Phantombuster Review (2025): Features, Use Cases, Pricing, and Safer Alternatives

PhantomBuster is a cloud-based extension that operates on an innovative, proprietary concept called “Phantoms.”

Each Phantom is designed to handle a specific operation, such as scraping, automated connection requests, or exporting LinkedIn search results, and you can chain them into full workflows.

This makes PhantomBuster a versatile tool for enhancing your sales and marketing efforts by automating repetitive tasks and exporting LinkedIn account data into a CSV file. The interface includes “slots” for running multiple Phantoms and usage time limits based on your plan.

PhantomBuster review: This cloud-based automation tool helps streamline LinkedIn outreach tasks.

In this article, you’ll learn how PhantomBuster works, what features it offers, and how safe it is to use on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram. We’ll also compare it to safer alternatives like Linked Helper and explain how to choose the right automation tool for your goals.

Linked Helper is a downloadable tool with an integrated browser.

TL;DR – Quick Verdict on PhantomBuster

PhantomBuster is a powerful automation tool that helps users extract data, run outreach campaigns, and automate actions across platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Google. It’s ideal for marketers, recruiters, sales teams, and growth hackers who need to scale lead generation or gather real-time data.

PhantomBuster LinkedIn tools help automate connections, message sequences, and profile scraping.

Pros: wide range of automation tools (“Phantoms”), integration with Google Sheets, support for Instagram, X, multi-platform reach.
Cons: steep learning curve, risk of account bans if misused, and relatively high pricing for advanced use. PhantomBuster pricing starts with a free trial, but features are limited by slot and execution time.

It’s safe if used with caution (custom delays, dedicated cookies, limited actions), but not 100% risk-free.

Verdict: worth the investment for experienced users or teams — less suitable for beginners without technical guidance.

What is PhantomBuster and What Does It Do?

PhantomBuster is a powerful automation and data scraping tool designed to save hours of manual work on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms. 

Instead of spending time manually collecting leads, sending connection requests, or scraping data into Google Sheets, users can automate these tasks using pre-built “Phantoms” — small automation scripts — and advanced workflows.

Primarily used by sales teams, marketers, recruiters, and lead generation agencies, PhantomBuster helps users launch outreach campaigns, collect real-time valuable data from social media, and scale their LinkedIn connections or email prospecting.

For example, it can extract leads from a LinkedIn Sales Navigator search and enrich them for personalized outreach — all automatically. PhantomBuster review highlights the LinkedIn profile scraper as a key feature for lead generation.

Though it’s a robust tool, it comes with a steep learning curve and requires thoughtful setup to avoid platform bans. Compared to manual efforts, however, the time-saving and data-gathering power of PhantomBuster makes it an attractive solution for teams looking to scale their sales outreach and access valuable data from multiple platforms.

PhantomBuster Features: A Deep Dive

PhantomBuster offers a wide range of automations for LinkedIn, Instagram, and other platforms.

Pre-Built Phantoms

PhantomBuster offers a vast library of ready-to-use automations called Phantoms. These tools perform specific tasks like scraping LinkedIn data, sending messages, collecting emails, and more. Unlike custom scripts, they require no coding and can be launched with just a few clicks.

Workflows (Automated Sequences)

Workflows allow you to chain multiple Phantoms together into an automated sequence. For example, you can scrape leads, enrich them with emails, and then send personalized messages — all hands-free. This saves time, reduces manual effort, and ensures consistent lead handling.

Browserless Automation

PhantomBuster offers browserless cloud automation, meaning your automations run even when your computer is off. This approach improves speed, stability, and security compared to local bots or Chrome extensions. It also allows 24/7 lead generation without any device dependency. The PhantomBuster Chrome extension makes it easier to capture data from LinkedIn and web pages.

AI Tools (e.g., AI Message Writer)

PhantomBuster integrates AI-powered tools like the AI Message Writer, which uses GPT to craft personalized LinkedIn outreach messages. You simply provide a profile link, and the AI returns tailored, context-aware text. This helps improve reply rates and eliminates the need for copywriting skills.

Lead Enrichment & Email Discovery

With lead enrichment tools, you can enhance scraped data with emails, phone numbers, company info, and job titles. The PhantomBuster LinkedIn profile scraper automates data collection without needing manual clicks. Users often praise in their PhantomBuster review the data enrichment capabilities for sales funnels.
PhantomBuster uses both scraping and AI to uncover contact details even from minimal inputs. 

Campaign Scheduling

You can schedule Phantoms or workflows to run at specific times or intervals. This feature allows you to drip campaigns over days or weeks, comply with platform limits, and mimic human behavior to avoid bans. It’s especially useful for automating daily lead engagement or message follow-ups.

Multi-Platform Support

Besides LinkedIn, PhantomBuster supports automation on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, GitHub, Slack, Google Maps, and even YouTube. You can collect followers, send DMs, scrape posts, or engage with users on auto-pilot across these platforms. This flexibility makes it a go-to tool for omnichannel lead generation or influencer marketing.

