Short answer: Hunter.io is a focused email tool: find emails by company domain or name, verify them and send simple campaigns. Snov.io covers a similar email finder and verifier but adds more outreach features, such as multi-step drip campaigns and a LinkedIn extension. Choose Hunter if you want something simple for emails, and Snov.io if you want finding and sequencing in one place. If your team also calls prospects, especially in India, neither is built around phone numbers, so pair it with a contact data tool that finds mobiles.
The two tools at a glance
Hunter.io is best known for its Domain Search, which shows email addresses linked to a company domain, and its Email Finder, which guesses and checks the address for a named person. It also offers an Email Verifier, a browser extension and a simple campaigns feature for sending personalised cold emails from your own mailbox.
Snov.io offers an email finder, an email verifier, a Chrome extension that works on LinkedIn and websites, and drip campaigns with multiple steps and conditions. It positions itself as a broader sales engagement tool rather than only an email finder.
Key differences
Focus
Hunter keeps things simple and focused on email discovery and verification. Snov.io puts more emphasis on running outreach once you have the emails.
Finding emails
Both can find emails by domain or by a person's name and company. Results vary by company and region, so test both on your own targets. Pay attention to how each tool shows confidence or verification status for each address.
LinkedIn workflow
Snov.io's Chrome extension is designed to work on LinkedIn profiles and search pages. Hunter's extension is mainly used on company websites to show emails linked to that domain. If your reps live in LinkedIn, this difference matters.
Outreach
Hunter's campaigns are designed for straightforward personalised sequences. Snov.io's drip campaigns offer more steps and branching. If you already use another outreach tool, this may not matter much.
Pricing
Both have offered free plans with monthly limits and paid plans based on credits. Plans change often, so check each vendor's pricing page and see how credits are counted for searches and verifications.
What about phone numbers?
Both tools are built around email. If your team calls prospects, you will need another source for phone numbers. This is especially important when selling into India, where many decision-makers are most reachable on their mobile and a short call often gets a faster response than an email.
What changes when you prospect in India
- Domains and email patterns. Larger Indian companies usually use company domains with predictable patterns, which suits domain-based tools. Smaller businesses sometimes use free email providers, which domain search will not find.
- Coverage. Results for Indian companies can vary by sector and size. Test on your own list.
- Mobiles. Plan for phone outreach with a tool that covers Indian mobile numbers.
How to choose
- Build a sample list of 50 to 100 real prospects across your target segments.
- Run it through both tools and record how many emails each finds and how each rates them.
- Send a small batch to verified addresses from each and track bounces and replies.
- Try the outreach features you would actually use.
- Decide on cost per usable contact, not plan price alone.
Decision checklist
- Do you only need emails, or emails plus sequencing?
- Do your reps prospect from LinkedIn or from company websites?
- Which tool found more valid emails on your list?
- Do you also need phone numbers?
Who each tool tends to suit
Hunter.io may suit you if you want a simple, reliable way to find and verify emails, mainly from company domains, and you run outreach elsewhere or keep it simple.
Snov.io may suit you if you want an email finder, verifier and multi-step campaigns in one tool, and your reps work from LinkedIn.
You may need something else as well if phone calls are a key part of your sales process, or most of your prospects are smaller Indian businesses.
Where PeakAI fits
PeakAI is a B2B contact data tool focused on India. It finds verified emails and mobile numbers for decision-makers, including from LinkedIn profiles through a Chrome extension. Teams that use Hunter or Snov.io for email often add PeakAI when they need working Indian mobile numbers for calls. Check thepeakai.com for current features and pricing, and test it on a sample of your own prospects.
FAQ
Is Snov.io better than Hunter.io?
Neither is better for everyone. Hunter is simpler and focused on email. Snov.io adds more outreach features. Test both on your own list.
Does Hunter.io find phone numbers?
Hunter is built around email discovery and verification. If you need phone numbers, use a separate contact data tool.
Do both tools have free plans?
Both have offered free plans with monthly limits. Check their current pricing pages, as plans change.
Which works better for Indian companies?
It depends on the segment. Domain-based search works best for companies with their own email domain. Test both on Indian prospects and track bounces.
Is it legal to send cold emails to addresses I find?
Use contact data responsibly. Follow applicable laws on privacy and electronic marketing, include a clear way to opt out, and honour opt-out requests promptly.