2 posts tagged with "Roundup"

The average B2B sales rep spends 64% of their time on non-selling activities — and a huge chunk of that is hunting for leads (Salesforce State of Sales, 2025).

Searching LinkedIn. Guessing email addresses. Cross-referencing company websites with database tools. Building lists manually in spreadsheets. It's the most time-consuming part of the job, and AI is finally making it optional.

In 2026, there are genuinely good free AI lead generation tools that can find contacts, verify emails, enrich profiles, and even draft personalized outreach — without requiring a $10K/year contract with ZoomInfo or a $99/month Apollo subscription.

We tested the free tiers of 12 AI lead generation tools and ranked them by what you can actually accomplish without paying. Here's the honest breakdown.

What Makes a Good AI Lead Generation Tool?​

Before comparing tools, here's what matters:

1. Data quality — Accurate emails and phone numbers that don't bounce
2. AI capabilities — Smart filtering, lead scoring, or personalization beyond basic database queries
3. Free tier generosity — How much can you actually do before hitting a paywall?
4. LinkedIn integration — Since LinkedIn is the primary B2B prospecting channel, how well does the tool work with it?
5. Enrichment depth — Beyond email/phone, does it provide company data, tech stack, recent activity?
6. Ease of use — Can a rep start finding leads in 5 minutes, or does setup take a week?

The 10 Best Free AI Lead Generation Tools​

1. MarketBetter AI Lead Generator (Best Free LinkedIn Prospecting)​

Website: tools.marketbetter.ai/lead-generator

What it does: Analyze any company and find buyer contacts on LinkedIn — with AI-powered matching to identify the most relevant decision-makers.

How it works:

1. Enter a company name or URL
2. AI analyzes the company's size, industry, and org structure
3. Get a list of buyer contacts with LinkedIn profiles, titles, and relevance scores
4. Use the results to build targeted outreach lists

Free tier: Completely free. No signup, no credit card, no usage limits for individual company lookups.

Why it's #1 for free:

• No gates — every other tool on this list either limits free credits, requires signup, or locks key features behind paid plans. MarketBetter's tool is genuinely free.
• AI-powered buyer identification — doesn't just list employees, it identifies the people most likely to be decision-makers for your product
• LinkedIn-native — results link directly to LinkedIn profiles for immediate outreach
• Company context — provides company analysis alongside contact data so you understand the prospect's business before reaching out

Best for: SDRs and AEs who prospect on LinkedIn and need to quickly find the right contacts at target accounts.

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2. Apollo.io​

Website: apollo.io

What it does: All-in-one sales intelligence and engagement platform with a large contact database.

Free tier highlights:

• Unlimited email credits (250 emails/day sending limit)
• 5 mobile number credits/month
• Basic sequencing (2 active sequences)
• LinkedIn extension for profile enrichment
• 275M+ contact database access

Pros:

• The most generous free tier among established platforms
• Good data quality with verification
• Integrated email sequencing
• LinkedIn Chrome extension works well
• Buying intent data available

Cons:

• 5 mobile credits/month is extremely limiting
• Free plan sequences are basic (no A/B testing, limited steps)
• Export limits on the free tier
• Email deliverability can suffer with shared sending infrastructure

Pricing: Free → $49/user/month (Basic) → $79/user/month (Professional)

Best for: Individual reps who primarily need email addresses and basic sequencing.

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3. Seamless.AI​

Website: seamless.ai

What it does: AI-powered sales lead search engine with real-time contact verification.

Free tier highlights:

• 50 credits (one credit = one contact lookup)
• Real-time email and phone verification
• Chrome extension for LinkedIn
• Basic list building

Pros:

• Real-time verification means higher accuracy than static databases
• Chrome extension is well-designed
• Good at finding direct dial phone numbers
• AI-powered company and contact recommendations

Cons:

• 50 free credits is very limiting — burns through in a single session
• Aggressive upsell experience
• Data accuracy can be inconsistent (some users report 70-80% email accuracy)
• Premium features (buyer intent, data enrichment) locked behind expensive plans

Pricing: Free (50 credits) → $147/month (Basic) → Custom (Pro/Enterprise)

Best for: Reps who need direct dial phone numbers and are willing to pay after the trial.

