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Best Lusha Alternatives 2026: 8 Tools That Don't Run Out of Credits

ยท 7 min read
sunder
Founder, marketbetter.ai
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Lusha is great for simple contact lookups. But as SDR teams scale, three problems keep surfacing:

  1. Credits run out too fast โ€” especially for phone-heavy teams (10 credits per phone reveal)
  2. No buyer signals โ€” Lusha finds contacts, but can't tell you who's actually in-market
  3. Data only, no workflow โ€” you still need 3โ€“4 other tools to actually run outbound

If you're hitting any of these walls, here are 8 alternatives worth evaluating โ€” from pure data providers to complete SDR platforms.

Quick Comparisonโ€‹

ToolBest ForStarting PriceCredit SystemKey Differentiator
MarketBetterFull SDR workflow$500/mo2K enrichment creditsVisitor ID + daily playbook
ApolloBudget data + sequencing$49/user/moUnlimited email creditsAll-in-one at low cost
ZoomInfoEnterprise data~$14,995/yrSeat-basedLargest database (600M+)
CognismEuropean dataCustomUnlimited viewsGDPR-compliant, no credits
RocketReachQuick lookups$39/mo80 lookups/moSimple, email-focused
ClayData enrichment workflows$149/moCredit-based75+ data providers in one
ClearbitReal-time enrichmentCustomAPI-basedHubSpot native integration
Seamless.AILarge list building~$147/mo250 credits/userReal-time search engine

1. MarketBetter โ€” When You Need More Than Dataโ€‹

Best for: SDR teams that want one platform instead of a data tool + sequencer + dialer + intent tool

Why switch from Lusha: MarketBetter doesn't just find contacts โ€” it identifies anonymous website visitors (people already researching your product), enriches them, and creates a daily SDR playbook with prioritized actions and AI-written messaging.

Key differences:

  • Website visitor identification reveals companies visiting your site โ€” no credits burned on cold lookups
  • Daily SDR playbook tells each rep exactly who to contact, in what order, and what to say
  • AI chatbot engages visitors in real-time, qualifying leads 24/7
  • Smart dialer built in โ€” no separate tool needed
  • Enrichment credits included โ€” 2,000/month on Starter, 5,000 on Growth

Pricing: $500/month (Starter), $1,500/month (Growth), $3,000/month (Scale)

The Lusha comparison: Lusha Premium for 5 users costs ~$3,146/year. MarketBetter Starter at $6,000/year includes visitor ID, chatbot, playbook, and enrichment โ€” replacing multiple point solutions.

See full comparison โ†’

2. Apollo โ€” Most Features for the Moneyโ€‹

Best for: Budget-conscious teams that need data + outbound sequencing in one tool

Why switch from Lusha: Apollo includes unlimited email credits on paid plans, built-in email sequencing, and a 275M+ contact database โ€” all starting at $49/user/month.

Key differences:

  • Unlimited email credits (no 10x phone penalty like Lusha)
  • Built-in email sequences and task management
  • Buyer intent data included on mid-tier plans
  • Much larger database (275M+ vs. Lusha's 100M+)

Pricing: Free plan (limited), Basic $49/user/mo, Professional $79/user/mo, Organization $119/user/mo

The catch: Apollo's data accuracy has mixed reviews. The free plan is generous but feature-limited. Interface can feel overwhelming compared to Lusha's simplicity.

3. ZoomInfo โ€” Enterprise-Grade Databaseโ€‹

Best for: Large sales orgs that need the deepest B2B database available

Why switch from Lusha: ZoomInfo's database is 6x larger (600M+ profiles), with advanced intent data, technographics, and org charts. No credit system โ€” seat-based pricing.

Key differences:

  • 600M+ contacts, 135M+ verified phone numbers
  • Buyer intent signals and technographic data included
  • Org charts and reporting hierarchies
  • Website visitor identification (add-on)

Pricing: Starts around $14,995/year for small teams. Enterprise pricing $30Kโ€“$100K+/year.

The catch: Expensive. Annual contracts only. Can take weeks to implement. Overkill for teams under 10 SDRs.

4. Cognism โ€” No Credit System at Allโ€‹

Best for: Teams selling into EMEA who want unlimited data access without credit anxiety

Why switch from Lusha: Cognism eliminates the credit system entirely. License-based pricing with unlimited views and exports means SDRs never worry about rationing reveals.

