# PhantomBuster Google Maps Alternatives Compared

URL: https://leadraft.co/blog/phantombuster-google-maps-alternatives
Summary: Alternatives to PhantomBuster's Google Maps phantom, compared on the 120-result cap, emails, verification and price, with October 2026 prices.

[ All articles](https://leadraft.co/blog)

# PhantomBuster Google Maps alternatives

Alternatives to PhantomBuster's Google Maps phantom, compared on the 120-result cap, emails, verification and price, with October 2026 prices.

The Leadraft teamLeadraft

Published

October 31, 2026

Updated

November 3, 2026

Read time

9 min

Category

Comparison

The best PhantomBuster alternative for Google Maps is Leadraft (we make it). It's built for Maps first: you give it a trade and an area, and it returns **every business inside the area with emails checked against the mailbox** in one run, with no 120-result cap and no phantom chain to maintain. Below are PhantomBuster's plans, why people move their Maps work, and how Apify, Outscraper, G Maps Extractor, Lobstr.io and Octoparse compare on the same points.

_Disclosure: Leadraft wrote this. Prices and features come from each vendor's own pages, checked in October 2026 and linked in the Sources. Last checked: November 3, 2026, when we re-read PhantomBuster's plan details._

## What does PhantomBuster's Google Maps phantom do?[#](#what-does-phantombusters-google-maps-phantom-do)

The Google Maps Search Export phantom takes Google Maps search URLs and exports the results to CSV or JSON: place URL, title and 16 more fields, including phone, website and hours. It runs in the cloud, skips duplicates between searches, and can be chained with other phantoms. It's one of many automations on a platform best known for LinkedIn and Sales Navigator.

## How much does PhantomBuster cost?[#](#how-much-does-phantombuster-cost)

PhantomBuster bills by plan, and each plan is a bundle of execution hours, slots and credits, not a number of businesses. These are its plans as stated in PhantomBuster's own pricing explainer (as of July 2026) and matching its pricing page in October 2026.

Scroll horizontally if needed →

| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly (per month) | Execution time | Slots | Email credits | AI credits |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | $0 | 30 minutes a month | 1 | None | None |
| Start | $69 | $56 | 20 hours a month | 5 | 500 | 10,000 |
| Grow | $159 | $128 | 80 hours a month | 15 | 2,500 | 30,000 |
| Scale | $439 | $352 | 300 hours a month | 50 | 10,000 | 90,000 |

The 14-day trial needs no card and includes 2 hours of run time, with downloads capped at 10 rows; the ongoing Free plan also caps exports at 10 rows.

**What's a slot?** Each phantom you keep set up uses a slot. A Maps workflow uses at least two (the Maps export and the website crawler for emails), more if you add a verifier or a CRM step.

**How many hours does a Maps list take?** It depends on how many searches you run and how fast each launch goes, and PhantomBuster doesn't publish a businesses-per-hour figure. We haven't timed one, so we won't guess. Run a test launch on the trial and read the execution time it used.

## Why do people look for PhantomBuster alternatives for Google Maps?[#](#why-do-people-look-for-phantombuster-alternatives-for-google-maps)

The reasons are mostly about the Maps phantom's design, stated on PhantomBuster's own pages, plus some account-level themes from reviews.

-   **About 120 results per search.** The phantom's page says "you won't be able to access any more than this." Covering a city means building many granular searches yourself.
-   **Emails are a second step.** The Maps phantom doesn't collect emails; a separate Data Scraping Crawler phantom visits each site.
-   **No verification described.** Neither page describes checking emails against the mail server.
-   **Results move with the server.** PhantomBuster says its servers are worldwide, so "your results may vary from launch to launch", and recommends a proxy near your location.
-   **Billing by execution time.** Plans are sold in hours and slots, which is hard to translate into "how much for 5,000 businesses".
-   **Reviews are mixed.** Trustpilot shows 3.4 from 114 reviews as of October 2026. Critical reviews mention refunds, slow support and slot limits; positive ones praise easy onboarding and cloud automation.

## How do the PhantomBuster alternatives compare for Google Maps?[#](#how-do-the-phantombuster-alternatives-compare-for-google-maps)

Here's the comparison at a glance, as of October 2026.

Scroll horizontally if needed →

| Tool | Entry price | Past ~120 per search | Emails | Verification | Area search | Billing unit |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **PhantomBuster** | $69/mo | No, about 120 per search | Second phantom | Not described | Search URLs | Execution hours + slots |
| Leadraft | $0 / $19/mo | Yes (tiling) | Included | Included, catch-all graded | Polygon, radius, KML, every plan | Businesses + checked emails |
| Apify | $0 + usage | Yes | Add-on, $2 per 1,000 places on Free | People-lead emails only | Polygon, radius | Per event |
| Outscraper | Pay as you go | Not stated | $3 per 1,000 domains | Separate, $3 per 1,000 | Location dropdown | Per task |
| G Maps Extractor | $0 / $19/mo | Not stated | Included | Not described for business emails | Keyword + place | Records |
| Lobstr.io | $0 / $20/mo | One search per ZIP | +1 credit if found | Verify Emails option | 50 km geo match | Credits per result |
| Octoparse | $0 + template fees | Yes (advanced template) | $0.50 per 1,000 lines | Not described | Not described | Lines + plan |