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4. Hunter.io​

Website: hunter.io

What it does: Email finding and verification tool. Enter a company domain, get associated email addresses and the email pattern used.

Free tier highlights:

• 25 searches/month
• 50 verifications/month
• Chrome extension
• Domain search (find all emails at a domain)
• Email pattern detection

Pros:

• Simple and focused — does email finding extremely well
• High accuracy email verification
• Shows email pattern (e.g., [email protected]) so you can extrapolate
• API available on free tier (limited)

Cons:

• 25 searches/month is very limited
• Email-only — no phone numbers, no LinkedIn enrichment
• Doesn't provide AI-powered lead recommendations
• No contact titles or role information on the free tier

Pricing: Free (25 searches) → $34/month (Starter, 500 searches) → $104/month (Growth)

Best for: Marketers and reps who know exactly who they want to email and just need the address.

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5. Lusha​

Website: lusha.com

What it does: B2B contact and company data platform with LinkedIn integration.

Free tier highlights:

• 50 email credits/month
• 5 phone credits/month
• Chrome extension for LinkedIn
• Basic prospecting

Pros:

• Good phone number accuracy (direct dials)
• Clean Chrome extension for LinkedIn prospecting
• Intent data available on paid plans
• GDPR/CCPA compliant data sourcing

Cons:

• 5 phone credits/month is barely enough to test
• Free tier doesn't include bulk enrichment
• Company data is limited on the free plan
• Smaller database than Apollo or ZoomInfo

Pricing: Free → $36/user/month (Pro) → $59/user/month (Premium)

Best for: European teams who need GDPR-compliant contact data.

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6. Snov.io​

Website: snov.io

What it does: Email finding, verification, and cold email outreach platform.

Free tier highlights:

• 50 credits/month
• Email finder and verifier
• 100 email recipients in drip campaigns
• LinkedIn email finder extension

Pros:

• Combined prospecting and outreach in one tool
• Technology checker included (identify a company's tech stack)
• Email warmup on paid plans
• Good for small teams running complete outbound workflows

Cons:

• 50 credits/month split across finding and verifying (you burn through quickly)
• Email accuracy is good but not best-in-class
• UI can be overwhelming with many features
• Drip campaign limits on free tier are very tight

Pricing: Free (50 credits) → $30/month (Starter) → $75/month (Pro)

Best for: Solopreneurs and small teams who want prospecting + outreach in one tool.

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7. RocketReach​

Website: rocketreach.co

What it does: Contact info lookup tool with a database of 700M+ professionals.

Free tier highlights:

• 5 free lookups
• Email and phone data
• Chrome extension
• Company search

Pros:

• Large database (700M+ contacts)
• Good accuracy for senior-level contacts
• Integrates with many CRMs and tools
• Straightforward lookup interface

Cons:

• 5 free lookups is essentially a trial, not a real free tier
• Pricing jumps steeply ($53/month for Essentials)
• No AI-powered recommendations
• Limited enrichment depth

Pricing: Free (5 lookups) → $53/month (Essentials) → $179/month (Pro)

Best for: Occasional lookups for specific, hard-to-find contacts.

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8. Kaspr​

Website: kaspr.io

What it does: LinkedIn-focused lead generation tool with a Chrome extension that reveals contact data on LinkedIn profiles.

Free tier highlights:

• 5 phone credits/month
• 5 direct email credits/month
• Unlimited B2B email credits
• LinkedIn Chrome extension
• Lead list management

Pros:

• Excellent LinkedIn integration
• Unlimited B2B emails on the free tier (company emails, not personal)
• Good European data coverage
• Simple, focused interface

Cons:

• B2B emails (company addresses) are less valuable than personal/direct emails
• Very limited phone and direct email credits on free tier
• Smaller database than Apollo or ZoomInfo
• Limited enrichment beyond contact data

Pricing: Free → $49/user/month (Starter) → $79/user/month (Business)

Best for: SDRs who live on LinkedIn and need a quick-access contact finder.

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9. Cognism​

Website: cognism.com

What it does: Premium B2B sales intelligence with phone-verified mobile numbers (Diamond Data).

