Datacircle

Best cached email verification API in 2026

Last updated:

We benchmarked 10 cached email verification API providers. We list the three we score highest. For each one, we show its top scoring plan, each part of the plan's score and what 1,000 emails cost.

The Data score on Cached email validation

How often the call judges an address right, out of 100: valid when it gets mail, invalid when it bounces. Real addresses count for half the score and bounced addresses for the other half. A call scores 0 if it calls no bounced address invalid. It also scores 0 if it calls no real address valid. A call that never asks the mail server about the address scores 0 too. A catch-all, unknown or risky answer counts as not right. A valid answer counts even when the call also says the domain is catch-all. A provider called on fewer addresses is set against how the others did on those same addresses, so an easier few don't lift it. A provider we called more than once on the same address is scored on all those calls, so no one run decides it. Each provider here may answer from a check it made earlier, or check only the domain.

  1. #1

    MailValid, $79 monthly, MailValid Plus 50,000 credits: Cached email verification API

    Overall score
    60.9Overall score: 60.9 What goes in • Price score: 62, its weight 40 • Data score: 52, its weight 40 • Cost to get started score: 75, its weight 10 • Bundle score: 50, its weight 10 • Performance score: 91, its weight 10 Formula Overall score = (40 × price score + 40 × data score + 10 × cost to get started score + 10 × bundle score + 10 × performance score) / 110 This plan Overall score = (40 × 61.62 + 40 × 51.92 + 10 × 75.04 + 10 × 50.00 + 10 × 90.84) / 110 = 60.9127, shown as 60.9
    Price score
    62Price score: 62 What goes in • $ per 1,000 emails: $1.58 • $ per 1,000 emails the provider can't check: $0 • Plans of this API we rank by price: 269 • Plans cheaper per 1,000 emails than this plan: 118 Formula Price score = 100 × (35 × rank + 5 × not found) / 40 rank = 1 − plans cheaper / plans we rank by price (a flat fee with no cap scores 1, a plan with no $ per 1,000 scores 0) not found = 1 − not found $ per 1,000 / $ per 1,000, never under 0 Not found is 1 when the provider charges nothing for emails it can't check. A flat fee with no cap counts as charging nothing. Not found is 0 when we don't know what the provider charges for emails it can't check. Not found is 0 when the provider charges for emails it can't check and the plan has no $ per 1,000. This plan rank = 1 − 118 / 269 = 0.56134 not found = 1 (the provider charges nothing) Price score = 100 × (35 × 0.56134 + 5 × 1) / 40 = 61.62, shown as 62
    • $ per 1,000 emails the provider can't check: $0
    • Plans of this API we rank by price: 269
    • Plans cheaper per 1,000 emails than this plan: 118
    Data score
    52Data score: 52 What goes in • In our benchmark of 23 October 2026, we called this provider on all 19 of our addresses. • We scored this plan 0.5192 out of 1 in our benchmark, so its Data score is 52. Formula Data score = 100 × this plan's benchmark score, out of 1 The Data score on Cached email validation How often the call judges an address right, out of 100: valid when it gets mail, invalid when it bounces. Real addresses count for half the score and bounced addresses for the other half. A call scores 0 if it calls no bounced address invalid. It also scores 0 if it calls no real address valid. A call that never asks the mail server about the address scores 0 too. A catch-all, unknown or risky answer counts as not right. A valid answer counts even when the call also says the domain is catch-all. A provider called on fewer addresses is set against how the others did on those same addresses, so an easier few don't lift it. A provider we called more than once on the same address is scored on all those calls, so no one run decides it. Each provider here may answer from a check it made earlier, or check only the domain. This plan Data score = 100 × 0.5192 = 51.92, shown as 52
    Cost to get started score
    75Cost to get started score: 75 What goes in • Who can get it: anyone at least 18 years old • How you pay: monthly • Least to pay before your first result: $79 Formula Cost to get started score = 100 × (who + billing + least) / 3 who = closed to new users 0, on approval or after a call 0.3, only if you already pay for a plan 0.3, a crypto wallet 0.5, a business email 0.7, none of these 1 billing = pay as you go or free 1, a pack or a top-up 0.8, monthly 0.7, quarterly 0.5, half-yearly 0.4, yearly 0.3, contact us 0 least = $10 or less 1, else 1 − log10(least / $10) / 2, never under 0 This plan who = 1 billing = 0.7 least = 1 − log10($79 / $10) / 2 = 0.5512 Cost to get started score = 100 × (1 + 0.7 + 0.5512) / 3 = 75.04, shown as 75
    • How you pay: monthly
    • Least to pay before your first result: $79
    Bundle score
    50Bundle score: 50 What goes in • Also pays for, from the same budget: Bulk Email Verification Formula Bundle score = 100 × other calls / (other calls + 1) other calls = the number of items in Also pays for. Each item counts once, even one that names several calls or every endpoint. A plan whose pages we haven't read yet counts 0. This plan Bundle score = 100 × 1 / (1 + 1) = 50.00, shown as 50
    • Also pays for, from the same budget: Bulk Email Verification
    Performance score
    91Performance score: 91 What goes in • Its median time per call in our benchmark of 23 October 2026, minus the baseline: 0.906 s • graph8, the fastest benchmarked provider: 0.823 s Formula Performance score = 100 × the fastest median / this median time = the call's time minus the mean of three free calls to the same provider just before it, on the same connection where that mean is longer than the call: minus the provider's median baseline, capped at the call's time This plan Performance score = 100 × 0.823 / 0.906 = 90.84, shown as 91
    • Its median time per call in our benchmark of 23 October 2026, minus the baseline: 0.906 s
    • graph8, the fastest benchmarked provider: 0.823 s
    $ per 1,000
    $1.58
    • In our benchmark of 23 October 2026, we called this provider on all 19 of our addresses.
    • We scored this plan 0.5192 out of 1 in our benchmark, so its Data score is 52.
  2. #2

