Hunter vs Smartlead

Two Outbound tools side by side: what each does, what it costs and who it suits.

The verdict Side by side Plans and pricing Who each is for Other options

The verdict

On the data we hold, Hunter comes out ahead. Here is why, point by point.

What the data says

Both cover 4 of the 4 features we compared.
Only Hunter has a free plan to start on.
Both have an API and an MCP server, so either works with AI employees.
In our Outbound ranking, Hunter places 8 and Smartlead 5 of 33.

Side by side

Hunter and Smartlead compared
8 points compared	Hunter	Smartlead
Starts at	€34/mo	$32/mo
Free plan	Yes	No
API	Yes	Yes
MCP server	Yes	Yes
Built-in email warmup	Yes	Yes
Built-in lead database	Yes	Yes
Built-in outreach (sequences/dialer)	Yes	Yes
Buyer intent data	Yes	Yes
Links	Visit	Visit

Plans and pricing

Hunter

Free50 credits per month, 1 connected email account and 500 recipients per sequence; unlimited team members.Free
Starter2,000 credits per month, 3 email accounts, auto-verification, lead enrichment and the AI Writing Assistant; unlimited team members.€49/mo
Growth10,000 credits per month and 10 connected email accounts; adds weekly new opportunities and priority support.€149/mo
Scale25,000 credits per month, 20 email accounts and an account manager.€299/mo

Smartlead

Base2,000 contacts, 6,000 email sends and 2,000 verified emails per month; $39 monthly or $32 per month billed yearly.$39/mo
Pro30,000 contacts, 90,000 email sends and 30,000 verified emails per month; $94 monthly or $78 per month billed yearly.$94/mo
SmartUnlimited contacts, 150,000 sends and 50,000 verified emails per month; $174 monthly or $144 per month billed yearly.$174/mo
PrimeUnlimited contacts, 500,000 sends and 170,000 verified emails per month; $379 monthly or $315 per month billed yearly.$379/mo

Prices as the vendors list them. They change often; the final price is on their sites.

Who each is for

Choose Hunter if…

Small outbound teams, founders and agencies that build prospect lists by hand and need verified email addresses plus a simple way to send cold email sequences.

Visit Read the review

Choose Smartlead if…

Sales teams, SDRs and agencies running cold email outreach at volume who need many mailboxes, automated warm-up, lead verification and one inbox for all replies.

Visit Read the review

Other options worth a look

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Instantly
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Reply.io
Automates outreach across email, LinkedIn, calls and SMS to coordinate your sales prospecting in one place.
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Warmup Inbox
Builds sender reputation for new email accounts by warming them through a network of real inboxes.
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From $15/mo
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Dealfront
Identifies website visitors by company and provides EU-based B2B contact data with buyer intent signals.
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From €79/mo yearlyFree planAffiliate link
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