Free tier highlights:

• 25 free leads (one-time, not recurring)
• Chrome extension trial
• Limited data access

Pros:

• Best-in-class phone number accuracy (manually verified "Diamond" data)
• Strong European and APAC coverage
• Intent data powered by Bombora
• GDPR-compliant with do-not-call list checking

Cons:

• 25 free leads is basically just a trial
• Expensive paid plans (reportedly $15K-$30K/year)
• No self-serve pricing — must talk to sales
• Limited free functionality

Pricing: Free trial (25 leads) → Contact sales (enterprise pricing)

Best for: Enterprise teams with budget who need verified phone numbers for cold calling.

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10. LinkedIn Sales Navigator (Free Alternatives)​

Website: linkedin.com/sales

While Sales Navigator itself isn't free ($99/month), LinkedIn's free features still offer significant prospecting capability:

Free LinkedIn prospecting capabilities:

• Advanced People Search (limited filters)
• Company pages with employee lists
• Boolean search operators
• InMail credits (limited)
• Profile viewing with partial data

Pros:

• First-party data — the most up-to-date professional information available
• Everyone is on LinkedIn
• Rich profile data (experience, education, endorsements)
• Group membership and activity visible

Cons:

• Commercial use limits — LinkedIn restricts how many profiles you can view
• No email addresses or phone numbers
• Free search filters are limited
• Can't export data natively

Tip: Pair free LinkedIn search with MarketBetter's AI Lead Generator to identify the right contacts at target companies, then connect directly on LinkedIn.

Free Tier Comparison​

Tool	Free Email Credits	Free Phone Credits	Signup Required	AI Features	LinkedIn Integration
MarketBetter	Unlimited lookups	—	No	✅ AI buyer identification	✅ Links to profiles
Apollo.io	Unlimited (250/day)	5/month	Yes	Basic	✅ Chrome extension
Seamless.AI	50 total	50 total	Yes	✅ Recommendations	✅ Chrome extension
Hunter.io	25/month	—	Yes	No	✅ Chrome extension
Lusha	50/month	5/month	Yes	No	✅ Chrome extension
Snov.io	50/month	—	Yes	No	✅ Chrome extension
RocketReach	5 total	5 total	Yes	No	✅ Chrome extension
Kaspr	Unlimited (B2B)	5/month	Yes	No	✅ Chrome extension
Cognism	25 total	25 total	Yes	✅ Intent data	✅ Chrome extension

The Smart Free Prospecting Stack​

You don't need to spend $500/month on sales tools to prospect effectively. Here's a free stack that covers the entire workflow:

1. Find Target Companies​

MarketBetter Lookalike Company Finder — enter your best customer, find 50+ similar companies. Free.

2. Find Buyer Contacts​

MarketBetter AI Lead Generator — analyze each company, get buyer contacts with LinkedIn profiles. Free.

3. Research Their Tech Stack​

MarketBetter Tech Stack Detector — check what tools they use to qualify fit and personalize outreach. Free.

4. Verify Email Addresses​

Hunter.io (25 free verifications/month) — confirm email deliverability before sending.

5. Personalize Outreach​

MarketBetter GiftDM Copilot — AI-personalized gifts and LinkedIn DMs for top prospects. Free.

6. Send Outreach​

Apollo.io free tier (250 emails/day) or LinkedIn free (connection requests + messages).

Total cost: $0/month. Not "free trial" — actually free, ongoing.

Tips for AI-Powered Lead Generation​

1. Quality Over Quantity​

AI makes it easy to generate hundreds of leads. Resist the temptation. 50 highly-targeted leads will outperform 500 poorly-targeted ones every time.

2. Layer Multiple Data Sources​

No single tool has perfect data. Use 2-3 tools to cross-reference and verify contacts. If Apollo and Hunter both show the same email for a contact, you can be confident it's accurate.

3. Personalize Based on AI Insights​

The AI in these tools isn't just for finding contacts — it's for understanding them. Use company analysis, tech stack data, and recent activity to craft relevant, personalized messages.

4. Respect Privacy and Compliance​

GDPR, CCPA, and CAN-SPAM regulations apply regardless of how you source leads. Always include opt-out options, honor unsubscribes, and don't scrape personal data from platforms that prohibit it.

5. Measure What Matters​

Track these metrics:

• Lead-to-reply rate (aim for 5-15%)
• Reply-to-meeting rate (aim for 30-50% of replies)
• Data accuracy (bounce rate below 5%)
• Time to first touch (how fast from lead identification to first outreach)

Start Finding Leads for Free​

The best AI lead generation tool is the one that gets you talking to the right people with the least friction.

