PhantomBuster alternative
PhantomBuster runs cloud automations called phantoms. Its Twitter phantoms export followers, followings, profiles and hashtag search results using your Twitter session cookie. Plans are built around execution hours and automation slots, and the pricing page leads with LinkedIn outreach. ChatterAPI is an API: X followers, profiles and tweet search come back as JSON at 3 credits per call or per page of about 20, and Reddit works on the same key.
What PhantomBuster is
- The Twitter Follower Collector takes a Twitter cookie and a list of profiles and returns follower rows with fields such as profile URL and name. source
- PhantomBuster says this phantom can extract up to 70 of the most recent followers per account, a limit it attributes to Twitter/X, and that older followers can't be collected even across multiple runs. source
- Related Twitter phantoms include the Following Collector, a Profile Scraper and a Hashtag Search Export. You can download results as CSV or JSON. source
- Phantoms run in the cloud, so you don't need to keep your browser open. source
- PhantomBuster's API adds a phantom to a launch queue and fetches the output of its latest run. source
- As listed on Oct 14, 2026, paid plans billed annually are Start at $56 a month with 20 hours of execution time, Grow at $128 with 80 hours and Scale at $352 with 300 hours. The trial gives 2 hours and caps exports at 10 rows. source
- Every plan lists an MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT and other clients, plus integrations with tools such as HubSpot, n8n, Zapier and Make. source
When PhantomBuster is the better choice
- Your main work is LinkedIn and Sales Navigator prospecting, and X is a side channel.
- You want no-code workflows that chain phantoms and sync results to a CRM.
- You want email enrichment and outreach sequences in the same tool.
- You prefer a point-and-click setup with scheduled refreshes to writing code.
When ChatterAPI fits
- You want X followers, profiles and tweet search from code, as JSON, without sharing a session cookie for reads.
- You want to page through an account's followers about 20 at a time with a cursor and stop when you have enough.
- You want X and Reddit data with one key and one credit balance.
- You want to pay per call rather than for execution hours and slots.
Side by side
| Topic | PhantomBuster | ChatterAPI |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | No-code automations for lead sourcing and outreach (source) | Reddit and X data through one API, plus free tools |
| Platforms | 15+ platforms, with a focus on LinkedIn; X through Twitter phantoms (source) | Reddit and X |
| REST API | Yes. Launch a phantom, then fetch its output (source) | Yes, one key for both platforms |
| MCP server for agents | Yes, listed on every plan (source) | Yes, a hosted MCP server |
| Alerts and monitoring | Daily and scheduled auto-refresh (source) | Not offered yet. You can poll X search or mentions on a schedule |
| Data export formats | CSV or JSON downloads, plus CRM and spreadsheet integrations (source) | JSON from the API. CSV and JSON from the dashboard playground |
| Pricing model | Plans by execution hours and slots, from $56 a month billed annually, as listed on Oct 14, 2026 (source) | 3 credits per X call or page of about 20. Plans from $19 a month for 25,000 credits |
| Setup needed | PhantomBuster account, browser extension and your Twitter cookie (source) | Sign up with Google and create an API key. Reads need no X account |
| Who it suits | Sales and growth teams running no-code prospecting | Developers and teams building with code or AI agents |
- Primary job
- PhantomBuster
- No-code automations for lead sourcing and outreach (source)
- ChatterAPI
- Reddit and X data through one API, plus free tools
- Platforms
- PhantomBuster
- 15+ platforms, with a focus on LinkedIn; X through Twitter phantoms (source)
- ChatterAPI
- Reddit and X
- REST API
- PhantomBuster
- Yes. Launch a phantom, then fetch its output (source)
- ChatterAPI
- Yes, one key for both platforms
- MCP server for agents
- PhantomBuster
- Yes, listed on every plan (source)
- ChatterAPI
- Yes, a hosted MCP server
- Alerts and monitoring
- PhantomBuster
- Daily and scheduled auto-refresh (source)
- ChatterAPI
- Not offered yet. You can poll X search or mentions on a schedule
- Data export formats
- PhantomBuster
- CSV or JSON downloads, plus CRM and spreadsheet integrations (source)
- ChatterAPI
- JSON from the API. CSV and JSON from the dashboard playground
- Pricing model
- PhantomBuster
- Plans by execution hours and slots, from $56 a month billed annually, as listed on Oct 14, 2026 (source)
- ChatterAPI
- 3 credits per X call or page of about 20. Plans from $19 a month for 25,000 credits
- Setup needed
- PhantomBuster
- PhantomBuster account, browser extension and your Twitter cookie (source)
- ChatterAPI
- Sign up with Google and create an API key. Reads need no X account
- Who it suits
- PhantomBuster
- Sales and growth teams running no-code prospecting
- ChatterAPI
- Developers and teams building with code or AI agents
Last checked . Sources: PhantomBuster Twitter Follower Collector, PhantomBuster Twitter Following Collector, PhantomBuster pricing, PhantomBuster API reference.
Moving from PhantomBuster's Twitter phantoms
- List the profile URLs you feed the Follower Collector and Following Collector.
- Call the X followers or following endpoint for each handle, and request more pages with page.nextCursor.
- Replace Profile Scraper runs with X user lookup, and Hashtag Search Export with X tweet search.
- Write the rows to your CRM or sheet from your own code or an automation tool.
curl "https://chatterapi.com/v1/x/users/yourcompetitor/followers" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $CHATTERAPI_KEY"Questions
How many followers can PhantomBuster's Twitter Follower Collector export?
Its page says up to 70 of the most recent followers per account, and that older followers can't be collected even across multiple runs.
Does PhantomBuster need my Twitter login?
The Twitter Follower Collector and Following Collector both ask for a Twitter cookie, which you connect through PhantomBuster's browser extension.
How does ChatterAPI charge for X followers?
3 credits per page of about 20 followers. Large accounts take many pages, so set a page budget.
Can ChatterAPI follow or DM people on X?
Only from X accounts you connect in the dashboard, and within X's rules. Reads need only your API key.