Freemium
$0
Free
100 validation credits/month (business/premium-domain signups), 1 inbox test, 1 email server test, 1 blacklist monitor, 10 Email Finder
API included
Plan details
buy Pay-As-You-Go credits
API review
ZeroBounce API review
Email validation API (real-time, batch, bulk file) plus AI scoring for catch-alls, an email finder, activity data and deliverability tools (warmup, inbox placement, blacklist/DMARC). Best for verifying every address before it enters a sequencer.
What a call costs
The actions you pay for, as ZeroBounce prices them in credits.
| Action | Cost | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Validate one email (API or bulk) | 1 credit | per email |
| AI scoring | 1 credit | per email (on top of validation) |
| Email Finder / Domain Search | 20 credits (or 1 subscription query) | per successful result |
| Unknown result or duplicate | 0 | per email |
| Pay-As-You-Go minimum | $39 | 2,000 credits |
Pricing, plan by plan
US dollars, as ZeroBounce's pricing page shows them on 25 Oct 2026. Monthly and annual billing are shown apart.
Free tier 100 free validation credits per month for signups with a business/premium domain (Freemium plan)
ZeroBounce ONE 10,000
$99/mo
billed monthly
$79/mo
billed annually
10,000 validation/scoring credits per month (+ warmup seeds, inbox tests, finder/domain searches, monitors)
API included
Plan details
unused credits roll over while subscribed; Annually (Save 20%) toggle shows $79/mo billed annually; public page says >1M credits = contact sales (in-app pricing says >5M)
ZeroBounce ONE 25,000
$199/mo
billed monthly
$159/mo
billed annually
25,000 validation/scoring credits per month (+ warmup seeds, inbox tests, finder/domain searches, monitors)
API included
Plan details
unused credits roll over while subscribed; Annually (Save 20%) toggle shows $159/mo billed annually; public page says >1M credits = contact sales (in-app pricing says >5M)
ZeroBounce ONE 50,000
$379/mo
billed monthly
$303/mo
billed annually
50,000 validation/scoring credits per month (+ warmup seeds, inbox tests, finder/domain searches, monitors)
API included
Plan details
unused credits roll over while subscribed; Annually (Save 20%) toggle shows $303/mo billed annually; public page says >1M credits = contact sales (in-app pricing says >5M)
ZeroBounce ONE 100,000
$449/mo
billed monthly
$359/mo
billed annually
100,000 validation/scoring credits per month (+ warmup seeds, inbox tests, finder/domain searches, monitors)
API included
Plan details
unused credits roll over while subscribed; Annually (Save 20%) toggle shows $359/mo billed annually; public page says >1M credits = contact sales (in-app pricing says >5M)
ZeroBounce ONE 250,000
$999/mo
billed monthly
$799/mo
billed annually
250,000 validation/scoring credits per month (+ warmup seeds, inbox tests, finder/domain searches, monitors)
API included
Plan details
unused credits roll over while subscribed; Annually (Save 20%) toggle shows $799/mo billed annually; public page says >1M credits = contact sales (in-app pricing says >5M)
Show all 17 plansShow fewer plans
ZeroBounce ONE 500,000
$1,699/mo
billed monthly
$1,359/mo
billed annually
500,000 validation/scoring credits per month (+ warmup seeds, inbox tests, finder/domain searches, monitors)
API included
Plan details
unused credits roll over while subscribed; Annually (Save 20%) toggle shows $1,359/mo billed annually; public page says >1M credits = contact sales (in-app pricing says >5M)
ZeroBounce ONE 1,000,000
$2,499/mo
billed monthly
$1,999/mo
billed annually
1,000,000 validation/scoring credits per month (+ warmup seeds, inbox tests, finder/domain searches, monitors)
API included
Plan details
unused credits roll over while subscribed; Annually (Save 20%) toggle shows $1,999/mo billed annually; public page says >1M credits = contact sales (in-app pricing says >5M)
Pay-As-You-Go 2,000
One-off pack
2,000 credits one-off for $39 ($0.0195/credit)
API included
Plan details
one-off purchase; 15% off PAYG credits and autopay only with an active ZeroBounce ONE subscription; expiry rules may apply without an active ONE subscription
Pay-As-You-Go 5,000
One-off pack
5,000 credits one-off for $69 ($0.0138/credit)
API included
Plan details
one-off purchase; 15% off PAYG credits and autopay only with an active ZeroBounce ONE subscription; expiry rules may apply without an active ONE subscription
Pay-As-You-Go 10,000
One-off pack
10,000 credits one-off for $129 ($0.0129/credit)
API included
Plan details
one-off purchase; 15% off PAYG credits and autopay only with an active ZeroBounce ONE subscription; expiry rules may apply without an active ONE subscription
