alternatives

Octopus CRM Alternatives: We Tried 4 for 2 Weeks [2026]

We tested 4 Octopus CRM alternatives for 2 weeks — Outly, LeadDelta, Meet Alfred, and PhantomBuster. Here's what each one does well and who should use it.

29 min de lecture

Note editoriale : cette version francaise reprend la structure et les informations de la version anglaise, avec les references produit adaptees a Outly. La priorite SEO reste la version anglaise.

Octopus CRM Alternatives: We Tried 4 for 2 Weeks [2026]

Octopus CRM is one of the many automation tools that claim to be the “all-in-one automatisation LinkedIn” solution.

In addition to positioning itself as a automatisation LinkedIn tool, the software's name implies that it includes an in-app CRM as well.

That would be a great feature if that were indeed the case.

That’s why we’ve decided to test the tool, and see how it stacks up against some of the best Octopus CRM alternatives out there to see

☝🏼 What this tool offers , and

✌🏼 How it compares to its competitors.

While trying out these tools, we’ve kept in mind all the fonctionnalités that are vital for successful LinkedIn prospection, such as:

💣Safety – because no one wants to risk getting banned;

💣Ease of use – because the last thing you want is your cold prospection strategy to come to a stop because of crappy UI/UX design;

💣Complete sequence automation – meaning if you can automate an entire chain of actions on LinkedIn.

Ideally, the perfect automation tool should let you:

Warm up with a prospect’s LinkedIn profile before following it,

AND

Send a personalized connection request, followed by a personalized message.

💣LinkedIn account safety – If it risks your LinkedIn profile, and if it has other safe methods of bypassing LinkedIn limits;

💣Setting limits and scheduling activity – these are some of the staple points of automatisation LinkedIn since, without these options, any automation software would be incomplete and not as safe;

💣In-app CRM system;

💣Tarifs plans ;

💣Primary use case – Each of these tools has strengths that make it an excellent fit for particular needs.

Below, you’ll find a comparison table with a quick overview of all the important info.

First, I’ll start by analyzing Octopus CRM in detail.

What is Octopus CRM?

First off, even though the name suggests it’s a CRM, Octopus CRM isn’t really a CRM

Octopus CRM is a automatisation LinkedIn software that can be used for very basic automatisation LinkedIn.

It is compatible with Basic, Premium, Sales Navigator, and Recruiter LinkedIn plans.

Octopus CRM – Upsides

Octopus CRM has a few perks worth mentioning.

1 Ease of use

It isn’t too challenging to use, as Octopus CRM has basic automation options, which makes it beginner-friendly.

The only activities you can automate with Octopus CRM are:

  • Visiting profiles;
  • Endorsing up to 7 skills;
  • Sending connection requests – the regular way or via email;
  • Sending bulk messages – but only to first-level connections.

Since Octopus has basic functionalities and they all work pretty much the same, it’s extremely easy to use.

That’s good if you’re new to automatisation LinkedIn tools.

But if you’re a more advanced user, say goodbye to complex prospection automation because Octopus CRM leaves much to be desired.

2 It’s relatively cheap compared to most other tools

The price probably stands out the most when it comes to Octopus CRM, as it is one of the most inexpensive tools on the market.

It offers up to four tarifs plans, including an option to create a custom plan for agences.

#3  Comprehensive tracking & analytics

Octopus CRM provides the essential tracking and analytics KPIs you need to monitor your prospection campaigns.

That means it’s easier to make changes on the fly for maximum conversions.

Here’s how it can help your prospecting activities:

  • Outreach tracking - To help you track the frequency of messages sent and received.
  • Response rates - You can identify prospects that show buyer intent and gauge engagement levels by analyzing responses.
  • Avantagespect activity monitoring - So that you never miss a chance to reach out to sales-ready leads by helping you identify trends and patterns in your prospect’s activity.

Octopus CRM - Downsides

As you could have imagined reading the pros of Octopus CRM there are areas in which it would be better to opt for one of the Octopus CRM alternatives.

1 Safety

Firstly, Octopus CRM is a Chrome extension, and it is clearly not safe compared to a cloud-based tool.

