A side-by-side look at how the two compare, and which one fits your use case.
| Dimension | PersistData | Seamless.AI |
|---|---|---|
| Data model | Server-side per-request data API | Owned/aggregated database with real-time verification at query time (Seamless markets ~1.7-1.8B contact records, 414M+ phone numbers, ~150M companies, its own claims). Not a BYO-cookie scraper, but reps typically prospect via the Chrome extension on a logged-in browser |
| Login / seat required | No login, no seat | Yes; seat-licensed. Primary workflow is a logged-in web app plus a Chrome extension used while browsing LinkedIn/Sales Navigator. The new API can be called with a key, but the underlying account is still a seat-based subscription |
| LinkedIn account ban risk | None; fully server-side | Low-to-moderate; lower than pure BYO-cookie scrapers since it does not require your LinkedIn session cookie, but the typical reveal workflow runs through the extension under your own logged-in LinkedIn session, so heavy in-browser prospecting is not zero-risk |
| Pricing model | One-time packs or month-to-month, transparent published per-credit (PersistData's published terms) | Free (50 lifetime credits). Basic ~$147/mo annual (~$1,764/yr) for ~250 credits/mo. Pro quote-only (reportedly ~$79+/user/mo). Enterprise quote-only, widely reported ~$20K-$100K+/year. Paid tiers are largely opaque; add-ons reportedly inflate bills 40-60% |
| Approx. $ per record | ~$0.02-$0.10 per credit; 0 on a miss (PersistData's stated rates) | ~$0.59 per contact on Basic; some users calculate ~$0.18 on higher-volume plans. Effective cost is higher because not-found lookups still burn credits; users report 20-40% of credits consumed on empty results |
| Pay only for found | Yes; a not-found costs 0 credits (per PersistData's terms) | No; a credit is deducted per lookup/reveal attempt regardless of whether usable data is returned (reviews and a BBB complaint cite credits charged on unavailable data). Seamless does say it refunds a credit if a returned email later bounces, which is not the same as charging 0 for a not-found |
| Free tier | Evaluation via low-cost packs | Yes; 50 lifetime credits, no card, with email/phone reveals and an API key. These are one-time lifetime credits, not a recurring monthly allotment, so trial-grade |
| Annual lock-in | None | Yes, and its most-complained-about trait; most paid plans are 12-month auto-renewing contracts requiring written cancellation 60+ days before renewal. Reviews and BBB cite missed renewal notices and charges after cancellation requests |
| API access | API-first/server-native, no seat, pay-per-found | Yes; as of May 12, 2026, a public API is available on every plan including Free (search, enrichment, job-change intelligence). Caveat: API calls draw from the same plan credit balance (so the not-found credit burn carries over) and still sit on top of a seat-based subscription |
Seamless.AI is a recognized, scaled brand with strong North American coverage (Seamless markets ~1.7-1.8B contacts, 414M+ phones, ~150M companies, its own claims), real-time verification at query time, a fast Chrome extension for one-click reveals, mature native integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics, Outreach, Salesloft, plus Snowflake/Clay via API), and value-add layers PersistData does not offer (buyer-intent data, job-change alerts). Users report solid email accuracy (~85-90% real-world) with credit refunds on bounced emails, and it has a large review base (approximately 4.4/5 on G2 across 5,000+ reviews as of mid-2026, versus a much lower Trustpilot score dominated by billing complaints). As of May 12, 2026 it added API access on every plan.
PersistData fits on commercial model and integration friction, not database scale or brand. Pay-only-for-found means a miss costs 0 credits, versus Seamless burning a credit on a user-reported 20-40% of empty lookups, so real cost-per-found is lower. There is no seat, no login, no Sales Navigator requirement, and no annual lock-in; buy a one-time pack or go month-to-month rather than into an auto-renewing 12-month contract with a 60-day cancel window. Pricing is published and transparent rather than quote-only with add-on creep, and the server-side-first design means zero exposure to your own LinkedIn account.