Try MarketBetter's free AI Lead Generator →

Enter any company, get AI-identified buyer contacts with LinkedIn profiles. No signup, no credits, no catch.

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Build your full prospecting workflow: find similar companies to your best customers, check their tech stack for fit, then use the Conference Scraper to source leads from upcoming trade shows.

You're about to hop on a sales call. You pull up the prospect's website and wonder: What CMS are they using? Do they have a chatbot? What analytics platform? Are they running HubSpot or Salesforce?

Or maybe you're a developer scoping a competitor's site, a marketer evaluating a potential partner, or a founder doing due diligence.

Whatever the reason, knowing what technology a website uses is incredibly valuable — and there are free tools that can tell you in seconds.

We tested 10 of the most popular website technology checker tools in 2026 and ranked them on accuracy, depth, speed, and actual free-tier usability. Here's what we found.

Why Check a Website's Technology Stack?​

Before diving into tools, here's why this matters:

• Sales prospecting: If you sell a Shopify app and a prospect runs WooCommerce, you're wasting your time. Tech stack data lets you qualify leads instantly.
• Competitive intelligence: See what tools your competitors use for analytics, A/B testing, live chat, and marketing automation.
• Development scoping: Evaluate what frameworks, CDNs, and hosting providers a site relies on before building an integration.
• M&A due diligence: Understand technical debt and infrastructure before acquiring a company.
• Partnership evaluation: Check if a potential partner uses compatible technology before proposing an integration.

According to a 2025 Gartner report, the average mid-market company uses 120+ SaaS tools. That's a lot of technology surface area to analyze — and manual inspection won't cut it.

How Website Technology Checkers Work​

Most tech stack detection tools use a combination of these methods:

1. HTTP header analysis — Server headers reveal web servers (Nginx, Apache), frameworks, and caching layers.
2. JavaScript library detection — Scanning the DOM for known JavaScript frameworks, analytics scripts, and tracking pixels.
3. DNS and SSL analysis — DNS records and SSL certificates can reveal hosting providers and CDN usage.
4. HTML meta tag scanning — CMS platforms often leave fingerprints in meta tags, generator tags, and structured data.
5. Cookie analysis — Different platforms set distinctive cookies that can be identified.
6. Pattern matching — Comparing page source code against databases of thousands of known technology signatures.

The best tools combine multiple methods to maximize detection accuracy.

The 10 Best Free Website Technology Checker Tools​

1. MarketBetter Tech Stack Detector (Best Overall Free Option)​

Website: tools.marketbetter.ai/techstack-detector

What it does: Enter any URL and get a comprehensive breakdown of the technologies that site uses — CMS, frameworks, analytics, marketing tools, hosting, CDN, and more.

Why it stands out:

• Completely free — no signup required, no credit card, no usage limits for individual lookups
• AI-enhanced detection — goes beyond pattern matching to identify technologies that other tools miss
• Sales-focused output — results are organized in a way that's immediately useful for prospecting (e.g., "this company uses HubSpot for marketing automation" rather than just listing script names)
• Clean, fast interface — paste a URL, get results in under 10 seconds
• No browser extension required — works entirely in the browser

Limitations: Designed for individual URL lookups rather than bulk scanning. For analyzing thousands of URLs at once, you'd pair this with a programmatic tool.

Best for: Sales reps who need quick tech stack intel before calls, marketers doing competitive research, and anyone who wants accurate results without creating an account.

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2. BuiltWith​

Website: builtwith.com

What it does: One of the original technology profiling tools. Enter a URL and get a detailed breakdown organized by category (analytics, frameworks, CDN, hosting, CMS, etc.).

Pricing:

• Free: Individual URL lookups with basic results
• Basic: $295/month (full technology lists, lead generation features)
• Pro: $495/month (extended historical data)
• Enterprise: $995/month (API access, bulk lookups)

Pros:

• Massive technology database (tracks 100,000+ technologies)
• Historical data showing when technologies were added or removed
• Market share data for each technology category
• Lead lists filtered by technology (paid feature)

Cons:

• Free tier shows limited results — many technologies are hidden behind the paywall
• Interface feels dated compared to newer tools
• Expensive if you need full data access
• Can be slow on complex sites

Best for: Enterprise teams with budget for deep technographic data and lead list building.

