ContactOut Pricing and Plans (2025): Is it worth it ?

Let's be honest—ContactOut pricing can feel like navigating a maze blindfolded. You're looking at their powerful tool for finding email addresses and phone numbers, but their "unlimited" claims hide fair use caps that make budgeting tricky for active sales professionals.

Here's what we're breaking down today: ContactOut's real costs, feature sets, and those sneaky limitations that only surface after you've signed up. We've analyzed their terms of service and user feedback to give you the straight story on what sales professionals and marketing teams actually face.

From "unlimited" plans with hidden caps to export restrictions nobody mentions upfront, let's cut through the marketing speak and see if ContactOut delivers enough value to justify its pricing.

How Much Does ContactOut Cost?

ContactOut pricing kicks off at $0/month for the free plan, with paid plans starting at $49/month. But here's the reality check—those "unlimited" plans come with fair use caps that can catch sales professionals off guard. Your actual cost depends on your plan choice, usage patterns, team size, and which advanced features you need.

Let's look at the main pricing plans:

• Free Plan: $0/month, delivers 5 emails daily, 5 phone numbers daily, 5 exports daily

• Email Plan: $49/month (billed annually), "unlimited" emails (capped at 2,000/month), 300 exports monthly

• Email + Phone Plan: $99/month (billed annually), "unlimited" emails and phones (capped at 2,000 emails + 1,000 phones/month), 600 exports monthly

• Team/API: Custom plans with negotiated limits

Here's the kicker: Those "unlimited" plans aren't truly unlimited. ContactOut's terms reveal fair use caps that many users discover only after signing up.

Detailed Pricing Breakdown:

*Marketed as "unlimited" but subject to fair use policy

ContactOut's "Unlimited" Plans: The Hidden Truth

ContactOut markets their paid plans as offering "unlimited" emails and phones, but buried in their terms of service is this crucial detail: "The credit limit is 2,000 email credits per account per month and 1,000 phone credits per account per month."

This creates predictable frustration for sales professionals who need high-volume prospecting. Let's break down what this really means:

Real Usage Limits

• Email Plan ($49/month): Maximum 2,000 emails monthly (about 91 per business day)

• Email + Phone Plan ($99/month): Maximum 2,000 emails + 1,000 phones monthly

• Export restrictions: 300-600 exports depending on plan

• Fair use policy: Applies to all "unlimited" claims

Real user feedback confirms these caps cause significant issues. One user reported: "They claim unlimited but stop you at 2,000 emails. Apollo gives you 10,000 credits for the same price."

How Much Does ContactOut Cost Monthly?

Monthly ContactOut pricing starts free but quickly jumps to $49 for meaningful functionality. Most business users need at least the Email plan, making the effective monthly cost higher than that free tier suggests.

Sales and marketing teams typically land in the Email or Email + Phone tiers, where ContactOut becomes a real budget consideration. The search portal functionality and Chrome extension require advanced search capabilities that only come with paid plans.

How Much Does ContactOut Cost Yearly?

Annual ContactOut pricing runs $588 for the Email plan ($49 × 12) and $1,188 for the Email + Phone plan ($99 × 12). These figures assume you stay within the fair use limits—exceed them and you'll need to negotiate custom pricing.

For sales professionals who require advanced search capabilities and regular access to phone numbers, the annual commitment makes sense to lock in pricing. But those 2,000 email and 1,000 phone monthly caps can be restrictive for active prospecting teams.

What is ContactOut Cost per Contact?

The ContactOut cost per contact varies by plan and usage:

• Free Plan: Technically free but extremely limited (5 contacts daily)

• Email Plan: $0.025 per email at full capacity ($49 ÷ 2,000 emails)

• Email + Phone Plan: $0.033 per contact at full capacity ($99 ÷ 3,000 total credits)

These calculations assume you maximize your fair use limits. For sales professionals seeking accurate contact information and verified email addresses, the value depends heavily on your monthly volume needs.

ContactOut Pricing Plans and Features

ContactOut Free Plan

The free plan gives you 5 email lookups, 5 phone numbers, and 5 exports daily. It's extremely limited—think of it as a test drive only. You get basic search portal access but miss out on the key features that make ContactOut valuable for sales and marketing teams.

ContactOut Email Plan

Monthly Cost: $49 (billed annually)
Limits: 2,000 emails monthly (marketed as "unlimited"), 300 exports
Features: Email campaigns, list builder, AI Email Writer
Best For: Light email outreach, small businesses

The Email plan offers limited access to ContactOut's extensive database without phone number lookups. It includes advanced features like email campaigns but caps you at 2,000 emails monthly despite the "unlimited" marketing.

ContactOut Email + Phone Plan

Monthly Cost: $99 (billed annually)
Limits: 2,000 emails + 1,000 phones monthly (marketed as "unlimited"), 600 exports
Features: Everything in Email plan plus phone lookups
Best For: Sales professionals needing both emails and direct dials

This plan targets sales professionals who need regular access to contact details and phone numbers. The search portal provides comprehensive search capabilities, and the Chrome extension becomes fully functional.

ContactOut Team/API Plan

Monthly Cost: Custom pricing
Limits: Negotiated based on needs
Features: API access, team management, dedicated support
Reality: Requires direct negotiation with sales

Team plans include extensive CRM functionality and custom plans tailored to specific business needs. This tier works for large sales and marketing teams that need to exceed standard fair use limits and require advanced search capabilities.

