PhantomBuster alternative
Data, not account automation. Clean JSON, one charge per success.
One request, real response
Ask for local businesses and each lead comes back as clean JSON from the API. The same rows are available as CSV that drop straight into Sheets or a CRM, like this:
Change type to pull a different Google surface, and page with num for more results.
What data do you get?
Every result comes complete, so you build a list or a dataset with no second call. Here is the same example record as CSV, for Sheets or a database:
Or the same record as the clean JSON the API returns:
vs PhantomBuster
PhantomBuster automates actions on your own connected accounts. CrustAPI returns public data as an API and never logs in as you.
| PhantomBuster | CrustAPI | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing model | Monthly subscription, measured by execution time and plan tier | Google Search starts at $1.00 per 1,000 successful requests, Maps at $1.96 per 1,000 businesses, LinkedIn reads at $6.00 per 1,000 successful requests, and People, Jobs and Refresh at $1.96 per 1,000 billing units. Full profiles in People use the LinkedIn read rate per full profile. Each deposit saves its own prices until spent. Every eligible account gets $6 of free usage monthly; paid funds never expire. |
| Free tier | Time-limited free trial | Free to try, no card, refreshed monthly |
| Balance expiry | Allowance tied to your monthly plan | Paid funds never expire |
| Account login | Runs through your own connected LinkedIn or social account | No login. Public, logged-out data only |
| What it returns | Social automation output tied to each run | The whole Google menu, Search, Maps, News, Shopping, Images, Videos, Scholar, Patents, Places, Reviews, Autocomplete, and Webpage, as one clean JSON schema, plus LinkedIn profiles and local business leads. Take it as clean JSON from the API, or the same rows as CSV |
| Owning the data | Export from each run | No storage limits. Keep it, export it, build on it |
When PhantomBuster is the better pick: you need to act, not only read. PhantomBuster sends connection requests, auto-messages, and multi-step outreach sequences on the accounts you connect, and can reach fields that only show when logged in. CrustAPI returns public data as clean JSON and never touches your accounts. If you need the outreach automation, keep PhantomBuster for that job.
How much does CrustAPI cost?
You pay the applicable price per successful call. Maps bills per business returned; other Google endpoints bill per successful request. Empty and failed requests are free.
| Deposit | Google Search / 1,000 requests | Maps / 1,000 businesses | LinkedIn reads / 1,000 requests | People, Jobs, Refresh / 1,000 units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10+ | $1.00 | $1.96 | $6.00 | $1.96 |
| $149+ | $0.76 | $1.49 | $4.50 | $1.49 |
| $549+ | $0.56 | $1.10 | $3.30 | $1.10 |
| $1,999+ | $0.41 | $0.80 | $2.45 | $0.80 |
| $6,500+ | $0.33 | $0.65 | $1.95 | $0.65 |
| $27,500+ | $0.28 | $0.55 | $1.65 | $0.55 |
| $50,000+ | $0.26 | $0.50 | $1.50 | $0.50 |
| $100,000+ | $0.20 | $0.40 | $1.50 | $0.40 |
Every eligible account gets $6 of free usage monthly. Each deposit keeps its prices until spent; paid funds never expire. People and Jobs bill per successful search, Refresh per accessible profile. Full profiles in People use the read rate per full profile. See all billing details.
Larger deposits unlock lower endpoint prices. Each deposit keeps its prices until spent. See the full deposit table on the pricing page. Prices in USD, ex-tax.
Everything is prepaid and self-serve, and paid funds never expire. LinkedIn profile calls bill the applicable endpoint price for successful data too. There is no monthly seat and nothing to cancel.
How do you get started?
No account to connect. From zero to a lead list in about two minutes:
- 1
Create a free account. Try it free, no card needed.
- 2
Type a search in the playground. Something like marketing agencies in Austin. The leads land in a table.
- 3
Export the CSV, or copy your key and run the curl above. Same data, as JSON.
What CrustAPI covers
Pay only for results at the applicable endpoint rate. Google Search bills per successful request and Maps per business returned. LinkedIn reads bill per successful request, People and Jobs per successful search, Refresh per accessible profile, and enriched People per full profile. Empty and failed requests are free. The pricing page lists every rate. type parameter to move between them, no new integration each time.
Who switches from PhantomBuster?
- Lead gen teams. Build lead lists from Maps with phone and website, with no account connected.
- Sales and outreach teams. Get the data half without putting their own LinkedIn accounts at risk.
- Ops and no-code builders. Feed Clay, n8n, or Sheets from one API instead of babysitting automation runs.
- Developers. One GET request and one schema across every surface, with no sessions to manage.
Related: Google Maps scraper API · Google Search API · Google News API · LinkedIn profile scraper · Business leads database · Docs
Common questions
Not exactly. PhantomBuster automates actions on the accounts you connect, like connection requests and messages. CrustAPI is a data API: it returns public web, maps, and lead data as clean JSON and never logs into or acts on your accounts. If you only need the data, it replaces the scraping half; if you need the outreach automation, keep PhantomBuster for that part.
No. It reads only public, logged-out pages, so there is no account to connect and no risk to your profile. PhantomBuster runs through your own logged-in session, which is what lets it act on your behalf.
The whole Google menu, Search, Maps, News, Shopping, Images, Videos, Scholar, Patents, Places, Reviews, Autocomplete, and Webpage, all as one clean JSON schema, plus LinkedIn profiles. Local business leads come straight from the Maps results, and you can pull the same rows as CSV.
Google Search starts at $1.00 per 1,000 successful requests, Maps at $1.96 per 1,000 businesses, LinkedIn reads at $6.00 per 1,000 successful requests, and People, Jobs and Refresh at $1.96 per 1,000 billing units. Full profiles in People use the LinkedIn read rate per full profile. Each deposit saves its own prices until spent. Every eligible account gets $6 of free usage monthly; paid funds never expire.
Yes, a free plan with no credit card, and they refresh monthly. Paid funds you buy on top never expire, so an unused pack waits for your next project.
Yes. The API returns clean JSON, and the CSV view drops the same rows straight into Sheets, Clay, or a database with no transformation. There are no storage limits, so you keep what you pull.
Clay
Try it on a search you actually run
The free plan covers a real batch of leads. Run one search and look at the JSON that comes back.
Try for free