About Hunter.io
Hunter.io is a Lead Gen & Outbound tool built for solo founders, SDRs and researchers. Generous free tier (25 searches + 50 verifications/mo). On top of that, Simplest UX in the category. The product centres on Email finder and Domain search — everything else is scaffolding around those. There's a free plan to explore before paying, with paid upgrades when you need them. The best starting point for email prospecting. What stands out is simple — email verification included.
Available on
Integrates with
Who it's for
A quick filter before you spend time on Hunter.io — read both sides before committing.
Use it if…
- Solo founders doing their own outbound
- Journalists and researchers
- SDRs doing light prospecting
Skip it if…
- Enterprise teams needing full engagement platform
- Teams wanting phone numbers too
- GDPR-sensitive EU workflows
Pros and cons
Pros
- Generous free tier (25 searches + 50 verifications/mo)
- Simplest UX in the category
- Email verification included
- Hits the core lead gen & outbound workflow without forcing a hunt for second tools
- Pricing lands in the right band for its target buyer
Cons
- Email-only (no phone numbers)
- Smaller company database than Apollo
- Credit system can feel limiting
- Not the cheapest option in the category — the free alternatives cover basics
- Advanced features sit behind higher-tier plans most small teams won't need
Features
The capabilities you actually get when you sign up for Hunter.io.
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01
Email finder
Find emails by name + company
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02
Domain search
List all emails for a given domain
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03
Email verifier
Check if an email is deliverable
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04
Core workspace
The main editor or dashboard where day-to-day lead gen & outbound work happens
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05
Integrations hub
Connects to the tools your stack already uses so data doesn't live in silos
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06
Reporting and dashboards
Built-in reports and exportable dashboards for stakeholder reviews
Pricing
A free plan to start, then paid tiers for the full set of features.
Free
$0
- 25 searches
- 50 verifications/mo
Starter
$49 /mo
- 500 searches
- 1K verifications
- Campaigns
Frequently asked questions
What people usually want to know before signing up for Hunter.io.
How accurate is Hunter?
Email finds show a confidence score — 90%+ confidence is usually reliable.
Can I send cold emails from Hunter?
Yes, Campaigns are included on paid plans — basic but functional.
Is cold email still legal in 2026?
In the US and UK yes, with an opt-out link and physical address. In the EU, legitimate interest justifies B2B contact, but documentation matters.
How many emails per inbox per day is safe?
40–60 is the current ceiling for a warmed Google Workspace inbox. More than 100/day is a deliverability trap, not a growth lever.
Will this get my main domain blacklisted?
Only if you ignore warm-up and reply monitoring. Use a secondary domain pointed to your main site to keep risk off the primary.
Bottom line
Should you use Hunter.io?
The best starting point for email prospecting. Scale up to Apollo once you need engagement and bigger volume.