    Hunter, $299 monthly: Cached email verification API

    Overall score
    57.7Overall score: 57.7 What goes in • Price score: 33, its weight 40 • Data score: 76, its weight 40 • Cost to get started score: 65, its weight 10 • Bundle score: 90, its weight 10 • Performance score: 42, its weight 10 This plan Overall score = (40 × 32.99 + 40 × 76.28 + 10 × 65.41 + 10 × 90.00 + 10 × 42.23) / 110 = 57.7018, shown as 57.7
    Price score
    33Price score: 33 What goes in • $ per 1,000 emails: $5.98 • $ per 1,000 emails the provider can't check: $0 • Plans of this API we rank by price: 269 • Plans cheaper per 1,000 emails than this plan: 206 This plan rank = 1 − 206 / 269 = 0.2342 not found = 1 (the provider charges nothing) Price score = 100 × (35 × 0.2342 + 5 × 1) / 40 = 32.99, shown as 33
    • $ per 1,000 emails the provider can't check: $0
    • Plans of this API we rank by price: 269
    • Plans cheaper per 1,000 emails than this plan: 206
    Data score
    76Data score: 76 What goes in • In our benchmark of 21 October 2026, we called this provider on all 19 of our addresses. • We scored this plan 0.7628 out of 1 in our benchmark, so its Data score is 76. This plan Data score = 100 × 0.7628 = 76.28, shown as 76
    Cost to get started score
    65Cost to get started score: 65 What goes in • Who can get it: anyone 18 or over (in India, businesses only) • How you pay: monthly • Least to pay before your first result: $299 This plan who = 1 billing = 0.7 least = 1 − log10($299 / $10) / 2 = 0.2622 Cost to get started score = 100 × (1 + 0.7 + 0.2622) / 3 = 65.41, shown as 65
    • How you pay: monthly
    • Least to pay before your first result: $299
    Bundle score
    90Bundle score: 90 What goes in • Also pays for: Discover: 900 included AI searches a month · Add a recipient to a sequence: 15,000 recipients per sequence, 30,000,000 Saved Leads • Also pays for, from the same budget: Domain Search · Email Finder · Email Finder (Found) · Multi-Domain Search reveal · Email Enrichment · Company Enrichment · Combined Enrichment This plan Bundle score = 100 × 9 / (9 + 1) = 90.00, shown as 90
    • Also pays for: Discover: 900 included AI searches a month · Add a recipient to a sequence: 15,000 recipients per sequence, 30,000,000 Saved Leads
    • Also pays for, from the same budget: Domain Search · Email Finder · Email Finder (Found) · Multi-Domain Search reveal · Email Enrichment · Company Enrichment · Combined Enrichment
    Performance score
    42Performance score: 42 What goes in • Its median time per call in our benchmark of 21 October 2026, minus the baseline: 1.949 s • graph8, the fastest benchmarked provider: 0.823 s This plan Performance score = 100 × 0.823 / 1.949 = 42.23, shown as 42
    • Its median time per call in our benchmark of 21 October 2026, minus the baseline: 1.949 s
    • graph8, the fastest benchmarked provider: 0.823 s
    $ per 1,000
    $5.98
    • In our benchmark of 21 October 2026, we called this provider on all 19 of our addresses.
    • We scored this plan 0.7628 out of 1 in our benchmark, so its Data score is 76.
  3. #3