Here’s the thing:

Using a Chrome extension significantly raises the chances of being detected – and, in effect, banned – by LinkedIn because LinkedIn has become very good at detecting extensions.

No browser extension can provide cloud-level safety.

Moreover, since it’s connected to your browser, your device must stay active the entire time your campaigns are running.

Besides that, Octopus CRM offers some automatic safety limits and warnings only if you subscribe to the Unlimited plan.

If you go for any of the cheaper plans, you’re pretty much on your own.

Octopus CRM will take no liability for your account being banned by LinkedIn for using it.

2 No advanced automation options

As we’ve mentioned, Octopus CRM can automate only a few very basic LinkedIn activities.

But that’s not the worst of it.

By far, Octopus CRM's biggest flaw is that there are no options for creating smart sequences.

This means you have to create an entirely new campaign for each step you want to take.

Essentially, you have to create a separate campaign for each activity , such as,

  • Viewing a profile,
  • Sending a connection request,
  • Endorsing a skill, or
  • Sending messages to first-level connections.

You also have to manually extract all the symbols and emojis from your prospects’ names.

Warning!

Should you overlook this, the tool will send out connection request messages that include all the titles, symbols, and emoticons, making it evident that a software is sending them rather than a reasonable human being.

There are no options for scheduling activities or setting up automatic limits.

And if you have to do almost everything by yourself, there isn’t much point in paying for a tool that’s only semi-efficient at best.

3 Octopus CRM is not a CRM at all

Octopus CRM is not really a CRM , despite what its name might suggest.

Octopus CRM only offers the option for importing and exporting data (if you buy a more expensive plan, that is)

You also get a very basic statistics dashboard , but nothing more than that.

You cannot further organize or manage your prospects.

Not to mention no options for segmenting your leads and laying out all the relevant data insightfully and clearly.

Essentially, Octopus CRM offers no more CRM options than any other automatisation LinkedIn tool.

In fact, it has even fewer options than some of the Octopus CRM alternatives we’ve tested.

4 Limited options for bypassing LinkedIn limits

Since LinkedIn has recently introduced weekly connection limits , it has become important for automation tools to offer safe ways of bypassing them.

This is another massive weakness of Octopus CRM , as it has just one option for bypassing LinkedIn's limits : the invite by email.

However, there’s a catch to this as well:

You get this feature only if you go for the most expensive plan , and even then, you get only 500 email finder credits.

To make matters worse, the credit is spent on a prospect regardless of whether the search for their email address was successful.

And guess what?

If you want more email finder credits , you will have to pay extra.

Really great, isn’t it?

How much does Octopus CRM cost?

Octopus CRM has four tarifs plans and an option for creating custom plans for agences that want to automate several LinkedIn profiles with the software.

The plans are as follows:

💵 Starter at $9.99 per month;

💵 Pro at $14.99 per month;

💵 Advanced at $21.99 per month;

💵 Unlimited at $39.99 per month.

If you opt for annual billing, you’ll get a 35% discount on these prices.

Even though the plans are really cheap, they come with a catch.

If you want all the vital options for LinkedIn prospection automation, you will have to choose the Unlimited plan.

The most expensive plan is the only one that includes the feature of inviting prospects by email, the options for integration with other apps, and some safety limits.

The cheapest Starter plan offers next to nothing , as you’ll only have the option for an auto invite and a stats dashboard.

Note:

Also, as there are no options for teams, if you want to automate more than one LinkedIn profile, you’ve guessed it right – you have to pay for each license separately.

No matter what plan you choose, there’s a 7-day essai gratuit, which isn’t that much time to see whether the tool is a fit for you.

Moreover, if you need more than the 500 email finder credits you get with the Unlimited plan, you can upgrade to:

  • S at $29/mo that comes with 1000 email credits;
  • M at $49/mo that comes with 2000 email credits;
  • L at $69/mo that comes with 5000 email credits;
  • XL at $99/mo that comes with 10000 email credits.

Summary:

If you have high standards and expectations of your automation tool regarding Octopus CRM, there really isn't that much to say.