## What does it take to cover a city with a 120-result cap?[#](#what-does-it-take-to-cover-a-city-with-a-120-result-cap)

You have to split the city yourself. Suppose a metro has around 1,000 dentists, a made-up figure for the arithmetic. At 120 results per search, that's at least 9 searches if each returned a perfectly distinct set, and in practice many more, because neighboring searches overlap and dense areas fill up first. Then each business with a website goes through a second phantom for emails, and then a verifier.

Tools that split the area for you remove that work. In one measured Leadraft run, Portland coffee shops, tiled search found 457 businesses against 230 from a single search. That's one city and one keyword, so read it as an illustration of how much a single search misses ([coverage methodology](https://leadraft.co/methodology/coverage)). For the background, see [why Google Maps stops at 120 results](https://leadraft.co/blog/google-maps-120-results-limit).

## The phantom chain vs one step[#](#the-phantom-chain-vs-one-step)

On PhantomBuster, a Maps list with checked emails is a chain you build and maintain:

1.  **Google Maps Search Export** phantom: one launch per search URL, about 120 results each.
2.  **Merge and dedupe** the exports across searches.
3.  **Data Scraping Crawler** phantom (or another enrichment step): visit each website for emails.
4.  **A verifier**, outside PhantomBuster, to check each email against the mail server.
5.  **Filter** to your area and trade, then export or push to your CRM.

Tools built for Maps fold those steps into one run:

The six steps behind a list you can send to. Skipping any one of them shows up later as missed businesses, wasted credits or bounces.

In Leadraft that's one run: the area is split into tiles, results are deduplicated and filtered to your area and trade, and emails are found and checked before you export. There are no joins to build between steps.

## The alternatives, one by one[#](#the-alternatives-one-by-one)

### 1\. Leadraft: area in, checked emails out[#](#1-leadraft-area-in-checked-emails-out)

Give Leadraft a trade and a city, county or postcode, or draw the area, and it returns the businesses inside it with emails from each business's own website, checked against the mail server. Plans run from Free (500 businesses, 50 checked emails a month, no card) to Scale at $149 (600,000 businesses, 30,000 checked emails), and unused credits roll over. Runs happen on our servers, so you can close the tab. It does Google Maps only: no LinkedIn. See [Leadraft vs PhantomBuster](https://leadraft.co/compare/leadraft-vs-phantombuster).

### 2\. Apify Google Maps Scraper: the automation platform for Maps[#](#2-apify-google-maps-scraper-the-automation-platform-for-maps)

Apify is an automation platform with a chain-the-steps model similar to PhantomBuster's. Its Google Maps Scraper claims to bypass the 120-place limit, supports polygons, and charges per event ($4 per 1,000 places on Free, $1.50 on Business) plus add-ons. See [Apify alternatives](https://leadraft.co/blog/apify-google-maps-scraper-alternatives).

### 3\. Outscraper: pay per task[#](#3-outscraper-pay-per-task)

$3 per 1,000 places after 500 free, $3 per 1,000 domains for emails and contacts, and a separate verifier. Prepaid credits never expire. Zapier and HubSpot integrations. See [Leadraft vs Outscraper](https://leadraft.co/compare/leadraft-vs-outscraper).

### 4\. G Maps Extractor: quick lists in the browser[#](#4-g-maps-extractor-quick-lists-in-the-browser)

Free for 1,000 records a month, then $19 to $149 for 20,000 to 500,000. A Chrome and Edge extension can extract saved place lists. Emails aren't described as verified. See [Leadraft vs G Maps Extractor](https://leadraft.co/compare/leadraft-vs-gmaps-extractor).

### 5\. Lobstr.io: ZIP-by-ZIP coverage[#](#5-lobstrio-zip-by-zip-coverage)

One search per ZIP code with dedupe, one credit per result, one more for emails when found. Starter is $20 for 10,000 credits. Make, Google Sheets, a REST API and an MCP server.

### 6\. Octoparse: visual scraping[#](#6-octoparse-visual-scraping)

The advanced Google Maps template ($2 per 1,000 lines) says it can exceed the 120-result limit by splitting the map, and an Email Finder template costs $0.50 per 1,000 lines. Octoparse is a general scraping tool with templates for many sites besides Maps.

## Is it legal to scrape Google Maps with PhantomBuster or an alternative?[#](#is-it-legal-to-scrape-google-maps-with-phantombuster-or-an-alternative)

The same rules apply whichever tool you use. Google's Maps terms prohibit mass downloading Maps content and using it to build mailing or telemarketing lists, so it's a contract question first. Public business facts, personal data (such as a named owner's email) and the rules for your outreach (CAN-SPAM in the US, GDPR and PECR in Europe and the UK) are separate questions. Every tool here leaves the use of the data to you. Read [is scraping Google Maps legal?](https://leadraft.co/blog/is-scraping-google-maps-legal) and get legal advice for your situation.