    Skrapp, $349 monthly, Enterprise 50K: Cached email verification API

    Overall score
    47.9Overall score: 47.9 What goes in • Price score: 17, its weight 40 • Data score: 60, its weight 40 • Cost to get started score: 64, its weight 10 • Bundle score: 83, its weight 10 • Performance score: 73, its weight 10 This plan Overall score = (40 × 16.91 + 40 × 59.62 + 10 × 64.29 + 10 × 83.33 + 10 × 72.90) / 110 = 47.8764, shown as 47.9
    Price score
    17Price score: 17 What goes in • $ per 1,000 emails: $6.98 • $ per 1,000 emails the provider can't check: $6.98 • Plans of this API we rank by price: 269 • Plans cheaper per 1,000 emails than this plan: 217 This plan rank = 1 − 217 / 269 = 0.1933 not found = 1 − $6.98 / $6.98 = 0 Price score = 100 × (35 × 0.1933 + 5 × 0) / 40 = 16.91, shown as 17
    • $ per 1,000 emails the provider can't check: $6.98
    • Plans of this API we rank by price: 269
    • Plans cheaper per 1,000 emails than this plan: 217
    Data score
    60Data score: 60 What goes in • In our benchmark of 21 October 2026, we called this provider on all 19 of our addresses. • We scored this plan 0.5962 out of 1 in our benchmark, so its Data score is 60. This plan Data score = 100 × 0.5962 = 59.62, shown as 60
    Cost to get started score
    64Cost to get started score: 64 What goes in • Who can get it: anyone 18 or over • How you pay: monthly • Least to pay before your first result: $349 This plan who = 1 billing = 0.7 least = 1 − log10($349 / $10) / 2 = 0.2286 Cost to get started score = 100 × (1 + 0.7 + 0.2286) / 3 = 64.29, shown as 64
    • How you pay: monthly
    • Least to pay before your first result: $349
    Bundle score
    83Bundle score: 83 What goes in • Also pays for, from the same budget: Email Finder · Bulk Email Finder · Bulk Email Verifier · Company enrich · Company bulk enrich This plan Bundle score = 100 × 5 / (5 + 1) = 83.33, shown as 83
    • Also pays for, from the same budget: Email Finder · Bulk Email Finder · Bulk Email Verifier · Company enrich · Company bulk enrich
    Performance score
    73Performance score: 73 What goes in • Its median time per call in our benchmark of 21 October 2026, minus the baseline: 1.129 s • graph8, the fastest benchmarked provider: 0.823 s This plan Performance score = 100 × 0.823 / 1.129 = 72.90, shown as 73
    • Its median time per call in our benchmark of 21 October 2026, minus the baseline: 1.129 s
    • graph8, the fastest benchmarked provider: 0.823 s
    $ per 1,000
    $6.98
    • In our benchmark of 21 October 2026, we called this provider on all 19 of our addresses.
    • We scored this plan 0.5962 out of 1 in our benchmark, so its Data score is 60.

Every cached email verification API provider we score, ranked

  1. MailValid, $79 monthly, MailValid Plus 50,000 credits: Overall score 60.9, $1.58 per 1,000
  2. Hunter, $299 monthly: Overall score 57.7, $5.98 per 1,000
  3. Skrapp, $349 monthly, Enterprise 50K: Overall score 47.9, $6.98 per 1,000
  4. graph8, $499 monthly: Overall score 43.7
  5. APIVerve, $29.99 monthly: Overall score 0.0, $2.999 per 1,000
  6. Botoi, $9 monthly, Starter: Overall score 0.0, $0.03 per 1,000
  7. EmailDetective, $19 monthly, Basic: Overall score 0.0, $0.76 per 1,000
  8. Emailit, top-up from $20: Overall score 0.0, $1.00 per 1,000
  9. KaijuVerifier, $19 monthly, Starter: Overall score 0.0, $1.90 per 1,000
  10. Strale, top-up from €10, Prepaid wallet: Overall score 0.0

Best GTM APIs