Pay-As-You-Go 25,000
One-off pack
25,000 credits one-off for $274 ($0.01096/credit)
API included
Plan details
one-off purchase; 15% off PAYG credits and autopay only with an active ZeroBounce ONE subscription; expiry rules may apply without an active ONE subscription
Pay-As-You-Go 50,000
One-off pack
50,000 credits one-off for $499 ($0.00998/credit)
API included
Plan details
one-off purchase; 15% off PAYG credits and autopay only with an active ZeroBounce ONE subscription; expiry rules may apply without an active ONE subscription
Pay-As-You-Go 100,000
One-off pack
100,000 credits one-off for $649 ($0.00649/credit)
API included
Plan details
one-off purchase; 15% off PAYG credits and autopay only with an active ZeroBounce ONE subscription; expiry rules may apply without an active ONE subscription
Pay-As-You-Go 250,000
One-off pack
250,000 credits one-off for $1,299 ($0.005196/credit)
API included
Plan details
one-off purchase; 15% off PAYG credits and autopay only with an active ZeroBounce ONE subscription; expiry rules may apply without an active ONE subscription
Pay-As-You-Go 500,000
One-off pack
500,000 credits one-off for $2,199 ($0.004398/credit)
API included
Plan details
one-off purchase; 15% off PAYG credits and autopay only with an active ZeroBounce ONE subscription; expiry rules may apply without an active ONE subscription
Pay-As-You-Go 1,000,000
One-off pack
1,000,000 credits one-off for $3,199 ($0.003199/credit)
API included
Plan details
one-off purchase; 15% off PAYG credits and autopay only with an active ZeroBounce ONE subscription; expiry rules may apply without an active ONE subscription
Rate limits
Per-endpoint limits with temporary IP/key blocks: validate 80,000 per 10 s; validatebatch 30 req/min x 100 emails; getcredits 80,000/hour; getapiusage 800/hour; 100 bad requests in 1 minute = 1-hour block; >20 unknowns in a validate batch more than once an hour = 1-hour block.
| Limit | standard | ZeroBounce ONE |
|---|---|---|
| Validate | 80,000 / 10 s | 100,000 / 10 s |
| Validatebatch | 30 req/min | 40 req/min |
| Getcredits | 80,000/h | 100,000/h |
| Getapiusage | 800/h | 1,000/h |
More on limitsLess
ZeroBounce ONE gets ~20-25% higher limits. Contradiction: the in-app Batch validator says 5 uses/minute with a 30-minute block; docs say 30 req/min and a 10-minute block.
How to get an API key
ZeroBounce uses API key. The steps below follow ZeroBounce's own docs.
- Create a ZeroBounce account. The Freemium plan includes API access.
- Create/manage keys in the ZeroBounce dashboard (/members/API); a Master Key that cannot be deleted plus extra keys (in-app shows '1 of 5 Keys Used'), optional IP whitelist; separate Warmup API key
- Send it with every request: query (api_key parameter) or form body; bulk endpoints take api_key as a form field.
- Make a first call: Validate one email in real time. Keep the key in an environment variable, never in the command.
curl -X GET "https://api.zerobounce.net/v2/validate?api_key=$ZEROBOUNCE_API_KEY"
Where the docs live
| What | Where |
|---|---|
| Documentation | zerobounce.net/docs |
| API reference | zerobounce.net/docs/email-validation-api-quickstart |
| llms.txt | zerobounce.net/llms.txt |
| Changelog | zerobounce.net/docs/email-validation-api-quickstart/v2-changes |
| Base URL | https://api.zerobounce.net |
| MCP server | npm package @zerobounce/mcp (local stdio server: command zerobounce-mcp --api-key=...); latest 0.1.12 published 2026-10-17; open source at github.com/zerobounce/zerobounce-mcp |
| SDKs | Python, JavaScript/Node, PHP, Java, C#/.NET, Ruby, Go, Rust, C, C++, Delphi, iOS, Android |
Strengths and limits
Where it fits
- Verifying every address before it enters a sequencer (status + sub_status, do_not_mail toxic/disposable flags)
- Scoring catch-all addresses with AI scoring / activity data instead of dropping them
- Regional processing (US-only or EU-only endpoints) for data-residency needs
- Teams that also want warmup, inbox-placement and blacklist monitoring on the same credits
Where it falls short
- Embedding validation inside a third-party product or reselling it without a reseller agreement (external API use needs prior approval and a minimum commitment)
- Cheapest-per-email bulk cleaning at high volume (MillionVerifier and Bouncer list lower per-email prices)
- Primary email discovery at scale (Email Finder costs 20 credits per hit)
Worth knowing
- External use restriction: the API may not be used inside a third-party product/platform under standard terms; that needs prior approval, a minimum commitment and the reseller program.
