Loops
PhantomBuster
| Feature | Loops | PhantomBuster |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $49/mo | Free / from $69/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | saas-companies, startups, product-led-growth, developers | sales-teams, recruiters, growth-hackers, lead-generation |
| Founded | 2022 | 2016 |
| Email Campaigns | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automation Loops | ✓ | ✗ |
| Transactional Email | ✓ | ✗ |
| Audience Segments | ✓ | ✗ |
| Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✓ | ✗ |
| Linkedin Automation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Data Extraction | ✗ | ✓ |
| Email Finder | ✗ | ✓ |
| Workflow Chains | ✗ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Crm Export | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api Access | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Loops Pros
- Purpose-built for SaaS (not retrofitted from marketing)
- Beautiful default templates and editor
- Transactional and marketing in one platform
- Free plan with 1,000 contacts
✗ Loops Cons
- Newer platform with fewer integrations
- Limited advanced segmentation compared to mature tools
- Not suited for non-SaaS businesses
✓ PhantomBuster Pros
- Pre-built automations for LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.
- No coding required for complex scraping workflows
- Cloud-based (runs 24/7 without your computer)
- Chain multiple Phantoms for sophisticated workflows
✗ PhantomBuster Cons
- Violates most social platform terms of service
- Account ban risk on LinkedIn and other networks
- Credits system limits usage on lower plans
The Verdict
Loops is built for saas companies and startups, with a focus on email-campaigns and automation-loops. PhantomBuster targets sales teams and recruiters and leads with linkedin-automation and data-extraction.
On pricing, Loops is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $49/mo compared to $69/mo for PhantomBuster. That $20/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Loops edges out on user ratings (4.4 vs 4.1). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Loops has a slight overall edge — but if pre-built automations for linkedin, twitter, etc. matters most to you, PhantomBuster may still be the right call.