Most lead generation platforms cost $2,000-$10,000 monthly for data enrichment and contact finding. The right lead generation API delivers verified emails, phone numbers, and company data for a fraction of that cost.
Problem is, most lead generation APIs are expensive, unreliable, or produce low-quality data. The ones that actually work provide accurate contact information, not just generic company details. They integrate seamlessly with your CRM, not require weeks of custom development. They start under $100/month, so you can skip the enterprise sales calls and lengthy procurement processes.
We tested 12 lead generation APIs over 3 months. Most were either too expensive for small teams, returned outdated contact information, or required complex technical setup. The 10 APIs on this list deliver verified contact data, integrate with popular tools, and provide transparent pricing better than the rest.
Quick Comparison
Compare the top 10 lead generation APIs at a glance
| Rank | API | Price/mo | Data Quality | Ease of Use | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | LinkFinder AI | $29 | 95%+ Accuracy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4.9/5 |
| #2 | Apollo.io API | $49 | 90% Accuracy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4.6/5 |
| #3 | Hunter.io API | $49 | 92% Accuracy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4.7/5 |
| #4 | Clearbit API | $99 | 88% Accuracy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4.5/5 |
| #5 | ZoomInfo API | Custom | 93% Accuracy | ⭐⭐⭐ | 4.4/5 |
| #6 | Lusha API | $39 | 85% Accuracy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4.3/5 |
| #7 | UpLead API | $99 | 95% Accuracy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4.6/5 |
| #8 | Snov.io API | $39 | 87% Accuracy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4.2/5 |
| #9 | LeadIQ API | $75 | 90% Accuracy | ⭐⭐⭐ | 4.3/5 |
| #10 | RocketReach API | $53 | 89% Accuracy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4.4/5 |
LinkFinder AI
The Safest LinkedIn Data API - Zero Ban Risk
If you're deciding between us and other lead generation APIs, we'll cut to the chase...
"With LinkFinder AI, I don't worry about my LinkedIn account getting banned anymore." Ahem 👀
This is not self-praise. These are the words of customers who made the switch from traditional LinkedIn scraping APIs and expensive data enrichment platforms. LinkFinder AI stands out as the safest option in the market because it uses its own private network instead of your LinkedIn account. This means you can extract LinkedIn data and find verified email addresses without risking account restrictions or bans.
Unlike traditional APIs that operate through your personal LinkedIn profile or require complex OAuth integrations, LinkFinder AI provides enterprise-grade data extraction with consumer-friendly pricing. You don't even need a LinkedIn account to use our service, making it the perfect solution for businesses that need reliable, consistent lead data without the constant fear of account suspension or API rate limits.
Key Features
- Zero ban risk - We use our own private network, not your LinkedIn account
- RESTful API - Simple JSON responses, full documentation, and code examples in 6+ languages
- 95%+ email accuracy - Industry-leading verification and data quality
- Bulk processing - Process thousands of records via CSV upload or API batching
- Real-time enrichment - Enrich leads on-the-fly as they enter your CRM
- Transparent pricing - Pay per record with volume discounts, no hidden fees or minimum commitments
Starting at $29/month – includes 10,000 records with simple, transparent pricing and no hidden fees.
✓ Pros
- Completely safe - no LinkedIn account needed
- Simple REST API with excellent documentation
- Best-in-class email finding accuracy (95%+)
- Simple, predictable pricing with volume discounts
- No technical complexity or OAuth setup required
- Bulk CSV processing for large datasets
✗ Cons
- Focused on LinkedIn data (not multi-source enrichment)
- No free tier (though trial credits available)
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Apollo.io API
All-in-One Sales Intelligence Platform
Apollo.io offers a comprehensive API that combines lead database access, email finding, and sales engagement features in one platform. With over 275 million contacts and 73 million companies in their database, Apollo provides extensive coverage for B2B prospecting.
The Apollo API is particularly strong for teams that want to combine data enrichment with outbound engagement. You can search their database, enrich leads with contact information, and trigger email sequences all through API calls. Their data includes verified emails, direct dials, and detailed firmographic information.
Key Features
- Massive database - Access 275M+ contacts and 73M+ companies
- Advanced search filters - Filter by job title, company size, technology used, and 65+ other criteria
- Email sequences - Trigger automated outreach campaigns via API
- Intent data - Identify companies actively researching solutions
- Chrome extension - Enrich leads while browsing LinkedIn or company websites
- CRM integrations - Native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and others
Starting at $49/month – Basic plan includes 600 credits annually (about 50/month), which can feel limited for high-volume users.
✓ Pros
- Enormous contact database with broad coverage
- Combines data enrichment with sales engagement
- Advanced filtering and search capabilities
- Well-documented API with good developer resources
✗ Cons
- Credit system can be confusing and limiting
- Data accuracy varies (around 90% for emails)
- Learning curve for full feature set
- Higher tier pricing gets expensive quickly
Hunter.io API
Email Finding and Verification Specialist
Hunter.io has built its reputation on one thing: finding and verifying professional email addresses. Their API is clean, well-documented, and specifically designed for email discovery across domains and individual contacts.
