Hunter verifies via SMTP and is the most recognized name in the category. Coalstoke adds per-domain pattern learning and returns a documented status code — deliverable, catch_all, protected, or undeliverable — on every result rather than a single verified/unverified flag.
| Feature | Coalstoke | Hunter.io |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 50 credits, no card | Hunter.io — limited trial or none |
| Per-credit price (equiv plan) | $0.0019 (Growth) | see table below |
| Pricing model | per workspace | Hunter.io — often per seat |
| Status codes | deliverable · catch_all · protected · undeliverable | usually pass/fail only |
| Catch-all handling | confidence-scored guess (opt-in) | often silently marks as "found" |
| Proofpoint/O365 | returns protected + guess | usually returns "not found" |
| BYOK fallback | yes — plug in any provider key as backup | no |
| Per-domain pattern learning | yes — improves with every lookup | partial |
| Bulk API | 10,000 items/job + webhook | varies |
| Live stats dashboard | public /stats page — every verdict | no |
Live-fetched from our competitor database. Coalstoke rows are highlighted.
| Provider | Tier | Monthly | Credits | Per credit | vs. our Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter.io Starter | flat | $49 | 500 | $0.098 | 51.6× more |
| Hunter.io Pro | flat | $149 | 5,000 | $0.030 | 15.8× more |
Our SMTP layer runs first on every lookup. Domains it can't verify directly get routed to your Hunter.io key. You pay Hunter.io only for the fallback fires. Numbers below are what you actually keep.
Zero risk. Keep your Hunter.io subscription; plug the key into our BYOK fallback and let us handle the domains our SMTP fleet cracks directly for free.
Start free — 50 credits