If you’re hunting for better B2B leads but sick of sales fluff, you’re in the right place. This guide cuts through the noise around GTM (go-to-market) lead generation tools, with a close look at Aeroleads. If you’re a founder, seller, or marketer who needs real results (not just another dashboard), keep reading.
Why B2B Lead Generation Software Matters (and What Most Tools Miss)
Let’s get honest: Most B2B lead gen tools promise the moon but deliver a list of stale emails and half-baked company info. If you’re building a GTM engine, you need: - Accurate, up-to-date data (not just warmed-over LinkedIn exports) - Easy prospecting—no 10-step workflows or 4-hour onboarding videos - Reasonable pricing (because those “starts at $49” tags never include the good stuff)
Not all tools are created equal. Some are bloated; some are sketchy. Let’s break down what actually matters before we stack Aeroleads against the competition.
What Is Aeroleads, Actually?
Aeroleads is a B2B lead generation tool that helps you find business emails, phone numbers, and contact data for prospects. You can use it as a web app or a Chrome extension, mainly for building targeted lists you can export or push into your CRM.
In plain English: It scrapes data from the web (especially LinkedIn and company sites), then tries to match names with verified contact info. It’s not magic, but it can save you a lot of time if your current “system” is copy-paste and spreadsheets.
Who it’s for: - SDRs, sales teams, or founders doing their own prospecting - Agencies and consultants needing to build lists for clients - Marketers who want to feed outbound campaigns with fresh contacts
How Aeroleads Works: A Step-by-Step Rundown
If you don’t want to waste hours on setup, Aeroleads will probably appeal to you. Here’s how it works in practice:
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Install the Chrome Extension
You’ll need Chrome, as the plugin is the quickest way to use Aeroleads. It lets you grab data while browsing LinkedIn or company websites. -
Search for Prospects
- On LinkedIn, search for your target audience (say, “VP Marketing, SaaS companies, United States”).
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Use the Aeroleads plugin to scrape their names, titles, and company info.
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Find Contact Details
- Aeroleads tries to find verified emails and phone numbers.
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It shows you which contacts have verified info (not just guesses).
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Build and Export Lists
- Save selected contacts into custom lists.
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Export as CSV, or push to CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, or Mailchimp.
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Track Usage and Credits
- Aeroleads works on a credit system. One credit = one contact’s data.
- You’ll burn through credits fast if you’re not picky about who you add.
Pro tip: Only pull high-value leads you actually want to contact. Bulk scraping eats up credits and fills your CRM with noise.
The Good: Where Aeroleads Delivers
- Simplicity. You’ll be up and running in 10 minutes, not hours.
- Direct integration with LinkedIn. Most leads are sourced from LinkedIn profiles, which are generally up-to-date.
- Decent CRM integrations. Pushing contacts to HubSpot or Salesforce is surprisingly painless.
- Transparent pricing. No bait-and-switch. You pay for credits, so you know exactly what you’re getting.
- Solid support. The team responds quickly, and there’s plenty of help content.
The Not-So-Good: Where Aeroleads Falls Short
- Accuracy is hit-or-miss. Like every data tool, not all emails are verified. You’ll get some bounces—expect it, plan for it.
- LinkedIn dependence. If you’re not using LinkedIn for prospecting, Aeroleads loses much of its value.
- UI feels dated. It’s not ugly, but it’s clunky compared to slicker (and pricier) tools.
- Credit system can get expensive. If you need thousands of leads per month, you’ll pay more than you might expect.
- No intent or technographic data. Aeroleads won’t tell you who’s shopping for your kind of software, just who works where.
Aeroleads vs. The Competition
Here’s how Aeroleads stacks up against a few common alternatives:
1. Aeroleads vs. Apollo.io
- Apollo.io is a full sales engagement platform with a huge contact database, built-in sequencer, and a more complex UI.
- Aeroleads is simpler and cheaper, but with fewer features.
- Verdict: If you want “just the leads,” Aeroleads is fine. If you want outreach automation, Apollo wins—but at a higher price (and with a steeper learning curve).
2. Aeroleads vs. ZoomInfo
- ZoomInfo is the 800-pound gorilla: vast data, intent signals, advanced filters, but eye-wateringly expensive.
- Aeroleads is accessible for small teams and doesn’t lock you into annual contracts.
- Verdict: For enterprise budgets and deep data, ZoomInfo. For scrappy teams who need to hit the ground running, Aeroleads.
3. Aeroleads vs. Hunter.io
- Hunter.io is all about finding and verifying emails—no bells, no whistles.
- Aeroleads gives you more context (names, companies, phones), plus list-building and CRM sync.
- Verdict: If you only care about email, Hunter is cheaper. If you want full contact profiles and a workflow, Aeroleads has the edge.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Aeroleads | Apollo.io | ZoomInfo | Hunter.io | |------------------------|--------------|---------------|---------------|--------------| | Chrome Extension | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | | Data Types | Email, Phone, Company | Email, Company, Tech, Intent | Email, Phone, Intent, Tech | Email only | | CRM Integrations | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited | | Pricing | Credit-based | Subscription | Enterprise | Credit-based | | Usability | Easy | Moderate | Complex | Easy | | Best For | Small teams | Sales orgs | Enterprises | Email-only |
When Aeroleads Makes Sense (and When It Doesn’t)
Aeroleads is a good fit if: - You want to build targeted, manageable lists for cold outreach. - You’re working solo or in a small team without a giant budget. - You mostly prospect on LinkedIn. - You’re okay with doing your own outreach (it doesn’t automate emails).
Skip it if: - You need “done for you” data with deep segmentation. - You’re allergic to manual work. - You need highly accurate, enterprise-grade data or intent signals.
How to Get the Most Out of Aeroleads
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Define Your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) First
Don’t just scrape everyone in your industry. Get clear on who you actually want to contact. -
Use LinkedIn Filters Aggressively
The tighter your LinkedIn search, the better your Aeroleads results. Garbage in, garbage out. -
Verify Emails Before Sending
Even “verified” emails can bounce. Run them through a tool like NeverBounce before hitting send. -
Push Only Quality Contacts to Your CRM
Resist the urge to bulk-import. Clean lists mean fewer headaches. -
Track Performance
Monitor reply and bounce rates to see if Aeroleads is pulling its weight.
Pro tip: Pair Aeroleads with a lightweight outreach tool (like Mailshake or Lemlist) for a full outbound workflow without breaking the bank.
What to Ignore: The Hype and the Pitfalls
- “Unlimited leads.” There’s no such thing. You’ll always run into credit limits, data issues, or LinkedIn restrictions.
- “100% verified emails.” Nobody can promise that. Always expect some bounces.
- “Instant ROI.” Building a strong outbound engine takes time. No tool is a silver bullet.
The Bottom Line
Aeroleads is a solid option if you need to build targeted B2B lists fast, especially if you live on LinkedIn and don’t want to pay enterprise prices. Is it perfect? No. Will it replace a full-fledged GTM stack? Also no. But for most small teams and founders, it’s “good enough”—and sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
Don’t overthink it. Start small, test, tweak, and see what actually works for your team. Lead gen isn’t magic—it’s about doing the basics well, over and over.