On the other hand, if you have relatively modest needs for LinkedIn prospection :

Octopus has a minimal number of fonctionnalités that could be an advantage , as you won’t need too much time to wrap your head around it.

In a nutshell,

👉🏼If you need a tool that won’t put your LinkedIn prospection on total autopilot but leaves you with a lot of work that you’ll have to do manually (more on this below), and

👉🏼You’re okay with not being as safe as you could be;

Then Octopus CRM might do you some good, and it is also one of the cheapest tools on the market.

However, don’t expect to get an in-app CRM , as that’s something that Octopus CRM does not deliver to its users.

If this doesn’t sound all that great to you, read on to see the best Octopus CRM alternatives for you in the market.

Octopus CRM Alternative #1: Outly – Meilleurs if you want to put your LinkedIn + Email prospection on complete autopilot without worrying about safety

On a side note, before we dive in –

While Outly is our automation tool, we’ve rated it honestly and with no fishy business. We were as unbiased and fair in rating Outly as we were with all the other software on our list in order to help you find the right one for you, even when it’s not us.

After all, our client’s success is as important to us as our own, so we wouldn’t dream of promising something we can’t deliver.

Outly is a LinkedIn + email automation tool that can help you create automated campaigns to target your audience on LinkedIn.

All on auto-pilot, with no hassle.

Outly can efficiently automate your day-to-day LinkedIn activities like sending connection requests, personalized messages, emails, and hell, even liking posts and commenting on them.

And the best part is: LinkedIn bots will never know that AI is doing all this.

Why?

Because Outly has an inbuilt safe mode and daily automation limits that make its behavior online more human-like.

Outly can benefit a wide range of users, from:

💣Lead generation agences to start-ups,

💣Sales teams,

💣Recruitment agences, and

💣Individual small business owners.

Even though Outly is relatively new in the market, it has still managed to position itself firmly among its competitors by collaborating with over 3200 customers in a short period of time and earning an outstanding rating of 4.8 on G2.

But don’t take my word for it, here’s a video of a verified customer of Octopus CRM, switching over to Outly for its full automatisation LinkedIn capabilities.

What’s good about Outly?

The following fonctionnalités make Outly stand out from the crowd of other Octopus CRM alternatives:

1 Smart campaigns and sequences

Outly includes various fonctionnalités that enable users to automate all sorts of activities on 2 channels in parallel: LinkedIn + cold email.

With Outly, you can automate:

  • Viewing and following profiles;
  • Liking and commenting on posts;
  • Sending connection requests;
  • Sending highly-personalized messages, including creating entire message sequences.
  • Sending cold emails after waiting a few days after LinkedIn prospection

What’s better is that you don’t have to create a separate campaign for each step since it is possible—and quite easy—to create a single campaign that takes care of all of these activities and more.

You can also delay and schedule specific steps , set up triggers, delete pending invites, blocklist individuals and companies, skip duplicates, etc.

What I mean to say is, Outly makes your automation look more human than robotic. 😇

As Outly's interface is very intuitive, you will have no problem creating your own campaigns in record time.

And as an added help, there are ready-made campaign templates to help you get started quickly.

And if you’re someone who has no idea how to write good LinkedIn prospection messages, Outly has an in-built AI called SalesGPT that can create a high-converting message sequence for you.

Outly also hosts various native integration options with popular CRMs and supports third-party apps with Zapier webhooks:

Outly integrates seamlessly with Zapier, HubSpot, Salesforce, Hyperise, etc.

That enables you to effortlessly export all the relevant data to your CRM or database of choice in a few clicks.

2 Foolproof safety

Outly is a cloud-based tool, which means that the chances of LinkedIn detecting it are virtually non-existent.

And unlike Octopus CRM, you don’t have to keep your device running for your campaigns to proceed as planned – the software will take care of everything even when your computer is shut down.

Moreover, Outly has other ways of protecting the safety of your LinkedIn account.

In addition to randomizing activity, there are options in the tool for setting up limits for all the critical LinkedIn activities you want to engage in, such as:

  • Viewing profiles;
  • Following profiles;
  • Sending email and InMail requests;
  • Sending connection requests;
  • Endorsing skills;
  • Liking and commenting on posts
  • Sending messages to group members;
  • Sending follow-up messages.

