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CRM · head to head

Hunter vs Mailshake

Hunter logo

Hunter

CRM

Email finding, verification and cold outreach platform for B2B prospecting

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mailshake logo

Mailshake

Sales Enablement

Email outreach and sales engagement software for cold email and multichannel sequences

From
$25/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Hunter has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Hunter free plan is limited to 50 credits per month and a single connected inbox, restricting real usage.; Mailshake no free trial is offered, unlike some competing outreach tools.
  • They diverge on capability: Hunter covers Domain search, Mailshake covers Automated Email Sequences.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hunter and Mailshake actually diverge.

Attributes where Hunter and Mailshake differ
AttributeHunterMailshake
Starting priceFree$25/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, apiweb
CategoryCRMSales Enablement

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2015).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Hunter

  • Domain search
  • Email verifier
  • Campaign sender
  • AI writing assistant
  • Browser extension
  • CRM integrations

Only in Mailshake

  • Automated Email Sequences
  • Email Warmup & Verification
  • Data Finder
  • Unified Inbox
  • Power Phone Dialer
  • CRM Integrations
  • A/B Testing

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Hunter

  • Finding verified email addresses for a target companynot Mailshake
  • Verifying email lists before a campaignnot Mailshake
  • Running cold outreach sequences from connected inboxesnot Mailshake
  • Enriching CRM records with contact emailsnot Mailshake

Mailshake

  • Running cold email outreach campaigns for sales prospectingnot Hunter
  • Automating multi-step follow-up sequences with A/B testingnot Hunter
  • Finding and verifying prospect contact data before outreachnot Hunter
  • Combining email and phone dialing in one outbound workflownot Hunter
  • Managing agency client outreach across separate billing teamsnot Hunter

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Hunter

  • Free plan is limited to 50 credits per month and a single connected inbox, restricting real usage.
  • Mobile phone or firmographic data is thinner than dedicated sales intelligence platforms.
  • Multichannel outreach (LinkedIn, calls, SMS) is not supported, unlike some competitors.
  • Higher-volume plans require annual billing to get the advertised discounted price.

Mailshake

  • No free trial is offered, unlike some competing outreach tools.
  • The phone dialer and larger data finder credit allotments are only available on the higher-priced Sales Engagement plan.
  • Pricing scales per user/email address, which can become costly for larger outbound teams.
  • CRM integrations (Salesforce, Pipedrive, HubSpot) are limited to the Email Outreach plan and above, unavailable on Starter.

Pricing, plan by plan

Hunter

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 50 credits per month
    • 1 connected email account
    • Up to 500 recipients per sequence
  • Starter$34/month
    • 2,000 monthly credits (billed yearly)
    • 3 connected email accounts
    • Advanced filters
  • Growth$104/month
    • 10,000 monthly credits (billed yearly)
    • 10 connected email accounts
    • Priority support
  • Scale$209/month
    • 25,000 monthly credits (billed yearly)
    • 20 connected email accounts
    • Account manager included

Mailshake

$25/month
  • Starter$25/month
    • 1 email address per account
    • 1,500 email sends per month
    • Unlimited uploaded contacts and campaigns
  • Email Outreach$45/month
    • 2 email addresses per account
    • Unlimited email sends and campaigns
    • 50 free data finder credits
  • Sales Engagement$85/month
    • 10 email addresses per account
    • 2,500 free data finder credits
    • 5 phone numbers with unlimited North America dialer minutes
  • Agency$undefined/month
    • Unlimited email addresses
    • All Sales Engagement features
    • Custom pricing for agencies

Which should you pick?

Choose Hunter if

  • You need domain search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want email verifier.
Hunter review

Choose Mailshake if

  • You need automated email sequences.
  • You work on web.
  • You also want email warmup & verification.
Mailshake review

Questions people ask

Is Hunter or Mailshake better?
Neither clearly leads. Hunter starts at Free and Mailshake at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hunter or Mailshake?
Hunter has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Hunter and $25/month for Mailshake.
Does Hunter or Mailshake run on more platforms?
Hunter runs on web, api. Mailshake runs on web.
Can I use Hunter for free?
Yes. Hunter has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mailshake starts at $25/month.
What is Hunter best used for?
Hunter is most often used for finding verified email addresses for a target company, verifying email lists before a campaign, running cold outreach sequences from connected inboxes, enriching crm records with contact emails. Of those, finding verified email addresses for a target company and verifying email lists before a campaign are not what Mailshake is typically brought in for.
What can Hunter do that Mailshake cannot?
Hunter covers Domain search, Email verifier, Campaign sender, AI writing assistant. Mailshake covers Automated Email Sequences, Email Warmup & Verification, Data Finder, Unified Inbox.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hunter: What does Hunter cost?

Hunter's Free plan gives 50 credits/month. Paid plans (billed yearly) start at $34/month for Starter (2,000 credits), rising to $104/month for Growth and $209/month for Scale, with custom Enterprise pricing above that.

Source
Mailshake: How am I charged for Mailshake?

Billing is paid by the team and based on the number of users purchased. Each user allows one connected mail account, so a 3-user plan enables 3 connected mailboxes.

Source
Hunter: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes, Hunter's Free plan includes 50 monthly credits, basic database filters, one connected email account, and sequences capped at 500 recipients.

Source
Mailshake: Is there a free trial for Mailshake?

No free trial is offered. Instead, Mailshake provides concierge onboarding, deliverability training, and support resources to new customers.

Source
Hunter: How is usage metered?

Hunter meters usage in credits, consumed once per billing cycle for searches and verifications; credits reset monthly or accumulate annually depending on the billing plan.

Source
Mailshake: Can I cancel my Mailshake subscription at any time?

Yes, subscriptions can be cancelled at any time before the renewal date without additional charges, aside from any outstanding prorated costs.

Source
Hunter: What does Hunter integrate with?

Hunter offers a browser extension, a Google Sheets add-on, CRM connections, and an API, alongside MCP support for AI tool integrations.

Source
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