## Where does Leadraft fit, and what doesn't it do?[#](#where-does-leadraft-fit-and-what-doesnt-it-do)

Leadraft is built for one job: complete local business lists from Google Maps with checked emails. Compared with the phantom chain above:

-   **Whole areas, not search URLs.** City, county, ZIP, polygon, radius or KML on every plan, searched in tiles past the cap of about 120 per search.
-   **Emails and checking included.** Emails come from each business's own website and are checked against the mail server, graded Verified, Accept-all or Invalid. No crawler phantom and no outside verifier.
-   **Priced in businesses, not hours.** You pay once per business, and businesses outside your area or trade aren't charged. 10,000 businesses with up to 5,000 checked emails fit in the Growth plan at $49 a month, against $69 a month for PhantomBuster's Start plan before any verifier.
-   **Runs on our servers.** Close the tab and the run keeps going; unused credits roll over while your plan is active.

What Leadraft doesn't do: LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Instagram or X automation. It's Google Maps only.

## How do you move your Maps work off PhantomBuster?[#](#how-do-you-move-your-maps-work-off-phantombuster)

1.  **Collect your Maps search URLs.** Note the trade and place each one covers.
2.  **Turn them into one area.** Instead of many URLs, define the city, county or shape they were approximating.
3.  **Run the area in the new tool.** Compare unique businesses inside the area with what your phantom runs returned.
4.  **Compare checked emails.** Count addresses that pass a mailbox check. Treat catch-all as a maybe ([why](https://leadraft.co/blog/catch-all-emails-explained)).
5.  **Rewire the output.** Point your CRM or sequencer at the new tool's export, webhook or native push.

## FAQ[#](#faq)

### What is the best PhantomBuster alternative for Google Maps?[#](#what-is-the-best-phantombuster-alternative-for-google-maps)

For Google Maps lists, Leadraft: you name or draw an area and it returns every business of the trade inside it, with emails from each business's own website checked against the mail server, in one run. There's no 120-result cap to work around and no second phantom for emails. Other tools compared here are Apify (a developer platform), Outscraper (pay per task), G Maps Extractor (records plus a Chrome extension), Lobstr.io (pay per result) and Octoparse (visual scraping).

### How many results does PhantomBuster's Google Maps phantom return?[#](#how-many-results-does-phantombusters-google-maps-phantom-return)

Its Google Maps Search Export page says Google Maps shows about 120 results per search and that you won't get more than that. To cover more, it suggests running several more granular searches within the wider area.

### How much does PhantomBuster cost?[#](#how-much-does-phantombuster-cost-1)

As of October 2026, billed monthly: Start $69 (20 hours of execution time, 5 slots, 500 email credits), Grow $159 (80 hours, 15 slots) and Scale $439 (300 hours, 50 slots). Annual billing is about 20% less. The trial includes 2 hours of execution time with exports limited to 10 rows.

### Does PhantomBuster find emails from Google Maps?[#](#does-phantombuster-find-emails-from-google-maps)

Not in the Maps phantom itself. PhantomBuster suggests chaining it with its Data Scraping Crawler phantom, which visits each website and collects emails, phones and social links.

### Does Leadraft do LinkedIn like PhantomBuster?[#](#does-leadraft-do-linkedin-like-phantombuster)

No. Leadraft does Google Maps only. It's built for local business lists: a whole area searched in one run, with emails found on each business's own website and checked against the mail server. If you also build lists from LinkedIn, you can merge them with your Leadraft list by company website.

## Sources[#](#sources)

All pages checked in October 2026.

1.  PhantomBuster, [Google Maps Search Export](https://phantombuster.com/automations/google-maps/23412/google-maps-search-export).
2.  PhantomBuster, [Pricing](https://phantombuster.com/pricing) and [PhantomBuster pricing explained](https://phantombuster.com/blog/ai-automation/phantombuster-pricing-explained) (July 21, 2026).
3.  Trustpilot, [PhantomBuster reviews](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/phantombuster.com).
4.  Leadraft, [Pricing](https://leadraft.co/pricing) and [Coverage methodology](https://leadraft.co/methodology/coverage).
5.  Apify, [Google Maps Scraper actor](https://apify.com/compass/crawler-google-places).
6.  Outscraper, [Pricing](https://outscraper.com/pricing/).
7.  G Maps Extractor, [Pricing](https://www.gmapsextractor.com/pricing).
8.  Lobstr.io, [Pricing](https://www.lobstr.io/pricing) and [Google Maps Leads Scraper](https://www.lobstr.io/store/google-maps-leads-scraper).
9.  Octoparse, [Google Maps scraper templates](https://www.octoparse.com/scraping-templates/google-maps-scraper).

## Keep reading

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Last built: 2026-11-09