Best Instantly.ai Alternatives for 2025

So I’ve used Instantly.ai for cold email outreach for a while. It’s solid for automation and inbox rotation, but let’s be real—it’s not a full-on B2B Lead Generation Tool. If you’re looking for actual Business Leads, you’ll need more firepower. I went down the rabbit hole testing the best Lead Generation Companies and here’s what actually worked for me.

1. ZoomInfo – Beast Mode Data, But Pricey

How it works:

ZoomInfo is like the godfather of B2B Leads Database Providers. It scrapes deep info—contacts, company intel, org charts, intent data, you name it.

Features I liked:

• Ridiculously huge database

• Real-time data enrichment

• Intent signals + technographics

• Seamless CRM integrations

What sucked:

• Insanely expensive (think 5-figure annual deals)

• Clunky UI in spots

• Contracts feel like you’re signing your soul away

Price:

Enterprise-only pricing. You’ll need to talk to sales—brace yourself.

Verdict:

Great if you’ve got budget and need ultra-rich lead gen data. Total overkill for small teams though.

2. RocketReach – Sleek, Fast, and Surprisingly Accurate

How it works:

You enter a name/company → it finds verified emails, numbers, socials. Easy.

What I liked:

• Super clean UI

• Great Chrome extension for LinkedIn

• High email accuracy

What’s mid:

• Lacks advanced filters

• Not ideal for bulk outreach

• Limited CRM integrations

Price:

Starts around $39/month. Pro plan gets pricey fast.

Verdict:

Good for fast, verified contact pulls. Best for SDRs doing 1:1 prospecting.

3. Kaspr – Built for LinkedIn Hustlers

How it works:

Kaspr lives in your browser—scrapes contact data right off LinkedIn profiles.

Pros:

• Real-time email & phone number reveals

• Killer automation for lead capture

• Direct CRM sync (HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.)

Cons:

• Only shines if you’re big on LinkedIn

• Smaller database than others

• Email quality is hit or miss

Price:

Starts at €49/month. Scales up with usage.

Verdict:

Perfect if your lead gen strategy is LinkedIn-first. Wouldn’t rely on it alone though.

4. LeadIQ – Best for Teams That Prospect All Day

How it works:

LeadIQ helps your reps prospect faster—auto-captures contacts from LinkedIn + enriches them.

Standouts:

• Built for sales teams

• Cool AI-driven features

• Real-time deduplication

• Super smooth Salesforce + Outreach sync

Meh points:

• Lower volume of leads vs. Apollo

• Need the Enterprise plan to unlock full features

Price:

Starts at ~$75/user/month. Gets spendy for full team rollouts.

Verdict:

Awesome for B2B sales teams doing high-volume prospecting. Not as strong for solo operators.

5. Apollo.io – My Go-To All-Rounder

How it works:

This is what I’ve personally been using instead of Instantly.ai. Apollo gives you a B2B leads database, outreach platform, CRM-lite features—all in one.

What rocks:

• 275M+ contacts & 60M+ companies

• Built-in email + dialer + sequences

• Powerful filters (job changes, tech stack, revenue, etc.)

• Freemium plan is actually usable

What could be better:

• Phone data isn’t always spot on

• UI can lag under big loads

• Support is slow sometimes

Price:

Free plan available. Paid starts at $49/month. Honestly a steal for what you get.

Verdict:

If you want one tool to find leads, enrich them, and email them—this is it. Easily the best Instantly.ai alternative IMO.

6. SalesIntel – Verified B2B Leads, But UI Needs Work

How it works:

SalesIntel focuses on human-verified B2B contact data. Tons of US-based leads, plus intent signals from Bombora.

What I liked:

• 95%+ accurate data (seriously)

• Buyer intent + firmographics

• Fast enrichment for existing lists

• Chrome extension is decent

What I didn’t like:

• Outdated UI

• Pricing is hidden behind a sales call

• Lacks self-serve flexibility

Price:

Custom quotes only. Expect mid-to-high tier pricing.

Verdict:

Super accurate but feels more “sales org” than startup-friendly.

7. LeadSwift – Feels Like a Scraper With Superpowers

How it works:

LeadSwift pulls business leads based on niche, location, etc. Geared toward local B2B and agency lead gen.

Pros:

• Easy niche targeting (lawyers in Texas, etc.)

• Includes Google Maps data

• Great for local lead scraping

Cons:

• UI is meh

• Not as rich as bigger databases

• No outreach or CRM integrations

Price:

Starts around $49/month. Fair for what it offers.

Verdict:

If you run lead gen for local biz clients—this slaps. Otherwise, meh.

8. LeadScrape – Old-School But Still Kinda Useful

How it works:

Install software → enter criteria → it scrapes leads with emails/phones/websites.

What’s cool:

• One-time license (no recurring sub)

• You own the data

• Works offline

What’s not:

• Outdated interface

• No real-time verification

• Sketchy email quality sometimes

Price:

One-time fee starting ~$197.

