Best Proxycurl Alternatives in 2026: LinkedIn Data API Comparison
Looking for Proxycurl alternatives? Compare LinkedIn data APIs, scraping tools, and inbound approaches. Find the best fit for your lead generation needs.
Proxycurl has become a popular choice for accessing LinkedIn data programmatically. But whether you're looking for better pricing, different features, or concerned about compliance risks, several alternatives deserve consideration.
Key Takeaways
- Proxycurl charges per API credit—alternatives like Bright Data offer bulk pricing models
- Most LinkedIn APIs violate platform terms—understand the compliance risks before choosing
- Inbound approaches eliminate scraping entirely—prospects come to you with their data
- The best alternative depends on your use case: enrichment, prospecting, or lead generation
Why Look for Proxycurl Alternatives?
According to Proxycurl's documentation, the service provides API access to LinkedIn profiles, companies, and job data. Users seek alternatives for several reasons:
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Pricing concerns: Proxycurl's credit-based model becomes expensive at scale. 1,000 profile lookups can cost $100+.
Rate limiting: API limits restrict high-volume operations, creating bottlenecks for large prospecting campaigns.
Compliance questions: Any LinkedIn data scraping violates platform terms, creating legal and account risks.
Feature gaps: Some users need capabilities Proxycurl doesn't offer, like real-time monitoring or specific data points.
Top Proxycurl Alternatives Compared
1. Bright Data (Formerly Luminati)
Best for: Enterprise-scale data collection
Bright Data offers comprehensive web data solutions including LinkedIn capabilities:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Custom enterprise pricing |
| Data types | Profiles, companies, jobs, posts |
| Compliance | Business-focused legal framework |
| Scale | Designed for high-volume operations |
Pros: Industrial-scale capacity, dedicated account management, comprehensive data coverage
Cons: Enterprise pricing excludes smaller teams, complex setup, ongoing compliance concerns
2. ScrapingBee
Best for: Developers wanting simple API access
ScrapingBee provides web scraping APIs with LinkedIn support:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Pricing | From $49/month (1,000 credits) |
| API style | RESTful, developer-friendly |
| JavaScript rendering | Included |
| Proxy management | Automatic |
Pros: Clean API, good documentation, reasonable starting price
Cons: LinkedIn-specific features limited, still requires compliance awareness
3. PhantomBuster
Best for: Marketing teams wanting no-code solutions
PhantomBuster offers pre-built LinkedIn automation "Phantoms":
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Pricing | From $69/month (Starter) |
| Setup | No-code visual workflows |
| LinkedIn features | Profile scraping, search extraction, auto-actions |
| Integration | Connects with CRMs and tools |
Pros: Easy to use without coding, extensive LinkedIn coverage, workflow automation
Cons: Higher LinkedIn ban risk, automation features violate TOS, pricing adds up quickly
4. Evaboot
Best for: Sales Navigator users
Evaboot specializes in Sales Navigator data extraction:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Pricing | From $49/month |
| Data source | Sales Navigator searches |
| Export format | CSV with clean data |
| Email finding | Built-in verification |
Pros: Specifically designed for Sales Navigator, includes email enrichment, clean exports
Cons: Requires Sales Navigator subscription, LinkedIn compliance concerns
5. Apollo.io
Best for: Sales teams wanting a complete platform
Apollo provides database access without direct LinkedIn scraping:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Free tier available, paid from $49/month |
| Database | 270M+ contacts |
| Integration | Full CRM and sales platform |
| Compliance | Works within legal frameworks |
Pros: No direct LinkedIn scraping reduces risk, comprehensive sales platform, strong data quality
Cons: Data may be outdated, less LinkedIn-specific than Proxycurl
6. LinkedIn Sales Navigator API (Official)
Best for: Enterprise organizations requiring compliance
LinkedIn's official API provides sanctioned data access:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Enterprise custom pricing |
| Compliance | Fully LinkedIn-approved |
| Data access | Limited to permitted use cases |
| Requirements | Partnership application process |
Pros: Zero compliance risk, official data accuracy, full platform support
Cons: Limited availability, restricted use cases, expensive enterprise pricing
Comparison Table: Proxycurl vs Alternatives
| Tool | Starting Price | Best For | Compliance Risk | LinkedIn Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proxycurl | Pay-per-credit | Developers | High | Primary |
| Bright Data | Enterprise | Scale operations | Medium-High | Partial |
| ScrapingBee | $49/month | Simple scraping | Medium | Limited |
| PhantomBuster | $69/month | Marketing teams | High | Primary |
| Evaboot | $49/month | Sales Navigator | High | Primary |
| Apollo.io | Free tier | Sales teams | Low | Secondary |
| Official API | Enterprise | Compliance-required | None | Full |
The Compliance Reality
All unofficial LinkedIn data extraction violates platform terms. According to LinkedIn's User Agreement, scraping and automated data collection are prohibited.