What makes Hunter particularly useful is their domain search capability. Give them a company domain, and they'll return all the email addresses they've found associated with that domain, along with the sources where they discovered them. They also offer pattern detection, so even if they haven't found someone's exact email, they can predict the format with high confidence.
Key Features
- Domain search - Find all email addresses associated with a company domain
- Email finder - Locate specific people's email addresses by name and domain
- Email verification - Validate deliverability before sending
- Pattern detection - Identify company email naming conventions
- Author finder - Extract author emails from blog posts and articles
- Confidence scores - Clear indicators of email accuracy likelihood
Starting at $49/month – Includes 1,000 searches plus 2,000 verifications. Free plan available with 25 searches monthly.
✓ Pros
- Excellent email finding accuracy (92%+)
- Clean, simple API that's easy to implement
- Transparent data sources and confidence scoring
- Generous free tier for testing
- Fast response times and reliable uptime
✗ Cons
- Email-focused only (no phone numbers or social profiles)
- Limited firmographic data beyond email addresses
- Doesn't include its own contact database
- Credits expire monthly (no rollover)
Clearbit API
Real-Time Company and Person Enrichment
Clearbit specializes in real-time data enrichment, providing detailed company and person information the moment someone visits your website or fills out a form. Their API is particularly popular with marketing automation platforms and SaaS companies that need to qualify leads instantly.
The Clearbit Enrichment API can take just an email address or domain and return extensive information including company size, industry, technology stack, social profiles, job title, and more. Their Reveal API can even identify anonymous website visitors by their IP address, turning raw traffic into actionable lead data.
Key Features
- Real-time enrichment - Enrich leads instantly as they interact with your site
- Person enrichment - Get job title, social profiles, location, and employment history
- Company enrichment - Access firmographics, technographics, and funding data
- Reveal API - Identify anonymous website visitors by IP address
- Prospector API - Search for people matching specific criteria
- Logo API - Fetch high-quality company logos automatically
Starting at $99/month – Includes 2,500 enrichments. Enterprise pricing required for higher volumes.
✓ Pros
- Excellent real-time enrichment capabilities
- Deep data coverage for both people and companies
- Reliable API with strong uptime
- Great for qualifying inbound leads automatically
✗ Cons
- More expensive than alternatives
- Data accuracy around 88% (lower than competitors)
- Limited coverage outside North America
- Complex pricing tiers for different API endpoints
ZoomInfo API
Enterprise B2B Intelligence Platform
ZoomInfo is the heavyweight in the B2B data space, offering one of the most comprehensive business contact databases available. Their API provides access to detailed company information, verified contact data, and buying intent signals for millions of businesses.
What sets ZoomInfo apart is their data depth and accuracy. They maintain records on 65+ million companies and over 200 million business professionals, with dedicated teams constantly updating and verifying information. Their intent data feature identifies companies actively researching solutions, helping sales teams prioritize outreach.
Key Features
- Massive B2B database - 65M+ companies and 200M+ professionals
- Intent data - Identify companies researching solutions based on digital behavior
- Technographic data - Detailed technology stack information for targeting
- Organizational charts - See reporting structures and decision-maker hierarchies
- Direct dials - Access to verified phone numbers, including mobile
- Scoops - Real-time company news and trigger events for timely outreach
Custom pricing only – Requires sales call. Expect $15,000-$40,000+ annually depending on seats and data access.
✓ Pros
- Highest data quality and accuracy (93%+)
- Extensive coverage of decision-makers
- Valuable intent and technographic data
- Strong enterprise features and support
✗ Cons
- Extremely expensive for small businesses
- Requires long-term contracts (typically annual)
- Complex pricing with hidden costs
- Overkill for teams under 10 people
Lusha API
Contact Enrichment for Sales Teams
Lusha focuses on making contact data easily accessible for sales professionals. Their API is designed for simplicity, providing direct dial phone numbers, email addresses, and basic company information without requiring complex integrations.
The platform is particularly popular among SDRs and recruiters who need quick access to contact information while prospecting on LinkedIn or company websites. Lusha's browser extension works alongside their API, allowing teams to enrich leads both manually and programmatically.
Key Features
- Direct dials - Access to verified mobile and office phone numbers
- Email finder - Discover professional email addresses
- Prospecting lists - Build and export targeted contact lists
- Browser extension - Enrich contacts on LinkedIn and company sites
- CRM sync - Automatic enrichment of CRM contacts
- Bulk enrichment - Process large contact lists via API
Starting at $39/month – Pro plan includes 80 credits monthly. Enterprise pricing available for teams.