Automating your outreach across multiple channels maximizes your marketing efforts without hiring a full team.

Multi-Slot Execution

Some Phantoms use multiple slots, which allow for more powerful or parallel operations (e.g., extracting data and enriching it in one flow). You can allocate your slot capacity flexibly depending on how intensive the task is — useful for high-volume scraping or multi-account outreach.

Template Use Cases & Pre-Built Recipes

PhantomBuster offers various workflows combining multiple Phantoms to streamline tasks.
PhantomBuster provides pre-built “recipes” and automation blueprints tailored to goals like:

• Building a LinkedIn lead funnel
  
• Sending cold outreach messages with AI
  
• Extracting Instagram followers of competitors
  These templates shorten the learning curve and get your campaigns running fast.

PhantomBuster Integrations

PhantomBuster seamlessly connects with a variety of tools to help you automate workflows, streamline multichannel automation, and optimize your growth strategy.

You can collect data, send personalized connection requests, and build robust automation platforms with minimal technical effort—or dive into the API for deeper control. Below is a breakdown of supported integrations, connection methods, and integration limitations.

Native Integrations (CRMs, Zapier, Make, etc.)

PhantomBuster provides built-in integrations with major CRM platforms and automation tools, enabling end-to-end lead generation automation.

You can enrich data by combining PhantomBuster with other tools like Clearbit or Hunter.io.

These integrations allow you to automate lead generation, follow-up messages, and data collection without writing code.

• HubSpot
  • Sync your leads directly from PhantomBuster to HubSpot.
    
  • Map custom fields and sync data collection between tools.
    
  • Track contact creation, updates, and career changes inside HubSpot.
    
  • Default properties created/updated by Phantom automations include name, email, LinkedIn URL, company, and job title.
    
  • No-code setup available for non-tech users.
    
  • Ideal for tracking execution time and automating follow-up messages.
    
• Lemlist
  
  • Send data from LinkedIn Search or LinkedIn Profile Phantoms to Lemlist for personalized outreach.
    
  • Easily automate personalized connection requests and email sequences.
    
• Salesforce & Pipedrive
  
  • Export lead generation data and push it into CRM pipelines.
    
  • Supports syncing of market research and outreach targets.
    
  • Requires manual mapping of fields.
    
• Clay
  
  • Two-way sync available: push and pull data between Clay and PhantomBuster.
    
  • Set up webhooks to automate data exchange in real time.
    
  • Useful for enrichment, segmentation, and growth strategy planning.
    
• Zapier, Make, n8n
  
  • Build powerful automations without writing code.
    
  • Trigger Phantom runs, extract Phantom results, and send data to spreadsheets, CRMs, or outreach tools.
    
  • Launch Phantoms via Zapier or HTTP requests in n8n.

You can enrich data by combining PhantomBuster with other tools like Clearbit or Hunter.io

API Access

For sales teams, PhantomBuster offers tools to export LinkedIn search results and enrich data.

For tech-savvy users or custom use cases, PhantomBuster offers full API access:

• Use the PhantomBuster API to build custom workflows tailored to your business.
  
• Access Phantom results via API using API key.
  
• Integrate with internal tools or dashboards to monitor execution time, success rates, and contact updates.
  
• Launch Phantoms, read output, or inject inputs from your own system.
  
• Ideal for engineering and marketing teams combining automation platform logic with internal tools.

Integration Limitations

Despite its flexibility, some integrations come with caveats:

• Manual setup may be required when mapping properties in CRMs like Salesforce or Pipedrive.
  
• Not all platforms support automatic field mapping—especially for custom fields.
  
• Some Phantoms require specific data formats, which might need preprocessing via Zapier or n8n.
  
• API use requires familiarity with REST endpoints and JSON formatting—less ideal for non-technical users.
  
• Execution time on complex workflows may be delayed due to queue limitations, especially on Starter plans.

PhantomBuster Use Cases (2025)

PhantomBuster is a powerful cloud-based tool that helps automate repetitive tasks like scraping contact data, enriching lead lists, and launching cross-platform automation workflows. Many sales teams mention in their PhantomBuster review how it automates their daily workflows.

LinkedIn Lead Gen

For: Sales teams, SDRs, recruiters, B2B startups

Use PhantomBuster to extract contact info from LinkedIn search results, based on job titles, industries, or company size. Then enrich that contact data with email, phone numbers, or company websites.

📌 Example: A SaaS startup uses PhantomBuster to create lead lists from LinkedIn and sync them to a CRM via Zapier.

Instagram Influencer Scraping

A common PhantomBuster review notes how easy it is to perform search export to a CSV.

For: Influencer marketers, eCom brands, agencies

Scrape Instagram profiles based on hashtags, locations, or follower lists to identify potential influencers. Collect follower counts, engagement rates, and bios into a CSV spreadsheet.

