Head to head
Crustdata vs Hunter
As a data enrichment API, Crustdata rates higher on the APIbenchmarks Index, 95.7 to 78.9, a 16.8-point gap. Here is how they compare on each criterion.
Criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Crustdata | Hunter |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | ||
| Reliability | ||
| Ecosystem & SDKs | ||
| Accessibility | ||
| APIbenchmarks Index | 95.7 | 78.9 |
Specifications
| Crustdata | Hunter | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Real-time data for AI agents and sourcing | Email finding and verification for outreach |
| Free tier | Free trial credits + free-forever tier | 50 credits/mo, API included |
| Pricing | Per credit (additive) | Per credit (1 per email found, 0.5 per verification) |
| Official SDKs | 5 languages | 4 languages |
Is Crustdata better than Hunter?
On the APIbenchmarks Index, Crustdata rates higher (95.7 vs 78.9). It leads on the four weighted criteria, but price is reported separately, so the best choice still depends on your budget.
Verdict in one line
Crustdata leads by 16.8 points (95.7 vs 78.9) and wins 4 of 4 criteria.
Winner by criterion
| Criterion | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | 96 | 84 | |
| Reliability | 95 | 80 | |
| Ecosystem & SDKs | 95 | 66 | |
| Accessibility | 97 | 86 |
Choose Crustdata if… / choose Hunter if…
- →documentation & dx matters most to you (96 vs 84)
- →reliability matters most to you (95 vs 80)
- →ecosystem & sdks matters most to you (95 vs 66)
- →accessibility matters most to you (97 vs 86)
- →you need broad SDK coverage (5 official SDKs vs 4)
- →your use case matches its focus: real-time data for ai agents and sourcing
- →your use case matches its focus: email finding and verification for outreach
Pricing side by side
- Model
- Per credit (additive)
- Free tier
- Free trial credits + free-forever tier
- Free tier$0/mo
- Real-time API AccessCredit-based / not publicly listed
- Flat File DatasetsCustom
- EnterpriseCustom (contact sales)
- Model
- Per credit (1 per email found, 0.5 per verification)
- Free tier
- 50 credits/mo, API included
- Free$0
- StarterEUR 34/mo discounted (EUR 49 regular)
- GrowthEUR 104/mo discounted (EUR 149 regular)
- ScaleEUR 209/mo discounted (EUR 299 regular)
- Data PlatformFrom EUR 6,500
Vendor-published pricing, verified 2026-06-27 (Crustdata) and 2026-10-07 (Hunter).
SDK and language coverage
Both · 0
None
Only Crustdata · 5
REST API (HTTP, primary interface)Official MCP server (Model Context Protocol)crustdata-mcp (community pip package)crustdata-screener-mcp (community package)Composio toolkit (Claude Code, Vercel AI SDK, OpenAI Agents SDK, Mastra AI)
Only Hunter · 4
REST API v2 (query, header or bearer key)OpenAPI JSONMCP serverCommunity libraries only (npm hunterio, Ruby gem)
Strengths and weaknesses
- +Genuine real-time / live web indexing, returns data for untracked companies within minutes rather than serving stale batch data
- +Watcher API + webhooks push change signals (job changes, funding, promotions) the moment they're detected
- +Clean, fast, well-documented REST API that reviewers say makes integration 'almost effortless'
- –Paid plan pricing is opaque, no named tiers or list prices published; heavier endpoints gated behind enterprise/demo requests
- –Credit-based model can create unpredictable costs without active monitoring
- –No first-party SDKs, integration is raw REST (client libraries are community/third-party only)
- +API access included on the permanent Free plan
- +Published OpenAPI JSON and per-endpoint rate limits
- +Test API key for Domain Search, Email Finder and Email Verifier
- –No official SDKs found, community wrappers only
- –Narrow scope: strongest on work emails, weak on phones and non-public contacts
- –Free tier is only 50 credits/month
Crustdata vs Hunter: questions
- Which has better documentation, Crustdata or Hunter?
- Crustdata scores higher on documentation and developer experience: 96 vs 84 out of 100.
- Which is more reliable, Crustdata or Hunter?
- Crustdata scores higher on reliability: 95 vs 80 out of 100.
- Do Crustdata and Hunter have a free tier?
- Crustdata: yes (Free trial credits + free-forever tier). Hunter: yes (50 credits/mo, API included).
- How are Crustdata and Hunter priced?
- Crustdata: Per credit (additive). Hunter: Per credit (1 per email found, 0.5 per verification).
- Which has more official SDKs?
- Crustdata lists 5 official SDKs, Hunter lists 4.