Legal precedent: LinkedIn v. hiQ Labs established that LinkedIn can block scrapers, though public data questions remain legally complex.
Practical risks:
- Account termination without appeal
- IP blocking affecting all company access
- Potential legal action for commercial use
- Data accuracy degrades without maintained access
Enterprise exception: Official LinkedIn Marketing API and Sales Navigator API provide compliant access—but require partnership agreements and enterprise budgets.
The Alternative Approach: Inbound Lead Generation
Rather than scraping LinkedIn data, inbound strategies make prospects come to you—bringing their information voluntarily.
Why Inbound Beats Scraping
| Aspect | Scraping Approach | Inbound Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance | Violates TOS | Fully compliant |
| Data quality | Degrades over time | Always current |
| Prospect intent | Unknown/cold | Demonstrated interest |
| Relationship start | Adversarial | Collaborative |
| Sustainability | Constant cat-and-mouse | Builds over time |
How Inbound Lead Generation Works
Instead of extracting data from LinkedIn profiles, inbound authority building:
- Creates valuable content that attracts your ideal prospects
- Engages authentically to build visibility and trust
- Draws prospects to you through demonstrated expertise
- Receives voluntary contact from interested leads
The prospect provides their information because they want to connect—not because you scraped it.
Real Comparison: Scraping vs Inbound Results
Based on ConnectSafely user data over 90 days:
Scraping-based outreach:
- 1,000 profiles scraped
- 15% email deliverability (bounces from stale data)
- 2% response rate
- 3-5 meetings booked
Inbound authority building:
- 50+ pieces of strategic content
- 200+ meaningful engagements weekly
- 20-30 inbound conversations monthly
- 8-12 qualified meetings monthly
Inbound produces 2-3x more meetings while building sustainable authority.
Choosing the Right Alternative
Choose Proxycurl or similar APIs if:
- You need programmatic LinkedIn data for specific technical use cases
- Compliance risk is acceptable for your organization
- You have developer resources for API integration
- Short-term data needs outweigh long-term relationship building
Choose Apollo.io or databases if:
- You want contact data without direct LinkedIn scraping
- Sales platform integration matters more than LinkedIn-specific data
- Lower compliance risk is important
- You're building outbound sales workflows
Choose inbound lead generation if:
- You want sustainable lead flow without compliance concerns
- Relationship quality matters more than data quantity
- You're building long-term authority in your space
- LinkedIn restrictions concern you
ConnectSafely.ai: The Inbound Alternative
While Proxycurl and alternatives focus on extracting data, ConnectSafely.ai helps you build authority that attracts leads who want to connect.
Key differences:
- No scraping required: Prospects come to you with their information
- Full compliance: Works within LinkedIn's terms
- Higher quality leads: Inbound prospects have demonstrated interest
- Sustainable growth: Authority compounds over time
Instead of paying per profile for data of unknown quality, invest in building the authority that makes prospects seek you out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Proxycurl used for?
Proxycurl provides API access to LinkedIn profile, company, and job data. Developers use it to enrich CRM records, build prospecting lists, verify employment, and power sales automation. It translates LinkedIn URLs into structured JSON data for programmatic use.
Is scraping LinkedIn profiles legal?
The legal status remains complex. LinkedIn's terms prohibit scraping, and the platform actively blocks scrapers. However, courts have issued mixed rulings on public data access. For most businesses, the practical risks (account termination, blocked access) outweigh legal technicalities.
What's the cheapest Proxycurl alternative?
Apollo.io offers a free tier with database access, avoiding direct LinkedIn scraping. ScrapingBee starts at $49/month for general web scraping including LinkedIn. For LinkedIn-specific features, Evaboot and PhantomBuster start around $49-69/month.
How do I get LinkedIn data without an API?
Options include: manual research (time-intensive but compliant), official Sales Navigator exports (limited but approved), database services like Apollo (third-party data), or inbound strategies where prospects provide their information voluntarily.
Is there a free LinkedIn data API?
No reliable free LinkedIn data APIs exist. LinkedIn's official API requires partnership agreements. Free scraping solutions typically violate terms of service and face blocking. For legitimate needs, LinkedIn Sales Navigator provides some export functionality within subscription limits.
What's better than scraping for lead generation?
Inbound authority building produces higher-quality leads without compliance risks. By creating valuable content and engaging authentically, you attract prospects who want to connect. These leads have demonstrated interest, provide current information voluntarily, and start relationships collaboratively rather than from cold outreach.
Ready to generate leads without scraping risks? Start your free trial of ConnectSafely.ai and build inbound authority that attracts qualified prospects.
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