📌 Example: A fashion brand automates scraping of micro-influencers in Bali to plan influencer outreach campaigns.

Twitter/X Follower Extraction

For: Political analysts, Web3 projects, media strategists

Extract followers of a public X (Twitter) account, filter by bio keywords, and track changes over time. Combine with other tools to enrich and reach out to niche communities.

📌 Example: A Web3 team scrapes the followers of a top NFT influencer and sends personalized messages via DM.

Data Collection for Cold Outreach

For: Cold email agencies, growth hackers, solopreneurs

Scrape leads from LinkedIn, AngelList, or Crunchbase, then send them to cold outreach tools like Lemlist or Mailshake. Automate the entire process using n8n or Zapier.

📌 Example: An agency scrapes tech founders and sends personalized messages with startup-specific pain points.

Cross-Platform Automation

For: Marketing teams, automation experts, freelancers

Connect PhantomBuster with CRMs, spreadsheets, and other tools (like Clay, Make, or Zapier) to build full-stack automations. Track changes in job titles, account restrictions, or career shifts.

📌 Example: A recruiter builds an automation that tracks when a contact changes jobs and updates the CRM.

PhantomBuster Pricing & Free Trial Explained

PhantomBuster pricing plans vary by slot limits, execution time, and workflow complexity.

Plans Breakdown (Starter, Pro, Teams, etc.)

Updated PhantomBuster pricing 2025 reflects higher limits for professional users but also steeper costs.

Plan	Price	Execution Time	Slots	Ideal For
Starter	$69	20h/month	5	Solo users doing basic lead gen
Pro	$159	80h/month	15	Scaling automation & multi-step flows
Team	$439	300h/month	50	Agencies & teams running large campaigns

All plans include AI credits, email credits, and integrations with other tools like Zapier, Lemlist, and Clay.

Credit System & Phantom Runtime

PhantomBuster’s credit system is based on two key limits: Phantom slots and execution time. 

Slots determine how many automations (called Phantoms) you can run simultaneously—for example, the Starter plan allows 5 active Phantoms at once, while the Team plan offers up to 50. 

Some complex workflows take up 2 slots. Meanwhile, execution time is the total number of hours your Phantoms can run each month (e.g., 20h on Starter, 300h on Team). If you exceed either limit, your automations will pause until you delete old Phantoms or upgrade your plan. 

Efficient slot and time management is key to running continuous, multi-step campaigns without disruption.

Free Trial Limitations

Free Trial (14 Days, No Card Required)

Test PhantomBuster with:

• 2 hours of execution time
  
• 5 Phantom slots (run 5 tools at once)
  
• 1,000 AI credits
  
• Export limits + 50 email credits
  

✅ Great for trialing fresh leads extraction, Google Maps scraping, or simple auto connect flows.

Is It Cost-Effective Compared to Competitors?

PhantomBuster is powerful, but its pricing adds up fast — especially for agencies. Even the Starter plan (€69/month) limits you to 5 Phantoms and 20 hours. For full-scale lead gen like extracting leads, sending connection requests, or automation sequences, you’ll likely outgrow it quickly.

By contrast, Linked Helper offers more freedom at a lower cost. Starting at just $15/month, it allows unlimited actions, supports multiple accounts, and includes extras like email-finding credits. For 10 accounts, it’s 36% cheaper annually than PhantomBuster’s Team plan.

💬 Our take? PhantomBuster feels pricey for what it offers unless you’re using its full stack. Linked Helper gives more control and scale for less — making it a better deal for most lead generation needs.

Is PhantomBuster Safe to Use in 2025?

Automating outreach across platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter can save time and boost performance — but it comes with risks. Let’s explore how safe PhantomBuster is in 2025 for lead generation agencies and anyone using it for extracting data, generating leads, or crafting personalized messages.

Risk of Account Bans (LinkedIn, Instagram)

Using automation tools for lead generation and data extraction on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram comes with inherent risks — including temporary restrictions or permanent account bans. 

PhantomBuster, a popular LinkedIn automation tool, relies on a PhantomBuster browser extension and cloud-based execution, both of which can be detected by platform algorithms. 

Since you must share your LinkedIn session cookie for access, any unusual behavior can trigger LinkedIn’s anti-bot systems. 

Compared to tools like Linked Helper, which mimics human behavior through local app automation, PhantomBuster’s approach is more vulnerable to detection — making it a less safe LinkedIn automation solution for sales teams and lead generation agencies.

LinkedIn’s algorithm can detect patterns like:

• Too many actions in a short time
  
• Clicking URLs instead of typing names
  
• Use of known automation IPs or browser environments

Rate Limiting & Stealth Mode

Each platform enforces rate limits to protect users from spam and bots. PhantomBuster allows you to run multiple LinkedIn automation tools like “Auto Connect” or “Auto Follow,” but these can quickly add up. If you exceed platform thresholds (e.g., 20–50 connections per day), LinkedIn may flag or restrict your account.

