Proxycurl vs PhantomBuster vs ScrapeLinkedIn: LinkedIn API Comparison (2026)

If you need LinkedIn profile data in your application, you have three main options in 2026: Proxycurl, PhantomBuster, and ScrapeLinkedIn. Each takes a different approach, and the right choice depends on what you are building, how much data you need, and what you are willing to pay.

This post compares all three on the metrics that matter: pricing, features, developer experience, and cost at scale.

The Contenders

Proxycurl

The established player in LinkedIn data APIs. Proxycurl offers broad data coverage across profiles, companies, and jobs. Plans start at $49/month with 500 credits included. They have been around the longest and support the widest range of data types.

PhantomBuster

A browser automation platform that goes beyond just data extraction. PhantomBuster can automate LinkedIn actions like sending connection requests and messages. Starting at $56/month, it is a full automation toolkit, not just an API.

ScrapeLinkedIn

An API-only service focused on one thing: getting LinkedIn profile data into your application at the lowest possible cost. $0.01 per profile, no monthly commitment, and automatic refunds on failures. Buy 100 credits for $1 and start scraping.

Feature Comparison

The Same Request, Three Ways

Here is what it looks like to scrape a single LinkedIn profile with each service.

ScrapeLinkedIn

# Submit a scrape request
curl -X POST https://api.scrapelinkedin.com/api/v1/scrape \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-API-Key: li_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  -d '{"linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/johndoe"}'

# Poll for result (~20-30s)
curl https://api.scrapelinkedin.com/api/v1/scrape/PROFILE_ID \
  -H "X-API-Key: li_live_YOUR_KEY"

Proxycurl

# Single request, synchronous response
curl https://nubela.co/proxycurl/api/v2/linkedin \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -G --data-urlencode "url=https://linkedin.com/in/johndoe"

PhantomBuster

# Requires creating a "Phantom" in the dashboard first,
# then launching it via API
curl -X POST https://api.phantombuster.com/api/v2/agents/launch \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-Phantombuster-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"id": "PHANTOM_ID", "argument": {"sessionCookie": "...", "profileUrls": ["https://linkedin.com/in/johndoe"]}}'

ScrapeLinkedIn and Proxycurl are straightforward REST APIs. PhantomBuster requires setting up a "Phantom" workflow in the dashboard first, then triggering it through the API. It also requires a LinkedIn session cookie, which means managing your own LinkedIn login state.

Cost at Scale

This is where the differences become significant. Monthly commitment pricing means you pay the minimum even if you use fewer credits.

At low volumes, the gap is dramatic. A developer scraping 100 profiles per month pays $1 with ScrapeLinkedIn versus $49-$56 with the other two. Even at 10,000 profiles, ScrapeLinkedIn stays at $100 while alternatives climb to $300+.

When to Choose Each

Choose ScrapeLinkedIn if:

• You want the lowest cost per profile with no monthly commitment
• You prefer pay-as-you-go pricing that scales linearly
• You need a simple REST API with JSON responses
• You are a developer building data pipelines, enrichment workflows, or AI agents
• You value automatic refunds on failed lookups

Choose Proxycurl if:

• You need data beyond individual profiles, such as company data, job listings, or role lookups
• You need higher rate limits (300 req/min vs 10 req/min)
• You want synchronous responses without polling
• Budget is not a primary concern and you are already on a monthly plan

Choose PhantomBuster if:

• You need LinkedIn automation beyond data: sending connection requests, messages, or auto-likes
• You want a visual workflow builder with no-code options
• You need to chain multiple LinkedIn actions together
• You are not strictly a developer and prefer a dashboard over an API

Bottom Line

All three services work. The right choice depends on what you are building. If you need cheap, reliable profile data through a clean API, ScrapeLinkedIn is the most cost-effective option by a wide margin. If you need a broad data platform with company data and jobs, Proxycurl has the widest coverage. If you need full LinkedIn automation beyond just reading data, PhantomBuster is the only option that handles actions.

For most developers building enrichment pipelines or AI agents, the math is simple: $0.01 per profile with no monthly minimum is hard to beat.