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3. Wappalyzer​

Website: wappalyzer.com

What it does: Browser extension and web-based tool that identifies technologies on websites. Originally open-source, now a commercial product owned by Dun & Bradstreet.

Pricing:

• Free: Browser extension with basic detection (50 lookups/month)
• Starter: $99/month (1,000 lookups)
• Team: $249/month (5,000 lookups)
• Business: $449/month (10,000 lookups)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Pros:

• Browser extension works passively as you browse — see tech stacks without leaving the page
• Well-organized categories (67+ technology categories)
• API available for programmatic access
• Company and contact data bundled in paid plans

Cons:

• Free tier is very limited (50 lookups/month)
• Was open-source, now fully commercial — some community resentment
• Browser extension can slow page loading
• Accuracy has declined according to some users after the acquisition

Best for: Users who want passive tech detection while browsing and are willing to pay for API access.

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4. WhatRuns​

Website: whatruns.com

What it does: Browser extension that shows the technologies used by any website you visit. Focuses on simplicity.

Pricing: Free (with optional paid plans for teams)

Pros:

• Genuinely free browser extension
• Simple, clean interface
• Detects WordPress themes and plugins specifically
• Works on any page you visit

Cons:

• Chrome extension only — no web-based lookup
• Detection accuracy is lower than BuiltWith or Wappalyzer for less common technologies
• Limited to what can be detected client-side
• No API or bulk scanning capabilities

Best for: Casual users who want a free browser extension for quick checks.

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5. Stackcrawler​

Website: stackcrawler.com

What it does: Web-based technology checker with a focus on CMS and e-commerce platform detection (particularly strong at identifying Shopify stores).

Pricing: Free for individual lookups

Pros:

• Good at e-commerce platform detection (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento)
• Clean, modern interface
• No signup required
• Includes some hosting and CDN detection

Cons:

• Narrower technology coverage than BuiltWith or Wappalyzer
• E-commerce focus means it may miss SaaS tools, marketing tech, and analytics
• No bulk scanning
• Limited to major technology categories

Best for: E-commerce professionals who primarily need CMS and platform detection.

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6. W3Techs​

Website: w3techs.com/sites

What it does: Academic-grade technology survey tool. Enter a URL to check specific technology categories, or browse their extensive market share reports.

Pricing: Free for site lookups; premium reports available

Pros:

• Extremely accurate for server-side technologies (web servers, programming languages, CMS)
• Trusted by researchers — their methodology is transparent and well-documented
• Market share data updated daily
• No account required

Cons:

• Doesn't detect client-side technologies well (JavaScript frameworks, analytics, marketing tools)
• Interface is functional but not pretty
• Focused on top-level technologies, not granular MarTech detection
• No API for programmatic access

Best for: Developers and researchers who need reliable server-side technology data.

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7. Hexomatic Tech Stack Analyzer​

Website: hexomatic.com/tools/tech-stack-analyzer

What it does: Free tool that detects technologies used on any website, with results organized by category.

Pricing: Free tool (part of Hexomatic's automation platform; paid plans start at $20/month)

Pros:

• Detects 1,000+ technologies
• Free to use without signup
• Can be combined with Hexomatic's automation workflows for bulk scanning
• Decent accuracy for common technologies

Cons:

• Free tool shows basic results; advanced features require a Hexomatic subscription
• Slower than dedicated tech stack tools
• Part of a broader platform — not a focused tech detection product
• Detection database isn't as comprehensive as BuiltWith

Best for: Users already on Hexomatic's platform who want to add tech detection to their automation workflows.

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8. Seomator Website Technology Checker​

Website: seomator.com/website-technology-checker

What it does: Free technology lookup as part of Seomator's SEO audit platform.

Pricing: Free for individual lookups

Pros:

• No signup required
• Combines tech stack data with SEO audit information
• Decent at detecting CMS, JavaScript libraries, and analytics tools

Cons:

• Limited technology database
• Primarily an SEO tool — tech detection is a secondary feature
• Results can be incomplete for non-web-standard technologies
• No bulk or API access

Best for: SEO professionals who want tech stack data as part of a broader site audit.