PhantomBuster does try to minimize this with:

• Stealth Mode (random delays)
  
• Daily caps per Phantom
  
• Launch scheduling.

Support for Anti-Detection

User-Agent & IP Customization
PhantomBuster lets you mimic your browser’s user agent and proxy, which helps reduce but not eliminate detection.

Cloud “Stealth” Mode
Their cloud runs your tasks with controlled speed and intervals, but it’s still based on API-style behavior, not human-like mouse movements or typing.

Manual Rate Limit Settings
You can control how many actions per hour/day, but it’s easy to overdo it without experience.

PhantomBuster is not the safest option for LinkedIn automation. While it adds some protective layers, its cloud-based model and use of direct links make it more detectable than local tools like Linked Helper, which simulate human behavior (typing, clicking, random pauses).

PhantomBuster Real User Reviews & Feedback

PhantomBuster has been a go-to tool for automation-savvy marketers, but real user feedback reveals a mixed picture. While some PhantomBuster reviews praise its powerful features, others share concerns about reliability, safety, and customer support. 

An honest PhantomBuster review shows how automated connection requests can boost outreach.

G2, Capterra Highlights

• Average Rating in PhantomBuster reviews: 3.8–4.2 out of 5 (varies by platform)
  
• Best for: Experienced marketers, outreach automation, lead scraping
  
• Top Categories Mentioned:
  
  • Automation power & versatility
    
  • Steep learning curve
    
  • Session instability
    
  • Customer service inconsistencies
    

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “PhantomBuster helped us scale LinkedIn outreach 10x faster.”
⭐️⭐️ “Session expired errors kill productivity — and support gives canned replies.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Good tool if you know what you’re doing. Otherwise, expect trouble.”

Honest PhantomBuster reviews often highlight its flexibility but mention a learning curve.

What Users Like about PhantomBuster 

Automation Flexibility:
“You can build complex workflows using pre-built Phantoms. It saved us dozens of hours each month.”

Multi-Platform Support:
“It’s one of the few tools that supports LinkedIn, Instagram, Google Maps, Twitter — all from one dashboard.”

Google Sheets Integration:
“The ability to push data to Sheets in real time is a lifesaver for growth teams.”

Custom Workflows:
“Loved how you can chain Phantoms and set delays — it gives so much control if you’re technical.”

Common Complaints About PhantomBuster

A recent PhantomBuster review warns of risks if automation limits are ignored.

Session Instability
“I’m getting a ‘session expired’ error 5–10 times a day.”

Unexpected Message Sends
“After a connection request, my client had a manual conversation, but Phantom sent a follow-up two days later. What a terrible mistake.”

Learning Curve

“The setup takes time. If you’re not technical, it gets frustrating fast.”

Inconsistent Reliability
“Sometimes the Phantom just doesn’t run. You have to restart or re-authenticate constantly.”

High Risk of LinkedIn Restrictions

“Even with throttling, I got restricted after a week. You really need to know what you’re doing.”

Not as Stable as It Used to Be

“I’ve been using Phantom for 3 years and I know the best practices. But now they are getting worse and worse — too many bugs, too many things breaking.”

PhantomBuster Customer Support Quality

Support feedback is polarized:

• What Users Appreciate:
  “The support docs are thorough, and chat support responds within a few hours.”
  
• Where It Fails:
  “They always tell you the same best practices. But when real issues come up, they deflect.”
  “Used Phantom for 3 years. Now their support and quality are both declining.”

PhantomBuster Alternatives: What to Use Instead

Linked Helper is often considered a top PhantomBuster alternative for sales teams and agencies.

Why Consider an Alternative to PhantomBuster?

Leading PhantomBuster competitors include Linked Helper, TexAu, and Dripify.

While PhantomBuster has gained popularity for automating LinkedIn and web scraping tasks, many users eventually hit roadblocks that lead them to search for alternatives. The most common complaints include:

• Safety concerns due to the tool’s reliance on browser extensions and cloud infrastructure.
  
• Complex, inflexible workflows built around “Phantoms” and “slots.”
  
• Limited visibility and control, especially when it comes to how automation actually runs.
  
• Daily action and scraping limits that slow down larger outreach operations.
  
• Lack of deep CRM filtering and advanced messaging logic.
  

Professionals managing multi-account campaigns, outreach agencies, and serious B2B marketers often find that PhantomBuster’s slot-based structure, limited email discovery, and lack of fallback message logic can slow down performance — or worse, lead to LinkedIn detection.

Linked Helper: The Best PhantomBuster Alternative in 2025

A good PhantomBuster free alternative should offer browserless automation and flexible scheduling.

🔐 1. Proven Safety

• LH simulates human actions (typing, clicks, delays) without using LinkedIn API.
  
• PhantomBuster relies on browser extensions and cloud tech, requiring LinkedIn session cookies—making it more detectable.