ContactOut Features by Plan

ContactOut Pricing: The Hidden Costs

Beyond the base subscription, ContactOut has several limitations that sales and marketing teams need to consider:

Fair Use Caps

Those "unlimited" plans stop at 2,000 emails and 1,000 phones monthly. Sales professionals hitting these limits must negotiate custom pricing or reduce activity.

Export Restrictions

Even with "unlimited" lookups, you're capped at 300-600 exports monthly depending on your plan. This limits how much data you can actually use for email campaigns.

No Overage Options

Unlike credit-based systems, you can't simply buy more credits when needed. Hit the cap? You're done for the month unless you upgrade to custom pricing.

Team Scaling Costs

Each user needs their own subscription. Growing sales teams face linear cost increases with no volume discounts on standard plans.

ContactOut Reviews: User Feedback Analysis

Based on ContactOut reviews from G2 and other platforms, users consistently mention several key differences:

Positive Feedback:

• High data accuracy for verified email addresses

• Excellent Chrome extension functionality

• Good LinkedIn profiles integration

• User friendly interface

Common Complaints:

• "Unlimited" plans with hidden caps frustrate users

• Export limits restrict actual data usage

• No way to purchase additional credits mid-month

• Fair use policy feels deceptive to many users

The ContactOut rating on most review platforms averages 4.0-4.5 stars, with most criticism focused on ContactOut pricing transparency rather than product functionality.

ContactOut Alternatives: Why FullEnrich Stands Out

While ContactOut focuses on single-source data with hidden usage caps, FullEnrich takes a different approach—waterfall enrichment that aggregates 15+ premium data sources. This makes FullEnrich a powerful tool for sales and marketing teams seeking comprehensive contact information without artificial limits.

Why FullEnrich Outperforms ContactOut

Transparent Pricing: No hidden caps or fair use policies. You get exactly what you pay for with clear credit allocation and the ability to purchase more when needed.

20+ Data Sources: Instead of relying on ContactOut's single extensive database, FullEnrich pulls from multiple sources, providing more accurate contact information and highest accuracy match rates.

True Usage Flexibility: Unlike ContactOut's monthly caps, FullEnrich lets you use credits as needed. Run a big campaign one month? No problem—just add credits.

No User Limits: FullEnrich pricing plans support unlimited team members, while ContactOut pricing requires separate subscriptions per user.

Better Value: With ContactOut's hidden caps, you're paying $99 for 2,000 emails and 1,000 phones. FullEnrich delivers more contacts from more sources at better rates.

FullEnrich Pricing vs ContactOut

Other ContactOut Alternatives

Apollo

Apollo offers transparent credit-based pricing with 10,000 credits for $99/month. Better value than ContactOut's capped "unlimited" plan, plus built-in CRM integrations and bulk searches.

ZoomInfo

Enterprise-focused with pricing starting at $14,995 annually. More expensive than ContactOut pricing but includes broader features without fair use restrictions.

Lusha

Credit-based pricing starting at $29/month for 50 credits. More expensive per contact than ContactOut but transparent about limits.

Hunter.io

Focuses on email finding with clear credit-based pricing plans starting at $49/month. No deceptive "unlimited" claims.

What You Need to Remember About ContactOut Pricing

ContactOut pricing appears simple but hides significant limitations:

• "Unlimited" isn't unlimited - Hard caps at 2,000 emails and 1,000 phones monthly catch users off guard

• Export restrictions - Even if you find contacts, you can only export 300-600 monthly

• No overage options - Hit the cap? You're done until next month

• Per-user costs - Each team member needs their own subscription

• Limited transparency - Fair use policy buried in terms of service

For sales and marketing teams needing predictable costs and scalable contact information, alternatives like FullEnrich offer superior value with transparent pricing.

The Bottom Line: ContactOut pricing works for very light users who stay well below 2,000 emails monthly. However, for active sales teams, growing companies, or anyone needing true flexibility and advanced search capabilities, the hidden caps and export limits make alternatives more attractive.

Ready to compare? Try FullEnrich free with 50 credits and experience transparent pricing without hidden caps. With its lead enrichment platform approach and honest pricing plans, FullEnrich might be the valuable tool your sales team actually needs.

FAQ on ContactOut Pricing

Is ContactOut free to use?

ContactOut offers a free plan with 5 email lookups and 5 phone numbers daily. However, this is extremely limited for business use. Most sales professionals need paid plans for meaningful functionality.

What is the alternative to ContactOut?

FullEnrich stands out as the leading alternative, offering 20+ data sources with transparent pricing instead of hidden caps. It's a lead enrichment platform that aggregates multiple sources for better coverage without fair use restrictions.

What is the rating of ContactOut?

ContactOut reviews typically show 4.0-4.5 stars across review platforms. Users praise data accuracy and the user friendly interface but criticize the deceptive "unlimited" marketing.

How does ContactOut work?

ContactOut operates through a Chrome extension and search portal, allowing users to find contact information and phone numbers from LinkedIn profiles and company data. The platform uses advanced search capabilities to locate professional email addresses and personal and work emails.

Are ContactOut's "Unlimited" Plans Really Unlimited?

No. Despite marketing claims, ContactOut's "unlimited" plans have strict fair use caps of 2,000 emails and 1,000 phones monthly. This limitation isn't prominently disclosed until you read the terms of service.