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9. WhatCMS​

Website: whatcms.org

What it does: Focused tool for detecting Content Management Systems. Also identifies hosting providers and some web technologies.

Pricing: Free for individual lookups; API plans from $10/month

Pros:

• Best-in-class CMS detection (identifies 800+ CMS platforms)
• Also detects WordPress themes and plugins
• API available at reasonable prices
• Fast and accurate for its focus area

Cons:

• CMS-focused — doesn't detect most MarTech, analytics, or development frameworks
• Not useful if you need a full technology profile
• Limited free API calls (10/day)

Best for: Agencies and developers who primarily need to identify CMS platforms.

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10. Ful.io​

Website: ful.io

What it does: Technology detection with a Chrome extension and web-based lookup. Includes contact information discovery.

Pricing: Free tier available; paid plans for team features

Pros:

• Combines tech detection with contact info discovery
• Chrome extension for passive detection
• Includes e-commerce platform identification

Cons:

• Newer tool with smaller technology database
• Free tier has usage limits
• Accuracy varies depending on the technology category
• Less established reputation

Best for: Users who want tech detection and contact data in one tool.

Quick Comparison Table​

Tool	Free Tier	Technologies Detected	Signup Required	Bulk Scan	API
MarketBetter	✅ Unlimited individual lookups	500+	No	No	No
BuiltWith	✅ Limited results	100,000+	No	Paid	Paid ($295+/mo)
Wappalyzer	✅ 50/month	3,000+	Yes	Paid	Paid ($99+/mo)
WhatRuns	✅ Free extension	1,000+	No	No	No
Stackcrawler	✅ Unlimited	500+	No	No	No
W3Techs	✅ Free	Server-side focused	No	No	No
Hexomatic	✅ Free tool	1,000+	No	Paid	Paid
Seomator	✅ Free	300+	No	No	No
WhatCMS	✅ Limited	CMS-focused (800+)	No	API only	$10/mo
Ful.io	✅ Limited	1,000+	Yes	No	No

How to Use Tech Stack Data for Sales Prospecting​

Knowing what tools a website uses is only valuable if you act on it. Here's the playbook:

1. Qualify Leads by Technology Fit​

If you sell a Salesforce integration, check if prospects actually use Salesforce before reaching out. This alone can double your reply rates by eliminating bad-fit prospects.

2. Personalize Your Outreach​

"I noticed you're running HubSpot with a WordPress site" is a dramatically better opening line than "Hi, I'd like to tell you about our product." Tech stack data makes personalization effortless.

3. Identify Competitive Displacement Opportunities​

If a prospect uses a competitor's product, you know exactly what to position against. "I see you're on Marketo — here's how teams like yours have saved 40% by switching" hits harder than a generic pitch.

4. Build Targeted Account Lists​

Filter your total addressable market by technology to create hyper-focused lists. Companies using Shopify + Klaviyo + Google Analytics represent a very different buyer than those using Magento + Salesforce + Adobe Analytics.

5. Trigger Event-Based Outreach​

If you can detect when a company adds or removes a technology, that's a buying signal. Company just added Drift? They're investing in conversational marketing and might be open to related tools.

When to Use Which Tool​

• Quick individual lookups (no signup): MarketBetter Tech Stack Detector — paste a URL, get results instantly
• Passive browsing detection: WhatRuns (free Chrome extension)
• Enterprise technographic data: BuiltWith (if you have the budget)
• Programmatic/API access: Wappalyzer or WhatCMS
• CMS-specific detection: WhatCMS
• E-commerce platform focus: Stackcrawler
• Server-side technology research: W3Techs

The Bottom Line​

For most users — especially sales reps, marketers, and founders — the best website technology checker is the one that gives you accurate results without friction. You shouldn't need to create an account, install an extension, or pay $295/month just to see what CMS a website uses.

MarketBetter's Tech Stack Detector does exactly that: paste any URL, get a comprehensive tech stack breakdown in seconds, completely free. No signup, no limits for individual lookups, no hidden paywalls.

Try it now — pick any website you're curious about and see what it's built with.

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Looking for more free tools? Check out our AI Lead Generator to find buyer contacts at any company, or use the Lookalike Company Finder to discover companies similar to your best customers.