🔧 2. Visual Workflow Builder

• The workflow can be customized and modified.
  
• PhantomBuster uses “Phantoms” and “slots” with rigid chaining and fewer customization options.

The only way to create a funnel is by linking each Phantom after the previous one.

📋 3. Advanced CRM Filters

• LH filters by “Open to Work”, “Hiring”, and profile attributes LinkedIn doesn’t support.
  
• PhantomBuster lacks advanced CRM filtering.

Lead information in PhantomBuster CRM can be filtered by keywords.

✉️ 4. Free InMails

• LH uses the Open Profile filter to send free InMails—no credits needed.
  
• PhantomBuster depends on paid InMail credits and Sales Navigator.
  

⚡ 5. Faster Email Discovery

• LH finds thousands of emails in minutes; integrates with Snov.io and internal databases.
  
• PhantomBuster limits email discovery to 40/day and requires daily cookie refresh.
  

📈 6. More Profile Collection Sources

• LH scrapes directly from LinkedIn search pages, Followed lists, and saved HTML.

• PhantomBuster requires pre-made CSV or profile URLs.

⏱️ 7. Flexible Activity Limits

• LH allows custom action caps (e.g., 150 invites/day), adapting to any account tier.

• PhantomBuster has rigid daily caps with no global settings.

What can be automated	Any new or infrequently used account, including a premium account, with less than 2k connections	Free account with more than 5k connections with frequent daily interaction.	Premium Linkedin account that is used frequently and has over 2k connections, or Advanced Edition Sales Navigator account.
Profile page extractions	80 profiles over 8 launches of 10 profiles each	150 profiles over 10 launches of 15 profiles each	300 profiles over 20 launches of15 profiles each
Search result extractions	Max 100 pages/1000 results per day over 5 launches minimum	Max 150 pages/1500 results per day over 7 launches minimum	Sales Nav max 200 pages/5000 results per day over 10 launches minimum
Linkedin profile/company finders	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Extracting your contacts’ URLs	All in one launch. Once a day max.	All in one launch. Once a day max.	All in one launch. Once a day max.
Post or article extractions	All in one launch. Once a day max.	All in one launch. Once a day max.	All in one launch. Once a day max.
Liker or commenter extractions	10 posts over 10 launches per day of 1 post each	10 posts over 10 launches per day of 1 post each	10 posts over 10 launches per day of 1 post each
Group member extractions	1 group (or 2500 group members) per day	1 group (or 2500 group members) per day	1 group (or 2500 group members) per day
Auto-connecting actions	20 invites per working day with 2 invites per launch, once per working hour	20 invites per working day with 2 invites per launch, once per working hour	20 invites per working day with 2 invites per launch, once per working hour
Auto-liking actions	100 likes over 10 launches of 10posts each	150 likes over 10 launches of 15posts each	400 likes over 20 launches of 20posts each
Auto-commenting actions	10 comments per 1 hour (with a maximum of 8 launches per day)	10 comments per 1 hour (with a maximum of 8 launches per day)	10 comments per 1 hour (with a maximum of 8 launches per day)
Event invitation sending	80 invitations over 8 launches of10 invitations each	120 – 140 invitations per day	150 invitations per day (15 launches of 10 invitations each)
Auto-endorsing actions	80 invitations over 8 launches of10 invitations each	150 invitations over 10launches of 15 invitations each	300 invitations over 20launches of 15 invitations each

PhantomBuster action limits for various tasks

🧲 8. Fast Scraping

• LH scrapes up to 150 profiles/day, including companies and message history.
  
• PhantomBuster allows only 40/day for standard users.
  

🧠 9. Smart Message Logic (If-Then-Else)

• LH prevents gaps with fallback variables in templates.
  
• PhantomBuster leaves blank spaces if data is missing.
  

🔌 10. Direct Integrations

• LH supports Zoho, Streak, Instantly, and Google Sheets (no Zapier needed).
  
• PhantomBuster relies heavily on Zapier.
  

📬 11. CRM Reply Sync

• LH syncs message replies directly to CRMs.
  
• PhantomBuster can’t track or transfer replies automatically.
  

👥 12. 24/7 Real Human Support

• LH offers round-the-clock help via live chat, WhatsApp, and more.
  
• PhantomBuster uses bots after hours, with slower human support.
  

❌ 13. Duplicate Lead Exclusion

• LH avoids message overlap via tagging and List Manager.
  
• PhantomBuster lacks this feature—leads must be unchecked manually.
  

💸 14. No Sales Navigator Needed

• LH processes Sales Navigator links on basic accounts.
  
• PhantomBuster requires active subscriptions for premium phantoms.
  

🕒 15. No Campaign Time Limits

• LH campaigns run indefinitely.
  
• PhantomBuster restricts use based on plan hours (e.g., 80 hrs/month on Pro).
  

