How to use it
Match your immediate need (email, phone, firmographic, tech-stack, or trigger-event data) to the right category, start with the most generous free tier for that category, and re-verify limits before scaling volume through any single tool.
What's inside
- Email finding & verification tools with current free-tier limits
- Direct dial / phone data tools with current free-tier limits
- Firmographic & company data tools (free tiers)
- Tech-stack detection tools (free, unlimited)
- Trigger-event / intent monitoring tools (free, unlimited)
- Social/LinkedIn enrichment tools (free trial)
- CRM-adjacent free enrichment options
- Directory maintenance notes, how to avoid building process on a tool that's about to change tiers
Reviewed July 2026. Free-tier limits on paid platforms shift often, treat the numbers below as directional and re-check the vendor's pricing page before you build a process that depends on volume.
Email finding & verification
| Tool | Free tier | Best for |
|---|
| Hunter.io | 25 searches/month | Fast domain-pattern email lookup |
| Apollo.io | ~100 credits/month (email + phone combined) | Best all-around free tier; also gives basic firmographic data |
| Snov.io | 50 credits (trial-style, not a permanent free plan) | One-time list-building push |
| RocketReach | 5 lookups/month | Occasional single lookups only, tightest limit on this list |
Direct dial / phone numbers
| Tool | Free tier | Best for |
|---|
| Lusha | ~70 credits/month (varies by promo, verify at signup) | Direct-dial-heavy prospecting on a budget |
| Apollo.io | Included in the combined credit pool above | Phone + email in one tool |
Firmographic & company data
| Tool | Free tier | Best for |
|---|
| Crunchbase | Free basic company profiles, funding history | Trigger-event research (funding rounds, leadership) |
| HubSpot free CRM | Unlimited free CRM with basic company insight panel | Central home for enriched records at zero cost |
Note: Clearbit's free Connect tool was discontinued in 2025 and folded into HubSpot Breeze, it's no longer a standalone free option. Don't build a process around it.
Tech-stack detection (free)
| Tool | Free tier | Best for |
|---|
| Wappalyzer | Free browser extension, unlimited manual lookups | Quick "what are they running" check per account |
| BuiltWith | Free basic lookup per domain | Cross-check against Wappalyzer for confidence |
Trigger-event / intent monitoring (free, effectively unlimited)
| Tool | Free tier | Best for |
|---|
| Google Alerts | Free, unlimited alerts | Funding, leadership change, press mentions |
| LinkedIn "notify me" on job changes | Free | Champion/EB moved companies: instant re-engagement trigger |
| SEC EDGAR full-text search | Free, unlimited | Public-company filings for enterprise trigger events |
Social / LinkedIn enrichment
| Tool | Free tier | Best for |
|---|
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator | Free trial (check current trial length at signup) | Advanced search + lead lists during the trial window |
| Native LinkedIn search | Free, always | Baseline company/title search without any tool |
Directory maintenance notes
- Free tiers are the first thing vendors cut when they raise prices: re-verify every tool's current limit quarterly, not just at first use.
- Never build a critical daily workflow around a single free-tier tool with a hard monthly cap; rotate 2–3 tools across the team to stay under limits.
- Treat any free enrichment data as a starting hypothesis, not a verified fact, confirm role/title changes with a LinkedIn glance before outreach.