skip it if you just need the odd email, as it's built for repeat workflows
• Tight if you're staying free or on the trial, as exports and API output stop at 10 rows
• Watch out: these prices come from its July 2026 pricing guide, as its pricing page couldn't be read

Octoparse

• Proxies, CAPTCHA solving, AI Assistant and pay-per-result templates draw on credits; unused monthly credits reset.
• Custom tasks run on your own computer unless you are on Standard or above.
• Basic is monthly only; annual billing starts at Standard.
• Refunds: 5-day money-back on paid plans, not on Basic after 1,000 rows scraped or after a free trial.

PhantomBuster

• Prices come from PhantomBuster's July 2026 pricing guide on its own site; its pricing page could not be read when checked.
• An email credit is used for every lookup attempt, even when no email is found, and credits reset monthly without rolling over.
• The Free plan and the trial cap exports and API output at 10 rows.
• The Salesforce and Pipedrive connections are one-way, and Salesforce needs its Enterprise edition or above.

Octoparse

Template library

Ready-to-run scrapers for sites such as Google Maps, Amazon, X and TikTok, some priced per result.

AI Assistant

Describe the data you need and it builds the scraping task, paid from credits after a free start.

Desktop task builder

A Windows and Mac app with auto-detect and drag-and-drop; tasks run on your computer and do not count toward monthly rows.

Cloud runs

From Standard, tasks run on Octoparse Cloud with scheduling and automatic IP rotation.

API and MCP

Templates and search APIs are reachable by REST API and MCP; unlimited use starts on Standard.

PhantomBuster

Phantoms

Ready-made automations that collect data from LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Facebook, X and Instagram, such as exporting the people in a search.

Multi-step workflows

Chain steps that collect leads, filter them, find emails, qualify them with AI and send them on, all in one shared workspace.

Email discovery

A built-in email finder, run on BetterContact's waterfall enrichment, or a connected Hunter, Snov.io or Dropcontact account using its own API key.

Chrome extension

Shows emails, phone numbers and company details on a LinkedIn profile when clicked, and saves the lead to PhantomBuster or HubSpot.

HubSpot sync

A two-way HubSpot connection that sends leads, enriches contacts, finds their LinkedIn profiles and tracks job changes.

Zapier, Make and API

Launch automations and fetch their results from Zapier, Make, Google Sheets or the API, or send leads to lemlist for outreach.

Octoparse

• Free$0

  2,000 rows a month for templates and AI tasks, 10 saved tasks, community support.

• Basic$19

  per month, billed monthly only

  10,000 rows a month, 20 saved tasks, 3x faster local runs and $1 in monthly credits.

• Standard$69

  per month, billed annually ($83 billed monthly)

  Cloud runs, scheduling, 3 or 6 concurrent tasks, 100 saved tasks and unlimited API and MCP use.

• Professional$249

  per month, billed annually ($299 billed monthly)

  20 concurrent cloud tasks, 250 saved tasks, Drive, Dropbox and S3 export, priority support.

• EnterpriseCustom

  40+ concurrent runs, sub-accounts and a success manager; sold through sales.

PhantomBuster

• Free$0

  30 minutes of running time a month, 1 slot and 50 MB of storage; exports and API output limited to 10 rows.

• Start$56

  per month, billed annually ($69 billed monthly)

  20 run hours, 5 automation slots, 500 email credits, 10,000 AI credits and 1,000 URL Finder credits a month.

• Grow$128

  per month, billed annually ($159 billed monthly)

  80 run hours, 15 automation slots, 2,500 email credits, 30,000 AI credits and 10,000 URL Finder credits a month.

• Scale$352

  per month, billed annually ($439 billed monthly)

  300 run hours, 50 automation slots, 10,000 email credits, 90,000 AI credits and 20,000 URL Finder credits a month.

Octoparse

• Annual discount

  Save 16% with annual billing

  The pricing page says annual billing saves 16% against monthly on Standard and Professional.

• Startups

  30% startup discount for a year

  Startups can apply for a special 30% discount on Octoparse for one year.

• Education

  Student and educator discount

  Universities can apply through a student and educators application for a discounted subscription.

PhantomBuster

• Annual discount

  About 20% off with yearly billing

  PhantomBuster's pricing guide gives Start at $56 a month billed yearly against $69 monthly, Grow at $128 against $159 and Scale at $352 against $439.