📨 16. Email Finder Credits Accumulate

• LH credits roll over; up to 3,100+/month with Pro plan. Has the option to purchase it separately if needed.

Period	Standard License	PRO License
1 month	620 credits	3,100 credits
3 months	1,860 credits	9,300 credits
6 months	3,660 credits	18,300 credits
12 months	7,320 credits	36,600 credits

• PhantomBuster credits reset monthly and cost more.

Plan	Email credits	Price
Trial	50	Free
Starter	500	69 euros
Pro	2500	159 euros
Team	10000	439 euros

🔍 17. Response-Based Campaign Control

• LH stops flows based on lead replies or stop words (e.g., “thanks”).

• PhantomBuster lacks intelligent response handling.

🎯 18. Clean Name & Title Formatting

• LH removes emojis/symbols for professional-looking messages.

• PhantomBuster doesn’t sanitize fields.

🔁 19. Dynamic Plan Switching

• LH can switch LinkedIn account types mid-campaign for optimal cost/control.
  
• PhantomBuster can’t switch plan behavior dynamically.

📢 20. Boost Posts with Auto-Tags

• Unique LH feature to promote any LinkedIn post and tag selected users

Feature Comparison: Linked Helper vs PhantomBuster

Linked Helper delivers a safer, faster, and more powerful LinkedIn automation experience—with visual workflows, flexible limits, email discovery, CRM integration, and dynamic messaging logic. 

	Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Data stored locally (more secure)	Yes	Cloud
Operation	Desktop downloadable app	Cloud-based service  Has an extension for updating session cookies
Limit on working time	No	Yes, based on your package
“Open to work” filter	Yes	No
Hiring filter	Yes	No
Profile collection methods	Most LinkedIn pages CSV, HTML pages, txt Linkedin URLs paste Profile URLs	CSV Linkedin search URL Google Doc
24/7 human support	Yes	No
AI LinkedIn message writer	No	Yes
Job scraper	No	Yes
“Boost post” action	Yes	No
Exclude the same leads from two campaigns	Able to detect lead overlaps: On a campaign level On an action level	You need to tick boxes in the list and detect overlaps manually.
Limits	No hard-coded limits in Pro	Most actions have hard-coded limits
Set conditions for custom variables in messages	Yes	No
Email Finder credits included	From 620–3,100.  Credits roll over to the next period. Can buy more.	From 500 2,500 10,000 Credits don’t roll over to the next period. Can not buy more.
Keyword analyzer in messages	Yes	No
Mass message limit	150 / day You can manually increase it and send 200-300, though it’s at your own risk	80 / day
Profile scraper limit	150 profiles You can manually increase it and scrape  200-300, though it’s at your own risk	40 profiles
Direct CRM integration	Salesforce HubSpot Pipedrive Close Active Campaign Zoho CRM Zoho Recruit HighLevel CRM Streak CRM	Pipedrive  HubSpot Salesforce
Other integrations	Webhooks (Zapier, Make.com) Hyperise Snov.io Instantly Send data directly to Google Sheets via a webhook, bypassing Zapier/Make	Webhooks (Zapier, Make.com) LemlistSnov.ioHunter.ioDropcontact
Process Sales Navigator links on a Basic account	Yes	No
Price	Standard $15 monthly Pro $45 monthly Annual license -45% discount. Bulk (10+ accounts) – 10% to 50% discount This is in addition to duration-based discounts, so the total discount can exceed 50%	Starter €69 Pro €159 Team €439  If you purchase an annual license, there’s a 20% discount.

Getting Started with the Tools

	Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Downloading and Registration	Downloadable desktop app	Cloud-based service. Has an extension for updating session cookies
Free trial period	14 days Activates from the moment the campaign starts	14 days Activates from the registration
In-app onboarding tour	+	+
Demo & onboarding calls	Friday live group demos for users	Yes
Email follow-ups with timely resources and tips	+	+
License switching between accounts	Yes, it can be done in the dashboard.	You can automate different LinkedIn accounts within the same PhantomBuster account by obtaining different sets of session cookies.

Collecting Leads

Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Redirect to LinkedIn search pages in-app Search URLs: LinkedIn / Sales Navigator / Recruiter  Upload CSV Profile URLs (+ Sales Navigator / Recruiter) Upload any HTML page with LinkedIn URLs as text file	No redirect to LinkedIn search pages in-app  Paste URLs: LinkedIn Search URL (Premium, Sales Navigator, Recruiter) Google Sheet URL Upload CSV HubSpot
Additional LinkedIn pages: Followers  Following Who’s viewed my profile  School alumni My event/group My network Sent invitations Post likers and commenters Sales Navigator search Sales Navigator lists Recruiter project Recruiter search

Filtering Leads

	Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Exclude unwanted profiles	Any selected profiles before launching	Any selected profiles before launching
Remove intersections between campaigns	Yes	No
Exclude by company	Yes	By keywords
Exclude by profile photo	Yes	No
Open profile filter	Yes	No
“Open to work” filter	Yes	No
Hiring filter	Yes	No
Premium filter	Yes	No