You can gradually increase the number of regular connection requests and InMails that you send over a period of time.

That way, Outly's AI mimics human behavior to perfection , making it impossible for LinkedIn to get suspicious and raise the alarm.

If you’re still worried about accidentally crossing LinkedIn limits or alerting the platform with abnormal activity, Outly has a Safe mode feature to ensure you’ll always stay within the recommended range.

3 Several methods of safely bypassing LinkedIn limits

Outly offers two options for working around the weekly limit:

  • Send free InMail – Outly tool will detect all the Premium users who can receive free InMail and send a highly-personalized message to them. You can draft your message or use some of the templates as a helping hand.

  • Leverage events – The weekly LinkedIn limit does not apply to group members or event attendees.

Outly lets you add prospects from an event list and add them to your network with personalized connection requests.

These methods are both effective, as you can reach out to many more people than the measly 100 per week , and completely safe since they are not against LinkedIn’s policies.

4 Top-notch personalization options

With this software, you can effortlessly draft and send highly-personalized messages and connection requests in just a few clicks.

Outly'stop notch AI-powered capabilities can automatically find the things that stand out the most from a particular profile, such as:

  • Experience with volunteering;
  • Remarkable work experience;
  • Top recommendations;
  • Top certifications;
  • Mutual connections.

Outly will then draft a highly-personalized message based on the data it collected, ensuring that your leads feel like they’re talking to an actual person rather than a software.

If you decide to write your own messages rather than use our pre-made, fully customizable templates, Outly's AI Brain will calculate and let you know the probable response rate of those messages.

5 Book meetings with your dream clients on auto-pilot

What if I told you that Outly can automatically respond to your prospects, create multichannel prospection campaigns from thin air, and book meetings on your calendar with your dream customers?

Sounds like a fairy tale? Well, it’s just a regular day of work when you’re using Outly's Inbox Manager 🧙

All you have to do configure your SOP, and voila!

What’s not so good about Outly?

Well, I’m not gonna lie.

Outly has basic cold email automation capabilities, letting you automate follow-ups with configurable delays.

However, Outly also gives you access to buy more Google Workspace inboxes to scale your email prospection, and warm up your email account with warmupbot.com .

If that doesn’t cut the deal for you,  - considering that you get:

  • A first-rate AI tool that can safely bypass LinkedIn limits in several ways ;
  • Options for fully automating every activity you might need for getting a steady stream of warm leads from cold email and LinkedIn;
  • A ton of fonctionnalités that enable you to personalize each step of your prospection your way.

And while you might be saving money in the short-term with the other Octopus CRM alternatives, have you considered the impact it might have on your revenue in the long-term?

How much does Outly cost?

At the moment, Outly has three tarifs plan

  • Basic at $59/month
  • Advanced at $79/month, and
  • Professional at $99/month

You also get a 35% discount if you choose to pay annually.

The Basic tarifs plan includes everything you will need from a automatisation LinkedIn tool; no fonctionnalités hidden. 😇

And the Advanced and Professional plans give you access to more analytics and team management fonctionnalités.

Better yet - it’s perfect for teams of all sizes , as it allows easy integration with most popular CRMs and team collaboration.

Outly comes with a 14-day risk-essai gratuit , providing plenty of time to try everything out and decide for yourself if Outly can help you revolutionize your prospection.

When to go for Outly as the best Octopus CRM alternative?

Ultimately, if you want an actual LinkedIn + email prospection automation tool that’s going to enable you to get a steady stream of warm leads on complete autopilot , then Outly is the ideal choice for you.

Before you say, “Of course he’s bragging about it ‘cause it’s his.”

Yes, it is, but hear me out:

Outly has advanced options for creating various smart sequences and complex campaigns that run independently once you’ve entered the desired actions, triggers, limits, and delays.

What’s more?

Another huge plus is that Outly is cloud-based and provides its users with a Safe Mode that’s available regardless of the tarifs plan they choose.