Key differences:

  • Unlimited views and exports (no credits)
  • Strongest European data coverage (GDPR-compliant from the ground up)
  • Diamond Data for phone-verified mobile numbers
  • Intent data powered by Bombora

Pricing: Custom pricing, typically higher than Lusha. Estimated $15,000โ€“$30,000/year for small teams.

The catch: Significantly more expensive than Lusha. US data coverage isn't as strong as ZoomInfo's. Custom pricing means no self-serve option.

5. RocketReach โ€” Lightweight Lusha Alternativeโ€‹

Best for: Individual prospectors who need occasional lookups at lower cost

Why switch from Lusha: Similar Chrome extension experience at a competitive price point. RocketReach also includes personal email addresses (useful for reaching founders and executives).

Key differences:

  • Includes personal emails in addition to work emails
  • Strong for tech industry contacts
  • API access on lower-tier plans
  • Simpler pricing structure

Pricing: Essentials $39/mo (80 lookups), Pro $99/mo (200 lookups), Ultimate $249/mo (500 lookups)

The catch: Smaller database than Lusha. Limited team features. No intent data or buyer signals. Best for individual use, not team-scale prospecting.

6. Clay โ€” Data Enrichment on Steroidsโ€‹

Best for: Revenue ops teams that want to combine 75+ data sources into one enrichment workflow

Why switch from Lusha: Instead of relying on one database, Clay waterfall-enriches contacts across dozens of providers (including Lusha itself). You get the best match rate possible, not just one vendor's data.

Key differences:

  • 75+ data providers in one platform
  • Waterfall enrichment (tries Provider A, falls back to B, C, etc.)
  • AI-powered research and personalization
  • Workflow builder for custom enrichment logic

Pricing: Starter $149/mo (2,400 credits), Explorer $349/mo (6,000 credits), Pro $800/mo (24,000 credits)

The catch: Credit-based (same problem as Lusha at scale). Steep learning curve. Built for ops teams, not individual SDRs. Can get expensive fast with heavy usage ($1Kโ€“4K/month for real teams).

See full Clay comparison โ†’

7. Clearbit (Now Breeze Intelligence by HubSpot)โ€‹

Best for: HubSpot-native teams that want automatic CRM enrichment

Why switch from Lusha: If you're already on HubSpot, Clearbit (now Breeze Intelligence) enriches contacts and companies automatically โ€” no manual lookups needed.

Key differences:

  • Real-time enrichment via API
  • Automatic CRM data population
  • Company identification (website visitors)
  • Tight HubSpot integration

Pricing: Custom pricing based on API usage. Typically $12Kโ€“$30K/year.

The catch: Expensive for small teams. Limited to HubSpot ecosystem for full value. Not a prospecting tool โ€” it enriches data you already have, not data you're looking for.

8. Seamless.AI โ€” High-Volume List Buildingโ€‹

Best for: Teams that need to build large prospect lists quickly with a real-time search engine

Why switch from Lusha: Seamless.AI's real-time search engine finds contacts on demand rather than relying on a static database. Pro plans include 1,000 daily credits (vs. Lusha's 800 monthly on Premium).

Key differences:

  • Real-time AI search (vs. static database)
  • Higher credit volumes on Pro/Enterprise plans
  • Prospecting automation features
  • Job change alerts (add-on)

Pricing: Free (50 credits), Basic (250/mo, ~$147/mo), Pro (1,000/day for 5+ seats, custom), Enterprise (custom)

The catch: Biggest red flag in B2B sales tools โ€” cancellation horror stories everywhere. G2 and Capterra reviewers report auto-renewals, difficulty canceling, and being charged after requesting cancellation. Data accuracy is also inconsistent.

See full Seamless.AI comparison โ†’

Free Tool

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How to Chooseโ€‹

If you need simple contact lookups and budget matters: Stay with Lusha or try Apollo.

If you're scaling outbound and credits are the bottleneck: Cognism (unlimited access) or Apollo (unlimited emails).

If you want to stop stacking tools entirely: MarketBetter replaces the need for a separate data tool, sequencer, dialer, and intent platform โ€” one SDR operating system.

If European data quality matters: Cognism is the clear winner for EMEA coverage.

If you want to combine multiple data sources: Clay lets you waterfall-enrich across 75+ providers.

The Bottom Lineโ€‹

Lusha is a solid entry point for B2B contact data. But most growing SDR teams outgrow it โ€” either hitting credit limits, needing intent signals, or wanting a complete workflow platform.

The best alternative depends on what's actually slowing your team down: is it data quality, data volume, or the gap between finding contacts and knowing what to do with them?

See how MarketBetter turns visitor data into SDR action โ†’

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