Cross-Platform Processing: LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Recruiter

	Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Override platform	Yes	No
Ability to process Sales Navigator links on a free LinkedIn account	Yes	No
Connect any LinkedIn plan	Yes	Yes
Set up group/event ID for messaging	Yes	No

Drip Campaign & Campaign Templates

	Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Creating drip campaigns	Unlimited	Slots limits
Campaign templates	23	No
Custom delays & time-outs	Yes	Yes
Campaign scheduling	Yes – for actions	Yes – for each Phantom
Retry failed profiles	Yes	No
Workflow triggers	No	No

Scope of Automation

	Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Connection requests	Yes	Yes
Follow profiles	Yes	Yes
Profile views	Yes	No
Messages to 1st-degree connections	Yes	Yes
Endorsements	Yes	Yes
Like posts and articles	Yes	Yes
InMails	Yes	Yes
Add automatic comments under liked posts	Yes	Yes
“Boost post” action	Yes	No
Send messages to group members	Yes	Yes
Send messages to event attendees	Yes	Yes
Invite to group	Yes	Yes
Invite to follow organization	Yes	Yes
Remove from 1st-degree connections	Yes	Yes
Invite person to event	Yes	Yes
Cancel pending invites	Yes	Yes

Messaging

	Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Reply detection	Yes	Yes
View replies & Inbox	Yes	No
Custom variables	Any information can be turned into a custom field.	Yes
Built-in variables (based on LinkedIn data)	8 First name Last name Mutual connection first name Mutual connection second name Company  Position Mutual connection total Industry (if scraped with Sales Navigator)	10  First name Last name Full name Email Location  Description School School degree Website  Skills
IF-THEN-ELSE	Yes, any condition, several levels	No
Message analyzer(Filter by content)	Allows you to set keywords and create rules to send/not send a message (filter by content).	No
Reply to messages directly in-app	Reply from the LinkedIn interface tab.	No

Action Limit

	Linked Helper Pro / day	PhantomBuster / day
Campaigns	Unlimited	Within slots limit on your plan
Invites	50* (Within LinkedIn weekly limit)	20 (Within LinkedIn weekly limit)
Messages	150+	80  5 invite messages / month with Basic
Free InMails	150	No
Profile views	150	80
Endorsements	150	80
Likes	150	100
Follows	150	140

*recommended adjustable default limit

Check the limits in our article “What kind of limits should I use?” You can set this limit up to 80.

Data Export

	Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Lead collection	Yes	Yes
CSV output	First name Last name Country City Email address Phone number LinkedIn profile URL Job title LinkedIn Premium status Education Industry (with Sales Navigator scraper) If organization extractor is enabled:  Company name Company website Number of company employees Number of company followers Extra data:  ID (hash ID, Sales Navigator ID, etc.) Member distance (1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree) Avatar (ID and link to the media) Headline Summary Location name Badges (influencer, job seeker, open link) Organization description Languages   Skills Mutual connections (count, names, etc.)	Profile URL First name Last name Full name Headline Location Summary Img URL School name Connections count Followers count Connection degree Company name Company URL Company ID Logo URL Website Industry Company size Headquarters Type Founded Specialties Industry code Email address Email qualification
Export CSV via Webhook	Yes	Yes
Export message history	Yes (Pro)*Separate action / with people scraping	Yes
Organization collection	Yes. Separate action or included into people profile scraping.	Yes

Customer Support and Resources

	Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Web chat	✅	✅
Email	✅	✅
In-app chat	✅	✅
WhatsApp	✅	❌
Contact form	❌	✅
Facebook	✅	❌
Median reply time, mins.	6-15	3-15
24/7 support	✅	❌
User manuals	✅ 200+ manuals	✅ 95+ manuals
Video tutorials (last update)	106 videos(6 days ago)	68 videos(90 days ago)

Scheduling & Timing

	Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Delayed campaign start	Yes	Yes
Set action working hours	Yes	Yes
Set tool working schedule	Yes	No
Set time zone	Yes	No

Dashboard and Campaign Stats

	Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Statistics	By campaignsBy actions	By Phantoms
Calendar for selecting statistical periods	Yes	No
Indicators on the Dashboard	Reply rate (% + number) Acceptance rate (% + number) Queue lists stats: processed failed successful  in the breakdown by actions.	Profiles collected Invites sent (% + number) Acceptance rate (% + number) Open rate Click rate
Graphs	Daily activity Invited and accepted  Messaged and replied	Sent invites Accepted requests Profiles collected
Export	Yes	No

Managing Accounts in Teams

	Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Managing accounts in teams	Only on a dedicated server	Yes
Invite colleagues via email	+	+
Team data sharing	–	+

