How to Make the Most of Your PhantomBuster Free Trial

The PhantomBuster free trial lasts 14 days and gives you full access to every feature on the platform, including 2 hours of execution time, 5 automation slots, 1,000 AI credits, and 50 email discovery credits. No credit card is required, and your workspace automatically switches to the Free plan when the trial ends - you're only charged if you choose to upgrade. This guide explains what's included, what the usage limits are, and how to get the most out of your trial.

How the Free trial works

All new users start with a 14-day free trial that provides access to every feature on the platform, including those available in the Start, Grow, and Scale plans.

There are no separate trials for individual plans.

The free trial is designed to help you test your automations or a batch of them, monitor your resource usage on the Usage page, and better understand which plan you might need once the trial ends. You can always start with the Start plan and upgrade as your needs grow.

Features and resources available during the trial

When you activate your trial, your Workspace includes:

• 2h of execution time
• 5 automation slots (Phantoms and/or Workflows) set up and running at the same time.
  → Some Workflows use more than one slot depending on how many steps they include, so you may have fewer total automations active if one of them takes 2 or 3 slots.
• 1,000 AI credits
• 50 email discovery credits
• URL finder credits: 100/month
• CAPTCHA-solving credits: 50 total (used to automatically bypass CAPTCHA challenges during runs)
• Storage space: 1 GB
• Access to all Phantoms and Workflows
• Features like scheduling, chaining, enrichment, and team collaboration
• Access to the API for testing integrations (Zapier, HubSpot and more) and launching Phantoms programmatically

If you're testing the API, note that trial users can only download up to 10 rows per results file. You'll need to upgrade to unlock full access. You can find API setup help in our developer documentation.

You can automate actions, create workflows, and explore the automation features available across all subscription plans.

Free trial vs Free plan at a glance

If your trial ends without upgrading, your workspace moves to the Free plan. Here's the side-by-side:

For unlimited result downloads, more execution time, and higher credit allowances, see What Each PhantomBuster Plan Includes.

Usage limits during the trial

Your access is full, but your usage is capped:

• Result file limits:
  → Each results file is capped at 10 rows. Phantoms will collect full data sets during runs, but downloading complete results requires a paid plan.
• Execution time and resource caps:
  → Execution time, Phantom slots, URL Finder credits, AI credits, and email discovery credits are limited based on the trial allocation. You can monitor your resource usage from the Usage page (click on coin icon in your workspace to access it).
• Feature-specific limits:
  → If you're using one of our LinkedIn URL Finder Phantoms, there's an additional limit of 100 profile URLs per search. When you reach this limit, you'll see the message:
  "URL search limit reached. Upgrade to one of our premium plans for unlimited URL search."
  This limit applies on both the Free trial and Free plan.

If you reach your limits or need full results access, you'll need to upgrade to continue automating without interruptions.

Tips to get the most out of your Free trial

To help you maximize your execution time, URL Finder credits, AI credits, and Phantom slots during the Trial, here are some best practices:

1. Plan your automations:
   • Start with a clear outcome in mind. For example: "extract 100 leads from LinkedIn"
   • Choose Phantoms that align with those goals, such as lead extraction, profile extraction, or outreach.
2. Optimize execution time:
   • Monitor your execution usage on both the Console page and the Usage page.
   • Start with low activity, especially when automating on social networks if your account is new or if this is your first time using automation.
   • Follow rate limit guidelines and stay below recommended thresholds initially to warm up your account.
   • Schedule Phantoms to launch at regular intervals during working hours to mimic natural human behavior.
3. Make the most of your AI credits:
   • Prioritize using AI Phantoms for tasks where they add the most value, such as personalization, copywriting, summarization, or data enrichment.
   • Choose the AI model option that fits the complexity of your task — lighter models are more credit-efficient for simple work, while more advanced models give better results on complex prompts.
4. Manage your Phantom slots:
   • Run Phantoms one at a time or in small batches to avoid hitting the 5-slot limit.
   • Save important results, then delete unused Phantoms to free up slots for new tests.
5. Experiment and iterate:
   • Try different Workflows or chain Phantoms together to create more powerful automation sequences.
   • Review your results and adjust inputs or settings to improve performance over time.

What happens if you upgrade during your trial

If you upgrade before your 14-day trial ends, your trial stops immediately and your paid subscription begins.

Your plan is activated right away, but your resources (execution time, slots, and credits) become available once your payment is successfully processed.

• If your payment is still pending, your Workspace may not yet reflect your new plan limits.
• Once the payment is validated, your resources will update automatically.

You will be billed starting from the day you upgrade, and any unused trial time can't be reinstated.

What happens after the free trial ends

Your free trial ends automatically, there's nothing to cancel. You're only charged if you choose to upgrade.
If you upgrade during the trial, billing starts immediately and the trial ends at that point.

When the trial ends:

• Your Workspace is switched to the Free plan.
• You won't be charged unless you manually upgrade.
• You can continue using PhantomBuster with Free plan limits.

Free plan includes:

The exact resource limits are listed in the comparison table above. A few important things to know:

• One slot at a time: Only one automation can run. If you added more during your trial, they stay saved but can't run unless you free the slot.
• Monthly resets: Your resources reset on your account creation date each month.

You'll still have access to:

• Your saved Phantoms or Workflows and setup.
• Previously collected data.
• The ability to manually launch automations within Free plan limits.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the PhantomBuster free trial?
The free trial lasts 14 days from the moment you sign up and verify your email. It includes full access to all features, automations, and integrations. No credit card is required to start.

Do I need a credit card to start the free trial?
No. You can sign up and start your trial without entering any payment information. You're only asked for payment details if you choose to upgrade to a paid plan.

What happens when the free trial ends?
Your Workspace automatically switches to the Free plan. You won't be charged anything. The Free plan includes 1 Phantom slot, 30 minutes of execution time per month, and 50 MB of storage. Your saved automations and previously collected data are still accessible.

Can I upgrade during the trial?
Yes, but if you upgrade before the 14 days are up, the trial ends immediately and your paid subscription starts. Any unused trial days are forfeited and cannot be reinstated. Your new plan resources become available once payment is processed.

Why can I only download 10 rows from my results?
During the free trial, result file downloads are capped at 10 rows. Your Phantoms still collect the full data during runs, but downloading complete results requires upgrading to a paid plan.