When you combine that with the automatic randomization of all activities and the options for setting up limits and gradually increasing various activities, you get a foolproof formula for safe LinkedIn prospection – another thing Octopus CRM cannot guarantee.

In addition, Outly's strong AiI capabilities is more than capable of crafting highly-personalized messages .

And let’s not forget the one thing that’s important to most users – Outly offers 2 safe and efficient options for bypassing the dreaded LinkedIn limits that work like a charm.

If your dream customers are not active on LinkedIn, you can cold email them as part of the same campaign sequence in Outly.

Having cold email and LinkedIn prospection in one single tool doubles the chances of you getting a response from your dream customers.

Whereas, with Octopus CRM, you get just one option - and you have to pay extra if you want to make the most of it.

So, if you’re ready for an automation tool that can:

☝🏼 Create fully auto-piloted smart sequences and campaigns that bring a predictable stream of hot new leads, and

✌🏼 Make bypassing LinkedIn limits a breeze while keeping you safe and sound,

Then, Outly is the right Octopus CRM alternative for you.

Don’t just take our word for it.

Sign up for a 14-day essai gratuit and see what Outly has to offer first-hand.

And there are no strings attached – we won’t ask you for your credit card info. 😉

Octopus CRM alternative #2: LeadDelta – Meilleurs if you want an actual CRM software

LeadDelta is a CRM software designed for LinkedIn .

That means, LeadDelta is not an automation tool like Octopus CRM alternatives on our list.

But it helps you organize and manage your LinkedIn leads in one place , giving you a more transparent and straightforward overview of essential data.

It does come with some automation options, though, such as sending bulk messages to a targeted segment of your LinkedIn network.

LeadDelta - Upsides

LeadDelta is an excellent tool if you need to organize your LinkedIn contacts and create an easily accessible database of all the vital info you may need for your business.

Some of its fonctionnalités that made the biggest impression are the following:

1 Helps with organizing your LinkedIn network

LeadDelta is great at giving you a clear, simple, and decluttered view of your LinkedIn contacts and their data , such as their email addresses, phone numbers, companies and positions they’ve worked at, etc.

In addition, you can tag and filter contacts for further segmentation. .

That allows you to group prospects that have something in common or leads that should be targeted in the same campaign, for example.

There’s also an option for bulk removal of LinkedIn contacts.

You can choose to disconnect with certain LinkedIn users but keep them in your LeadDelta database, or you can erase them from LeadDelta alone.

Finally, you could choose to delete them from both LinkedIn and LeadDelta.

2 Management of LinkedIn inbox

LeadDelta also helps you organize your LinkedIn inbox , which is known for its cluttered and unintuitive interface.

With LeadDelta, it’s much easier to keep track of all the messages you’ve sent and received.

You can add notes and tags with reminders or relevant information about the correspondent and even pin the most important messages to access them more easily.

3 Importing and exporting data

LeadDelta lets you gather all the necessary information from your contacts’ profiles in just a few clicks.

That way, you get a complete and understandable database you can further export and integrate seamlessly with any other app or CRM.

LeadDelta - Downsides

There are areas in which LeadDelta is somewhat lacking , but the one you should be REALLY worried about is its automatisation LinkedIn options.

1 It doesn’t offer much when it comes to automation

If you are looking for a software that will take care of your LinkedIn prospection , then LeadDelta is most definitely not the right choice for you, as it has next to no automation options.

LeadDelta is primarily a CRM software.

When it comes to automation, though, the only thing you can semi-automate with LeadDelta is sending bulk messages to up to 25 first-degree connections.

The messages come with basic placeholders to help you draft them more easily , but they are very far from being highly personalized.

How much does LeadDelta cost?

LeadDelta has four tarifs plans at $9.80/ mo., $20.30/ mo., $23.10/mo. annually, and custom for enterprise when billed monthly.

However, the Starter plan is only available if you opt for an annual subscription.

You can only get the Pro and Business plans in the monthly billing cycle for $29/mo. And $33/mo., respectively.

You get a discount when you opt for annual billing of about 30%.

You also get a 7-day essai gratuit period no matter what plan you choose.

When to go for LeadDelta as the best Octopus CRM alternative?