Verdict:

Useful for raw scraping. Not ideal for polished outreach workflows.

9. Skrapp – Budget-Friendly Email Finder

How it works:

Drop in a LinkedIn profile or company name—it pulls emails.

Why I like it:

• Dead simple

• Fast email finder

• Chrome extension is slick

Weaknesses:

• Small database

• No bulk enrichment

• No CRM or sequence tools

Price:

Free tier, then ~$39/month.

Verdict:

Handy little tool for freelancers. But it’s not a full lead gen platform.

10. Snov.io – Outreach + Lead Gen in One Place

How it works:

Snov.io gives you email finding, sequences, CRM, and drip campaigns in one dashboard.

Highlights:

• Cold email automations built-in

• Decent email verifier

• Email discovery by domain or job title

• Affordable all-in-one

Lowlights:

• Data not as deep as Apollo

• UI feels cramped

• Some bounce issues

Price:

Free plan available. Paid starts at $39/month.

Verdict:

Solid combo of lead generation + outreach for budget-conscious teams.

11. GetProspect – Clean, Straightforward Email Finder

How it works:

You input job titles/companies → GetProspect returns verified emails with export options.

Pros:

• Super intuitive

• Integrates with HubSpot, Zapier, etc.

• Great for small prospecting lists

Cons:

• Limited filtering

• No built-in outreach

• Database isn’t that deep

Price:

Free plan, then ~$49/month.

Verdict:

Simple, clean, does what it says. Great for solo SDRs or marketers.

12. TaskDrive – Done-for-You Lead Research

How it works:

You tell them what kind of leads you want—TaskDrive’s VA team finds them for you.

What I liked:

• No software to learn

• Laser-focused targeting

• Can build custom prospecting workflows

What’s meh:

• Turnaround time isn’t instant

• You rely on a team, not a platform

• Quality varies by task complexity

Price:

Starts around $499/month.

Verdict:

Best if you’ve got budget and don’t want to DIY lead research.

13. LeadFuze – Smart Lead Lists on Autopilot

How it works:

You set filters → LeadFuze auto-builds lists and deduplicates with your CRM.

What rocks:

• AI assistant “Fuzebot” builds leads 24/7

• Great integrations

• Decent intent filters

• Built-in email finder

What’s not great:

• Smaller database than Apollo/ZoomInfo

• Can’t verify all emails

• Interface is a bit dated

Price:

Starts at $147/month.

Verdict:

Good for agencies & scaling sales teams that want auto-pilot lead gen.

14. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) – Email First, Leads Second

How it works:

Brevo is really an email marketing tool—but has basic CRM and lead capture features baked in.

Upsides:

• Email automation is slick

• Built-in forms and landing pages

• SMS + WhatsApp channels too

Downsides:

• No true lead database

• Not for prospecting

• CRM is lightweight at best

Price:

Free plan. Paid starts at $25/month.

Verdict:

Not a lead gen tool. Use it after you get leads.

15. Leadzai – AI-Powered Ad + Lead Funnel Builder

How it works:

Leadzai automates ad campaigns (Google/Facebook) and funnels incoming leads to you.

Pros:

• Super hands-off

• AI optimizes ad spend + copy

• Great for lead capture via paid traffic

Cons:

• No cold outreach

• Expensive for small teams

• Works best in specific industries

Price:

Contact for pricing. Often custom.

Verdict:

Not a lead database—this is ad-based lead capture. Smart, but very niche.

16. 6sense – Intent + ABM Powerhouse

How it works:

6sense tracks buyer intent across web traffic, ads, email, etc. Perfect for account-based marketing (ABM).

Love this:

• Super rich intent data

• AI segments your ideal buyer

• Powerful for enterprise ABM plays

Didn’t love:

• Needs a skilled team to run

• Pricey

• Setup takes time

Price:

Enterprise pricing only.

Verdict:

Overkill for small teams. Brilliant for big ABM-focused orgs.

17. Leadfeeder – Turns Visitors Into Leads

How it works:

It identifies companies visiting your site—even if they don’t convert. It’s reverse IP tracking magic.

Why it’s cool:

• Great for intent-based follow-up

• Integrates with CRMs

• See what pages they looked at

Weak bits:

• Only works if you’ve got website traffic

• Doesn’t give contact names

• Email data not included

Price:

Free version. Paid starts at $139/month.

Verdict:

Awesome intent data tool for warm leads. Not a lead source—more of a follow-up booster.

18. UpLead – Clean, Accurate, and Super Easy

How it works:

You search by filters → UpLead gives you real-time verified contacts.

Why I like it:

• 95%+ accuracy claims hold up

• Super easy to use

• Built-in email verifier

• Decent technographics

Downsides:

• Smaller database than Apollo

• Not ideal for bulk scraping

• Limited enrichment depth

Price:

Starts at $74/month. No setup fees, no BS.

Verdict:

Great if you want quality over quantity. Perfect for small to mid-sized sales teams.

