Proofy vs ZeroBounce (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Proofy and ZeroBounce share a 2.4 GPA, and only ZeroBounce has a free plan.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Proofy grades higher on value for money. ZeroBounce grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ZeroBounce
Email list verification with warm-up and DMARC monitoring in one plan
Which one is for you
Pick Proofy if
- Fits if you have one list to clean and want to pay about $5
- Works for developers who want an API and a sign-up widget
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you want to try it free, as only a single-address checker is free
- Watch out: larger packs and subscriptions showed no prices when the page was read
- Watch out: the vendor says verification does not guarantee delivery
- Watch out: there is no desktop or mobile app
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
| 2.4GPAProofyFair | 2.4GPAZeroBounceFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$5 for 5,000 credits, under the $8 middle for one-time prices in the category. The page shows no price for larger packs or subscriptions. | 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 | DNo free plan and no free trial. There is a free single-address checker, but a list costs the $5 pack. | 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 | BBulk verification, an API, a widget and webhooks, with risk and type detection. Catch-all servers can still return Risky or Unknown. | 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 a list or wire up the API, a few steps. | 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 dashboard and API, with a widget and webhooks. No integrations or apps are listed. | 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 | cheap email list checks by the credit | 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: Proofy and ZeroBounce. How we grade
Where they differ
- ZeroBounce also covers inbox warm-up and dMARC.
At a glance
| Proofy | ZeroBounce | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 one-time for 5,000 credits | $39 one-time for 2,000 verification credits |
| Free plan | None | 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 | Proofy | ZeroBounce |
| Price read from | proofy.io | zerobounce.net |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Proofy
- The only price shown on the pricing page is the $5 trial pack; larger packages and subscriptions are set with a volume selector that showed no prices when read.
- Catch-all and restricted mail servers can come back Risky or Unknown, and the vendor says verification does not guarantee delivery.
- Web dashboard and API only; there is no desktop or mobile app.
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
Proofy
- Bulk verification
- Upload a .txt or .csv file up to 65 MB; result columns are added to the original file and the data layout is kept.
- API, widget and webhooks
- Single, bulk and batch API endpoints plus a JavaScript widget and webhook support, documented at docs.proofy.io.
- Risk and type detection
- Flags disposable, catch-all, role-based and mailbox-full addresses and shows the mail provider behind each one.
- Free single checker
- A free checker takes one address at a time with no file upload.
- Credit rules
- One credit verifies one email; duplicates and unknown results are not charged, and credits never expire.
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
Proofy
Trial$5
one-time, for 5,000 credits used as you go
A starter pack for new users with no subscription. Credits never expire.
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
Proofy
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, Proofy or ZeroBounce?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Proofy starts at $5 one-time for 5,000 credits, and ZeroBounce starts at $39 one-time for 2,000 verification credits.
Which has a free plan, Proofy or ZeroBounce?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only ZeroBounce has a free plan. Proofy does not.
Which platforms do Proofy and ZeroBounce run on?
As of Nov 12, 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.