Despite its name, Octopus CRM cannot be called an actual CRM software since it offers next to nothing when it comes to organizing, managing, and creating databases of your LinkedIn leads.

LeadDelta, on the other hand, does precisely that and more.

It gives you a nice, clean, and decluttered overview of everything you need to know about your prospects on LinkedIn.

LeadDelta's interface is pretty intuitive and easy to use , even if you’ve had no experience with CRM so far.

Overall, having a CRM for your LinkedIn prospects combined with an automation tool that puts all of your activity on autopilot is the extra edge you need in your prospection strategy.

So, if what you’re looking for is a LinkedIn-focused CRM software that will help you organize, manage and have a clear view of your LinkedIn network and leads , then LeadDelta is the ultimate Octopus CRM alternative for you.

Octopus CRM alternative #3: Meet Alfred – Idéal pour managing multi-channel campaigns

Meet Alfred , previously known as Meet Leonard, is a tool that’s supposed to ease your génération de leads process through automation.

Meet Alfred is different from other tools because it can tackle several social media at once , making it an excellent option for multi-channel campaigns.

Meet Alfred – Upsides

Several nifty fonctionnalités enable Meet Alfred to deliver outstanding results.

1 Seamless management of multi-channel campaigns

If you aim to target several social media at once, Meet Alfred has your back.

It would take you time to create each post manually, as it easily automates creating posts suitable for various social media.

The software saves you valuable time.

This way, you can use one concept for everything : from LinkedIn to Facebook, Instagram, and even Twitter.

In addition, Meet Alfred optimizes posts for different social media.

It considers the needs and prerequisites of each of these media when creating a post.

You even get to see a pavis before posting it so you can see what it will look like when it appears before your followers and potential prospects.

You can also schedule posting time for every media.

2 Safety

Whereas Meet Leonard was a Chrome extension, Meet Alfred is cloud-based , making it trickier for LinkedIn to detect its use and ban you.

Moreover, the software offers options for setting up limits and tries to mimic regular human activity.

3 CRM options

Meet Alfred has a built-in CRM system that allows users to view and organize LinkedIn leads on a single page.

You can also add tags and notes, apply filters, and export data within the app.

Meet Alfred - Downsides

Meet Alfred comes with quite a few weak points as well.

1 Unsatisfactory user experience

Meet Alfred’s interface is pretty clunky, and it has a steep learning curve.

That means you should be prepared to invest some serious time and effort in mastering this tool's functions if you want to maximize its potential.

Moreover, the software is prone to crashing mid-task , and the campaigns can get glitchy.

Unfortunately, this effectively renders many of Meet Alfred’s neat fonctionnalités practically useless.

To make matters worse, there’s been a report of false aviss on certain platforms , which raises additional flags when it comes to overall UX and UI.

2 Terrible customer support

Customer support seems to be a nightmare at Meet Alfred, as there have been various complaints about it.

Since you never know when an issue or a question might occur, you’d probably feel much safer if someone from the team was always there for you.

Sadly, Meet Alfred does not offer that option, so you’d better be prepared to take care of everything yourself.

How much does Meet Alfred cost?

Meet Alfred comes with four different tarifs plans :

  • Free at $0;
  • Basic at $59 per month;
  • Pro at $99 per month;
  • Team at $79 per month

When billed annually, you get a discount of 50%.

There’s also a 7-day essai gratuit included.

When to go for Meet Alfred as the best Octopus CRM alternative?

Octopus CRM is a rudimentary automatisation LinkedIn tool that can automate only certain LinkedIn activities and it barely even does that, if we’re completely honest.

That's why, Meet Alfred most definitely beats Octopus CRM when it comes to overall automation fonctionnalités , especially when multi-channel campaigns are concerned.

Even though its UX and UI are not as great as we’d like them to be, Meet Alfred still has some cool options for automating the creation, optimization, and posting of social media posts on several platforms simultaneously.

As such, Meet Alfred is a fantastic tool when you need a multi-channel campaign with the main focus on social media.

Creating versatile posts for every media is easy-peasy with a few clicks , which saves you a lot of time, and that’s a feature Octopus CRM doesn’t have.