Integrations with 3rd-Party Tools

Linked Helper	PhantomBuster
Webhooks (Zapier, Make.com) Hyperise Snov.io Salesforce HubSpot Pipedrive Close Zoho and Zoho Recruit HighLevel CRM Streak CRM Capsule CRM Instantly Hyperise Google Sheets	Webhooks (Zapier, Make.com) HubSpot Salesforce

Pricing & Value

	Linked Helper			PhantomBuster
	Standard	Pro		Starter		Pro	Team
Monthly	$15	$45		$69		$159	$439
Annual	$99	$297		$672		$1536	$4224
Included, per day	Invitations: 50* Invites to event/group/company page: 20 Messages: unlimited Profile views: unlimited InMails: unlimited Likes: 20 Follows:  unlimited Endorsements: unlimited Email finder credits: 620 Unused credits roll over to the next period	No limits* Email finder credits: 3,100 Unused credits roll over to the next period		Invitations: 20 Invites to event/group/company page: 80-120 Messages: 80 Profile views: no InMails: 80 Likes: 100 Follows: 140 Endorsements: 80 Email finder credits: 500		Invitations: 20 Invites to event/group/company page: 80-120 Messages: 80 Profile views: no InMails: 80 Likes: 100 Follows: 140 Endorsements: 80 Email finder credits: 2,500	Invitations: 20 Invites to event/group/company page: 80-120 Messages: 80 Profile views: no InMails: 80 Likes: 100 Follows: 140 Endorsements: 80 Email finder credits: 10,000

*150 actions/day – recommended safety limit

Our Verdict – Is PhantomBuster Still a Smart Choice in 2025?

PhantomBuster remains a recognizable name in the LinkedIn automation space, but as user expectations grow and platform restrictions tighten, not every tool keeps up. 

In 2025, Linked Helper (LH) offers stronger performance, safety, and flexibility—especially for those running serious outreach or lead generation campaigns.

Who Should Use It

• Casual users who run one-off scrapes or simple profile extractions
• Multi-platform users automating Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, or Google Maps
• Startups that want quick plug-and-play “Phantoms” without building sequences
• Users who already work heavily in Zapier and are comfortable chaining tools
• Those with limited technical expectations and low daily volume

⭐️ “Great for light automation, but once we scaled, it hit its limits fast.” – Verified User, Trustpilot

Who Shouldn’t

Many users search for a PhantomBuster alternative when they need safer LinkedIn automation.

• Outreach professionals who need campaigns with conditional logic, fallback messages, or lead segmentation
• Teams that require flexible usage caps, smart CRM syncing, and cross-campaign lead management
• Anyone prioritizing account safety and natural, human-like actions
• Businesses that want to reduce detection risk and keep accounts safe long term

⭐️ “We switched to Linked Helper because PhantomBuster was triggering LinkedIn warnings. LH just feels more human.” – Sales Manager, G2 Review

Final Thoughts

PhantomBuster is strong as a multi-platform scraper, but for anyone serious about LinkedIn automation, it’s limited by its cloud setup, slot system, and lack of advanced logic.

Linked Helper is purpose-built for LinkedIn. It provides:

• Safer automation by mimicking real user behavior
  
• Unlimited campaigns, smart filters, free InMails, and fallback logic
  
• CRM integration, advanced reply handling, and more
  
• Better long-term value for teams, agencies, and sales pros
  

Try Linked Helper free and see the difference.
✅ Built for scale
✅ Built for safety
✅ Built for LinkedIn

🔗 Start Your Free Trial

FAQs About PhantomBuster

What is the use of PhantomBuster?

PhantomBuster is an automation tool and LinkedIn profile scraper used to extract data like LinkedIn profiles, sales navigator searches, and enrich leads from platforms like Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn.

How to use PhantomBuster for LinkedIn?

You can scrape LinkedIn profiles, export LinkedIn search results, and automate outreach via Sales Navigator using pre-built workflows or custom API calls.

Is PhantomBuster free or paid?

PhantomBuster offers a free trial with limited usage. For full access to data enrichment, automation, and cloud execution, paid plans are required.

Is PhantomBuster safe on Instagram?

Using PhantomBuster on Instagram can trigger platform restrictions. Browser automation and cloud IPs may pose safety risks if not configured carefully.

What is the difference between PhantomBuster and Linked Helper?

PhantomBuster is a cloud-based tool for multi-platform scraping. Linked Helper is a desktop app built for safe, native LinkedIn automation with more stability and fewer bans.

Is PhantomBuster worth it?

It can be valuable for sales teams needing fast LinkedIn search exports and lead data, but requires careful setup and may not suit non-technical users.

Does LinkedIn allow PhantomBuster?

No, tools like PhantomBuster violate LinkedIn’s Terms of Service, especially when scraping profile data or automating actions.

Is PhantomBuster trustworthy?

It’s widely used, but safety depends on how it’s configured. Cloud automation may lead to bans — safer alternatives like Linked Helper use native desktop execution.