✓ Pros
- User-friendly API and browser extension
- Good coverage for direct phone numbers
- Fast response times
- Affordable entry-level pricing
✗ Cons
- Lower email accuracy than competitors (around 85%)
- Limited credits on lower tiers
- Less detailed firmographic data
- Coverage can be spotty outside major markets
UpLead API
Verified B2B Contacts with 95% Accuracy
UpLead emphasizes data quality over quantity, offering a 95% data accuracy guarantee on their email addresses. Their API provides access to 46 million contacts across 200 countries, with real-time email verification ensuring you only pay for valid contact information.
What makes UpLead stand out is their commitment to verified data. Every email address is verified in real-time before delivery, and if it bounces, they credit your account. This makes UpLead particularly valuable for email-heavy outbound campaigns where deliverability matters.
Key Features
- Real-time verification - All emails verified before delivery
- 95% accuracy guarantee - Credits refunded for bounced emails
- Technographic data - Filter by technology usage and stack
- Intent data - Identify companies showing buying signals
- Competitor intelligence - Find prospects using competitors' products
- Data enrichment - Append missing contact and company data
Starting at $99/month – Essentials plan includes 170 credits monthly, with additional credits available.
✓ Pros
- Highest email accuracy rate (95%+)
- Real-time verification saves wasted credits
- Strong technographic filtering options
- Clean, intuitive API documentation
✗ Cons
- Smaller database than Apollo or ZoomInfo
- Higher per-credit cost than alternatives
- Limited to 170 credits on base plan
- No free trial available
Snov.io API
Affordable Email Finding and Drip Campaigns
Snov.io positions itself as an affordable all-in-one sales automation platform. Their API combines email finding, verification, and drip campaign management, making it popular with small businesses and solo entrepreneurs who want to keep costs down.
The platform offers multiple ways to find email addresses: domain search, email finder by name, and even LinkedIn URL enrichment. They also provide email verification as a separate service, allowing you to clean existing lists before sending campaigns.
Key Features
- Email finder - Multiple methods for discovering email addresses
- Email verifier - Validate email deliverability before sending
- Drip campaigns - Automated email sequences via API
- LinkedIn integration - Find emails from LinkedIn profiles
- Domain search - Extract all emails from company domains
- Sales CRM - Basic CRM functionality included
Starting at $39/month – Trial plan includes 100 credits. Pro plans start at $99 for 1,000 credits.
✓ Pros
- Very affordable compared to competitors
- Combines finding, verification, and outreach
- Good for solopreneurs and small teams
- Simple pricing structure
✗ Cons
- Lower data accuracy (around 87%)
- Smaller database than premium options
- Limited advanced filtering capabilities
- Basic UI compared to enterprise tools
LeadIQ API
Prospecting Tool for Sales Development
LeadIQ focuses on streamlining the prospecting workflow for sales development representatives. Their API is designed to capture leads from LinkedIn and company websites, then push that data directly into your CRM and sales engagement tools.
The platform excels at account-based prospecting, helping teams identify multiple contacts within target accounts. Their tracking feature monitors job changes, so you can stay connected with decision-makers even when they move to new companies.
Key Features
- Prospecting automation - Capture leads from LinkedIn and web pages
- CRM push - Send leads directly to Salesforce, Outreach, or SalesLoft
- Job change alerts - Track when prospects change roles or companies
- Account-based lists - Build comprehensive contact lists by company
- Email verification - Validate contact information before export
- Team collaboration - Share lead lists across sales teams
Starting at $75/month – Essential plan includes unlimited prospecting with seat-based pricing for teams.
✓ Pros
- Excellent CRM integration capabilities
- Job change tracking is unique and valuable
- Built specifically for SDR workflows
- Good data coverage for North America
✗ Cons
- More expensive than pure data providers
- Requires specific sales tech stack to maximize value
- Learning curve for full feature adoption
- Limited international coverage
RocketReach API
Contact Information Across 700M+ Professionals
RocketReach maintains one of the largest professional contact databases, with information on over 700 million professionals and 35 million companies. Their API provides access to email addresses, phone numbers, and social profiles across a wide range of industries and geographies.
The platform is particularly strong for recruiting and partnership building, where you need to reach people outside traditional B2B sales contexts. RocketReach includes detailed profile information pulled from various public sources, making it easier to personalize outreach.
Key Features
- Massive database - 700M+ professional profiles globally
- Email and phone finder - Access to both contact methods
- Social profiles - Links to LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms
- Advanced search - Filter by location, industry, company size, and more
- Browser extension - Find contacts while browsing LinkedIn or company sites
- Bulk lookups - Process multiple contacts simultaneously via API
Starting at $53/month – Individual plan includes 80 lookups monthly. Team plans available with higher limits.
✓ Pros
- Huge database with broad industry coverage
- Good for recruiting and non-sales use cases
- Includes both email and phone numbers
- Strong international coverage
✗ Cons
- Data accuracy varies (around 89%)
- Limited lookups on lower pricing tiers
- Less depth on company firmographics
- No email verification included
Ready to access LinkedIn data safely?
Stop worrying about account bans. LinkFinder AI uses its own private network so your LinkedIn stays completely safe.
Start Your Free TrialNo credit card required • 10,000 records included • Cancel anytime