In addition, the in-app CRM system comes in pretty handy , which is something Octopus CRM doesn’t actually have.

This feature allows you to have a clear overview of all the relevant data from LinkedIn.

In the end, if your primary goal is creating a presence on multiple social media platforms at once and managing multi-channel campaigns with as little time and effort invested, then Meet Alfred is the suitable Octopus CRM alternative for your business.

Octopus CRM alternative #4: PhantomBuster – Meilleurs if you want all-inclusive automation of your web activity

PhantomBuster is not an automation tool created exclusively for LinkedIn.

PhantomBuster enables you to automate practically any web action you would perform manually: from following profiles, liking and commenting on posts, and accepting requests to sending customized messages.

It covers various social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Craigslist, Medium, and many more.

PhantomBuster - Upsides

PhantomBuster offers automation of nearly all web activity that marketers and business owners need the most , but some of its most noteworthy fonctionnalités include the following.

1 It automates a wide range of actions in lots of different social media and platforms.

PhantomBuster has options for automating entire campaigns on various social media, including but not limited to LinkedIn.

By connecting individual Phantoms—which are separate activities, such as viewing or following a profile—into a chain or a “Flow,” you effectively create a campaign that continues working on autopilot.

2 It scrapes data

PhantomBuster can extract almost any information available online and store it for your further use.

The software provides you with an uncluttered view of the saved data , enabling users to access the information they need easily.

You can further export prospect data to your CRM software of choice , a database, or any other system you may need.

3 It’s cloud-based

Thanks to this feature, you can schedule your workflows, set triggers, and leave the rest to the tool.

Being cloud-based also means that the software will be up and running 24/7 , without the need to keep your device turned on all the time.

PhantomBuster - Downsides

PhantomBuster, as nifty a tool as it is, is not without its faults , of course.

Some of the most common challenges users face are as follows.

1 It’s not devised for LinkedIn alone

PhantomBuster is not primarily LinkedIn-focused.

While that might sound like a win, let me explain why it's also Phantombuster’s biggest weakness for cold LinkedIn prospection.

In fact, PhantomBuster doesn’t offer a single option for circumventing the LinkedIn connection invite limitations , so you can send out just 100 invites per week using this tool.

2 There’s a limited number of Phantom slots and time restrictions

The number of slots you get in a plan determines the number of automated activities you can simultaneously have installed on your account.

That dramatically restricts your génération de leads and prospection options , especially if you need more complicated, multi-step workflows for your campaigns.

Moreover, PhantomBuster performs for a limited number of hours per day.

It goes without saying that the more expensive plans provide more working hours than the cheaper ones.

3 Safety might be an issue

PhantomBuster demands access to your cookies to log into LinkedIn as you do and to do that, you have to download a Chrome extension.

That raises the question of safety and probably increases the risk of being detected by LinkedIn bots, which do not favor such tricks.

How much does PhantomBuster cost?

PhantomBuster offers four tarifs plans that include different fonctionnalités:

  • Trial – that comes with 10 slots, 50 email credits and a 2 hour execution time;
  • Starter – $69 per month, with 10 slots and 20h per month;
  • Pro – $159 per month, with 15 slots and 80h per month;
  • Team – $439 per month, with 50 slots and 300h per month;

The pricier plans also include priority support and a dedicated expert in some instances.

In addition, each of these plans, except for the free one, comes with a number of email credits per day , which is essentially the number of email addresses you can scrape in a day.

PhantomBuster also offers a 14-day essai gratuit.

When to go for PhantomBuster as the best Octopus CRM alternative?

PhantomBuster is perfectly apt to automate practically any web-based activity you might need.

As such, it has plenty of automation fonctionnalités that are suited to different social media and platforms.

However, this tool is greatly lacking when it comes to automatisation LinkedIn in particular.

PhantomBuster doesn’t have the option to go around LinkedIn limitations, which is a massive issue for many users who are looking for a way to bypass those restrictions to grow their business.

In addition, it is on the more expensive end of the spectrum, especially if you consider all the limits and restricted number of dedicated activity slots and working hours.