19. Lead411 – Intent-Driven Lead Gen on Steroids

How it works:

Lead411 mixes contact data with buyer intent and trigger events (job changes, funding, etc.).

Standouts:

• Tons of filter options

• Intent + sales triggers

• Local lead targeting

Meh:

• UI feels clunky

• Overwhelming at first

• Some duplicates pop up

Price:

Starts around $99/month.

Verdict:

If you love sales triggers + real-time intent, this one delivers solid business leads fast.

20. Overloop – CRM Meets Cold Outreach

How it works:

You get a built-in CRM, email finder, and cold outreach sequencer—similar to Snov.io or Lemlist.

Pros:

• Super clean UX

• Multichannel sequences (email + LinkedIn)

• Good team collaboration

Cons:

• Smaller lead database

• Basic enrichment only

• Not a strong solo data tool

Price:

Starts at $99/month.

Verdict:

Solid combo if you’re looking for outreach + workflow—not for scraping leads.

21. Hunter.io – The OG Email Finder

How it works:

Drop in a domain or name—Hunter finds associated emails using public data.

What’s good:

• Domain search is gold

• Email pattern finder

• Free Chrome extension

What’s weak:

• No direct phone data

• No intent or firmographic filters

• Not built for scale

Price:

Free plan, paid from $49/month.

Verdict:

Great for freelancers, bloggers, recruiters. Not a full lead generation solution.

22. Coldlytics – Cold Data, Custom-Built

How it works:

You describe your ICP → Coldlytics builds a hand-researched lead list in 24–48 hours.

What I liked:

• High accuracy

• Humans build your list

• Zero effort on your part

Didn’t love:

• No instant results

• Higher cost per lead

• Limited if you need scale

Price:

Pay-per-lead or monthly plans from ~$199.

Verdict:

Awesome for ultra-targeted B2B leads. Not ideal if you need thousands of records fast.

23. Seamless.ai – Lead Finder With Sales Fluff

How it works:

You run searches inside the Seamless UI → it scrapes contact info, validates emails, and gives company data.

The good:

• Free forever plan

• Large US database

• Chrome extension + integrations

The not-so-good:

• Aggressive upsells

• Email quality is hit or miss

• UI overload

Price:

Free to start. Paid plans get pricey quick (~$147+/month).

Verdict:

Decent for hustlers who don’t mind digging, but kinda chaotic UX-wise.

24. LeadsGorilla – Local Lead Gen for Agencies

How it works:

LeadsGorilla scrapes local business listings (GMB, Facebook, etc.) and identifies weak spots—like missing websites or SEO issues.

Cool stuff:

• Local SEO scoring

• Easy export

• Designed for agency pitches

Lame stuff:

• Feels a bit outdated

• No CRM features

• Only local biz leads

Price:

One-time fee or lifetime deal (varies).

Verdict:

If you sell marketing services to local businesses—this is 🔥. Otherwise, skip.

25. Lusha – Clean, Fast, and LinkedIn-Ready

How it works:

Lusha sits in your browser—pulls contact info straight off LinkedIn or company sites.

Pros:

• Very accurate contact data

• Fast lookup

• Built-in CRM syncing

Cons:

• Limited if you’re not on LinkedIn

• Doesn’t scale well for massive campaigns

• Expensive for bulk users

Price:

Free plan available. Paid starts at $39/month.

Verdict:

Perfect for B2B reps who live on LinkedIn. Not ideal for scraping big lists.

26. Clay – Automate Literally Everything

How it works:

Clay connects to 50+ data sources, scrapes, enriches, and automates workflows across CRMs, spreadsheets, APIs—you name it.

Pros:

• Ridiculously powerful

• Can combine 5+ tools into one flow

• Scrapes LinkedIn, Google Maps, Apollo, etc.

Cons:

• Learning curve is steep

• Not beginner-friendly

• Priced for pros

Price:

Starts at $149/month.

Verdict:

Best for advanced users who want total control over lead generation workflows.

27. Datanyze – Chrome-Based Simplicity

How it works:

Point, click, grab. Datanyze pulls contact data from websites and LinkedIn via Chrome extension.

What’s great:

• Lightweight

• Quick and simple

• Focused on tech data

Weak spots:

• Limited filters

• Weak outreach options

• No large-scale prospecting

Price:

Free trial, paid starts at $55/month.

Verdict:

Nice for quick lead grabs. Not your main B2B lead gen platform.

28. Dun & Bradstreet (dnb.co.uk) – The Big Dog of Business Data

How it works:

D&B delivers deep firmographic data, financials, and contact info across millions of companies worldwide.

Strengths:

• Global database

• Deep insights beyond just contact info

• Enterprise-grade risk + intent signals

Weaknesses:

• Expensive as hell

• Totally enterprise-focused

• Overkill for small teams

Price:

Custom quotes only. Think $$$$.

Verdict:

If you’re selling to Fortune 500s or need credit/risk data, D&B is a beast. Otherwise, pass.