This guide helps you choose the best PhantomBuster plan based on what you want to automate, how much data you’re working with, and how frequently you plan to run your automations. Whether you're experimenting or scaling, we’ll help you estimate your needs and match them to the right plan.
What’s included in a PhantomBuster plan
Each plan includes a mix of resources:
-
Phantom slots: Fixed per plan, used to run automations simultaneously.
-
Execution time, AI credits, and email credits: Monthly quotas that reset on your billing cycle.
You can view your current usage on the Usage page of your workspace.
→ If you're looking for a breakdown of what’s included in each plan, see What’s included in each PhantomBuster subscription plan
How to estimate your resource needs
1. Define your automation goals
What do you want to do with PhantomBuster?
- Extract LinkedIn or Sales Navigator profiles?
- Extract search results?
- Send outreach messages?
- Find email addresses?
- Use AI to write messages or summarize posts?
Each type of automation uses different resources (slots, time, credits), so defining your goal helps you know what to measure.
2. Review resource usage for your selected Phantoms
When browsing Phantoms or Workflows on the Solutions page, check:
-
Slot usage:
→ Most Phantoms = 1 slot
→ Combined Phantoms may use 2+
→ Workflows = 1 slot -
Execution time estimates:
→ LinkedIn Profile Scraper: ~1 minute per profile.
→ LinkedIn Search Export: ~12 minutes per 1,000 leads.
Larger input data (like a Google Sheet with 1,000 rows) will naturally require more time. -
Platform limitations:
Phantoms must follow the limits of platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram, or Facebook.
3. Understand how credits are used
Some Phantoms also use:
-
Email credits
→ 1 credit = 1 lookup, even if no match is found.
→ A good match rate is around 30–50%, depending on how complete and accurate your input (name and company) is. -
AI credits
→ Used by AI Phantoms.
→ More complex tasks (e.g. message generation) = higher credit use.
If you’re using AI or email Phantoms heavily, you may need a plan with higher monthly credit limits. These resources are shared across your workspace and reset each month based on your subscription.
4. Run a test during your trial
Use your 14-day free trial to simulate real usage:
-
Launch it, then check:
-
Slots used (from your Dashboard or Usage page - Coin icon)
-
Execution time consumed (from your Phantom's console, Activity tab)
-
AI/email credits spent (from your Usage page - Coin icon)
-
This gives you a clearer picture of what your typical automation will consume.
5. Scale based on your needs
Multiply your test usage by:
-
How often you plan to run the automation (daily, weekly)?
-
How many users or clients will share the workspace?
-
Whether you’ll be rotating between multiple social accounts?
This helps forecast whether Starter, Pro, or Team will meet your needs, or if a custom plan is better.
Plan recommendations
- Starter: Great for solo users testing the platform or running just a few light automations.
- Pro: Ideal for consultants, SDRs, or small businesses running regular lead extraction, messaging, or enrichment workflows.
- Team: Best for agencies, large teams, or high-volume setups managing multiple accounts or complex automation flows.
→ Compare what each plan includes in What’s included in each PhantomBuster subscription plan.