As an alternative to Octopus CRM, PhantomBuster is somewhat safer as it is cloud-based.

That also means your device doesn’t have to be turned on at all times for it to keep running.

On the other hand, PhantomBuster demands access to your cookies to log into LinkedIn as you do.

To do that, you have to install a Chrome extension, which significantly raises the risk of being detected - and banned - by LinkedIn.

To wrap it all up, PhantomBuster is an excellent software when you want to automate activity on the web in general.

If your goal is to automate various actions on several channels and platforms simultaneously —and you’re not primarily targeting LinkedIn —PhantomBuster is the Octopus CRM alternative that will do the trick.

So, what’s the best Octopus CRM alternative for YOU?

As a parting gift, we’ll leave you with some key takeaways to help you make a well-informed decision on choosing a tool that will get the job done for your business-specific needs.

  • If you need an actual CRM rather than a tool that falsely advertises to be one, then LeadDelta is the Octopus CRM alternative that will not disappoint you since this tool really is first-rate when it comes to organizing and managing your LinkedIn prospects’ data;
  • Suppose you’re more of a multi-tasker and are keen on tackling as many social media at once as efficiently as possible. In that case, Meet Alfred might be the suitable Octopus CRM alternative. Its functionalities will enable you to create and optimize posts for different platforms in but a few clicks:
  • If you want a tool that provides you with overall web automation rather than being solely focused on LinkedIn, then look no further than PhantomBuster as the best Octopus CRM alternative;
  • And suppose you’re keen on getting a tool equipped with a top-notch AI that can create complex smart campaigns, safely bypass LinkedIn limits, and personalize your prospection to the greatest extent. In that case, Outly is the perfect Octopus CRM alternative for you.

Wanna give Outly a try?

Sign up for a free 14-day trial right now and see for yourself whether Outly's a match.

You don’t even have to provide your credit card information – just buckle up and enjoy the ride!

And who knows, you might just end up growing your LinkedIn network and getting $20k worth of clients , like this guy did:

Disclaimer: The content of this blog post reflects our own opinions and judgements based on our research and experience as of published date. Comparisons made to other software or tools are for informational purposes only and are based on publicly available information and our own analysis. We do not claim absolute accuracy and encourage readers to conduct their own research to form their own opinions. While we may discuss competitor offerings, our primary focus is to showcase the fonctionnalités and benefits of Outly. Outly is not affiliated with any other software or tool mentioned in this blog post.

Wow your leads by cloning yourself and sending personalized videos and voice notes to each lead on LinkedIn.

If you don't reply to leads within 5 mins, your chances of converting them fall by 50%. Our AI replies on your behalf instantly! (and yes, you can train it)

Don't shoot in the dark. Get detailed analytics on what's working

Outly allows you to invite other team members, so that they can add their LinkedIn Account, run prospection campaigns and get amazing results just like you.

Prêt à appliquer ce playbook à votre propre outreach ?

Outly vous aide à transformer une stratégie d'article en campagnes LinkedIn personnalisées que votre équipe peut lancer rapidement.

85 % de nos utilisateurs en essai obtiennent 5 leads pendant leur essai

Articles associés

Plus d'idées dans la même catégorie.

Retour au blog

alternatives

11x Review 2026: Is This AI SDR Worth The Hype? (+ An Affordable Alternative)

We tested 11x.ai to find out if this AI SDR is worth the hype, covering fonctionnalités, tarifs, setup & real results to help decide if it's right for your team.

Lire l'article

alternatives

3 Best Skylead Alternatives to Consider in 2026

Skylead is a powerful multi-channel sales engagement tool that helps to skyrocket your génération de leads results. We have done an in-depth comparison of 3 popular Skylead alternatives.

Lire l'article

alternatives

4 Best Buzz.ai Alternatives You Need to Try in 2026

If you are already tired of Buzz.ai’s buggy platform and customer service, we have tried and tested various alternatives and come up with the top 4. Read on for improved tools with enhanced fonctionnalités and better tarifs.

Lire l'article

Recevez des conseils de prospection LinkedIn dans votre boîte mail

Pas de spam. Désinscription à tout moment.