ContactOut vs SalesRipe: One Is Dead - Here's What to Use Instead
SalesRipe shut down on June 5, 2020. So if you're comparing ContactOut vs SalesRipe, one side of the equation doesn't exist anymore. Most "vs" articles list features side by side as if both products are still taking your money. Let's skip the charade and give you something actually useful.
30-Second Verdict
ContactOut wins by default because SalesRipe isn't a product anymore. But "winning by default" doesn't mean it's your best option. ContactOut is solid for profile-based lookups via its Chrome extension, though its export limits and missing accuracy benchmarks leave room for improvement. For verified outbound at scale, Prospeo delivers 98% email accuracy with a 7-day data refresh, and pricing starts free.
What Was SalesRipe?
SalesRipe was a Los Angeles-based lead database that marketed itself as founded in 2015 by a team of fewer than 10 people. It claimed 20,000 users and listed Amazon, Google, and Adobe among its customers. The platform offered access to over 200 million consumer and 20 million business leads, searchable through 30+ filters covering industry, location, company size, title, and technology-based targeting. A built-in lead manager tracked outreach and pipeline stages.
Pricing ran $49/mo for 200 credits, $79/mo for 1,000 credits, and $129/mo for 2,500 credits - one credit per downloaded contact. Overage rates were $0.10/credit on Basic, $0.05 on Plus, and $0.03 on Ultimate. SalesRipe claimed 90% data accuracy and refreshed its database monthly. No contracts, no setup fees, and unused credits rolled over.
The third-party review footprint was paper-thin: a 3.8/5 on Trustpilot from just two reviews in 2018, and zero user reviews on Slashdot. SalesRipe is rarely discussed on Reddit today - most B2B data threads have moved on to Apollo, Lusha, and similar active platforms. SalesRipe's own shutdown page recommended UpLead, ZoomInfo, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator as replacements.
SalesRipe claimed 90% accuracy before shutting down. ContactOut won't even publish a number. Prospeo delivers 98% email accuracy across 300M+ profiles, refreshed every 7 days - not monthly. Start with 75 free emails, no credit card required.
Stop guessing about accuracy. Start with data that proves it.
ContactOut in 2026
Use this if you're doing profile-based prospecting and want a Chrome extension that surfaces emails and phone numbers quickly. ContactOut covers 350 million professionals and carries a 4.4/5 on G2. The extension is genuinely useful for one-off lookups during active prospecting sessions.
Skip this if you need bulk verified data for outbound campaigns. ContactOut's free plan is very limited - most third-party breakdowns list it as 5 emails and 5 phones per day. The Email plan runs ~$99/mo for 300 exports, and Email+Phone jumps to ~$199/mo for 600 exports. Some ContactOut pages also reference lower starting prices around $29/mo and a $299 "unlimited sales users" tier. Team and API plans require talking to sales.
Those export caps get restrictive fast if you're building lists at any real volume. And ContactOut doesn't publish a specific email accuracy rate - which always makes us wonder why. (If you're optimizing for deliverability, start with email bounce rate benchmarks and fixes.)
Feature Comparison Table
| Dimension | SalesRipe (historical) | ContactOut | Prospeo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Shut down June 2020 | Active | Active |
| Database | 220M (consumer + biz) | 350M professionals | 300M+ professionals |
| Email Accuracy | 90% (claimed) | Not published | 98% |
| Pricing | $49-$129/mo (was) | ~$99-$199/mo | ~$0.01/email |
| Free Trial / Free Tier | 7-day free trial | Limited free plan | 75 emails/mo |
| Data Refresh | Monthly | Not published | 7 days |
| Integrations | Built-in lead manager | CRM/ATS integrations and exports | Salesforce, HubSpot, Clay, Zapier, Make |
| Best For | N/A (discontinued) | Profile-based lookups | Verified outbound at scale |
Two of the three most important columns for ContactOut - email accuracy and data refresh - say "not published." That's not a great look when you're charging ~$199/mo.
Best Alternatives in 2026
Here's the thing: if your average deal size is under five figures, you don't need a $200/mo prospecting tool with opaque accuracy. You need verified data at a price that lets you test volume without sweating your budget. (If you're rebuilding your stack, see our picks for sales prospecting databases.)
Prospeo
This is what SalesRipe should have evolved into. Same self-serve model, same no-contract terms - but with dramatically better data. The database spans 300M+ professional profiles with 143M+ verified emails and 125M+ verified mobile numbers, all refreshed on a 7-day cycle.
Email accuracy sits at 98%, compared to the 90% SalesRipe used to claim. We've seen teams cut bounce rates from 35% to under 4% after switching - that kind of improvement pays for itself in domain reputation alone. The Chrome extension has 40,000+ users, and Bombora intent data across 15,000 topics lets you prioritize prospects who are actually in-market. Pricing starts free at 75 emails/month and scales at roughly $0.01 per email. (If you're building lists in Clay, here's a practical guide to Clay list building.)
ContactOut
Still a solid choice for Chrome extension-based lookups when you're prospecting one profile at a time. The free tier works for light usage. But at ~$99-$199/mo with strict export caps, it gets expensive relative to what you get - especially without published accuracy benchmarks.
Apollo.io
The all-in-one play. Apollo bundles a contact database with email sequencing, a dialer, and basic CRM features. There's a free tier, and paid plans start around ~$49/mo per user. Good if you want prospecting and outreach in a single platform and don't mind trading some data accuracy for workflow convenience. The consensus on r/sales is that Apollo's data quality is "good enough" for most use cases, though power users often pair it with a dedicated verification tool. (If you're comparing verification options, see Bouncer alternatives.)
UpLead
SalesRipe's own shutdown page recommended UpLead, and it's a reasonable direct replacement. Worth a look if you want a familiar self-serve database with real-time email verification built in, though the per-email cost runs higher than newer alternatives. (For more options, check our roundup of email list providers.)
SalesRipe charged $49-$129/mo with monthly refreshes. ContactOut charges up to $199/mo with strict export caps and no published accuracy. Prospeo costs ~$0.01 per email with a 7-day refresh cycle and 98% verified accuracy - the math isn't close.
Pay less per email than SalesRipe ever charged, with better data than ContactOut publishes.
FAQ
Is SalesRipe still active?
No. SalesRipe shut down on June 5, 2020 and isn't accepting customers. Its shutdown page recommended UpLead, ZoomInfo, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator as replacements.
How much does ContactOut cost?
ContactOut offers a limited free plan (5 emails and 5 phones per day). Paid plans run ~$99/mo for 300 email exports and ~$199/mo for 600 email + phone exports. Some pages reference a $29/mo entry point and a $299 unlimited sales users tier. Team and API plans require contacting sales.
What's the most accurate alternative for both tools?
Prospeo delivers 98% verified email accuracy across 300M+ professional profiles with a 7-day data refresh cycle. The free tier includes 75 emails/month, and paid plans scale at ~$0.01 per email - no contracts, cancel anytime.
Why did SalesRipe shut down?
SalesRipe never published a specific reason. The company quietly closed on June 5, 2020, redirecting its pricing page to recommend UpLead, ZoomInfo, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator. With only two Trustpilot reviews and minimal community traction, the product likely couldn't keep pace with better-funded B2B data platforms that were scaling fast during that same period.