- Validate batches that return more than 20 'unknown' results more than once an hour trigger a 1-hour block.
- 100 bad requests in 1 minute (e.g. a missing email parameter) = 1-hour block; 200 bad-key calls/hour on getcredits = 1-day block.
- Default host api.zerobounce.net processes in the EU; use api-us for US-only processing (and consent to US processing).
- Email Finder and Domain Search cost 20 credits per hit, not 1.
6 moreShow fewer
- Credits never expire only while a ZeroBounce ONE subscription is active; otherwise expiry rules may apply depending on account/purchase date (pricing FAQ).
- Sandbox addresses (valid@example.com, invalid@example.com, toxic@example.com,...) return fixed results without using credits.
- Pay-As-You-Go per-credit price ranges from $0.0195 (2,000 for $39) to $0.003199 (1M for $3,199); ZeroBounce ONE is cheaper per credit at every tier from 10K to 1M (e.g. 1M = $2,499/mo monthly or $1,999/mo annual).
- Enterprise threshold differs: the public pricing page says contact sales above 1M credits; the in-app pricing page says above 5M credits.
- Signup onboarding modal demands a phone number; the API works without it.
- Base URL host api.zerobounce.net; paths carry the version. Other hosts: api.zerobounce.net/v2 (default, EU-processed); api-us.zerobounce.net/v2 (US-only); api-eu.zerobounce.net/v2 (EU-only); bulk: bulkapi.zerobounce.net/v2
Our take
ZeroBounce is the last step in our email-finding waterfall: every address an earlier provider returns is validated before we use it. What we learned is that a "valid" result confirms the mailbox exists and says nothing about whether it belongs to the person we are looking for, so a validated guess never replaces an address another provider has verified.
Who should use it
- Use ZeroBounce for
- Verifying every address before it enters a sequencer (status + sub_status, do_not_mail toxic/disposable flags)
- Look elsewhere for
- Embedding validation inside a third-party product or reselling it without a reseller agreement (external API use needs prior approval and a minimum commitment)
If ZeroBounce is not the answer
Other Verification tools in this directory, each with its own review.
Bouncer
Verification
From $25/moOfficial MCP
Best for high-volume batch verification with clear published rate limits.
Bouncer API review
MillionVerifier
Verification
Best for cheapest bulk cleaning of large lists.
MillionVerifier API review
NeverBounce
Verification
From $49/mo
Best for bulk list cleaning through async jobs with callbacks.
NeverBounce API reviewBefore you build
Four things to settle first, each read off ZeroBounce's own pages.
- Confirm the API is on your planThe Freemium plan includes API access. Free tier: 100 free validation credits per month for signups with a business/premium domain (Freemium plan).
- Keep the key out of your codeAPI key. It is sent as: query (api_key parameter) or form body; bulk endpoints take api_key as a form field.
- Design around the rate limitPer-endpoint limits with temporary IP/key blocks: validate 80,000 per 10 s; validatebatch 30 req/min x 100 emails; getcredits 80,000/hour; getapiusage 800/hour; 100 bad requests in 1 minute = 1-hour block; >20 unknowns in a validate batch more than once an hour = 1-hour block.
- Know the catch before you scaleExternal use restriction: the API may not be used inside a third-party product/platform under standard terms; that needs prior approval, a minimum commitment and the reseller program.
Want us to build it for you?
Tell us what you want ZeroBounce to do in your stack. We will show you how we would wire it into your data, outbound or CRM, and what we would check first.
Read from zerobounce.net/pricing, zerobounce.net/docs/email-validation-api-quickstart and zerobounce.net/docs/api-dashboard/api-rate-limits. Verified 25 Oct 2026.
All 18 endpointsFor developers: method, path, what it does and what it costs.
| Method | Path | What it does | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| GET | /v2/validate | Validate one email in real time | 1 credit; 'unknown' results are free |
| POST | /v2/validatebatch | Validate up to 100 emails in one request | 1 credit per email; unknown free |
| GET | /v2/getcredits | Credit balance | free |
| GET | /v2/getapiusage | API usage stats for a date range | free |
| POSTasync | bulkapi: /v2/sendfile | Upload a CSV/TXT list for bulk validation | 1 credit per email; unknown and duplicates free |
| GETasync | bulkapi: /v2/filestatus | Bulk file progress | free |
| GETasync | bulkapi: /v2/getfile | Download bulk results | free |
| GETasync | bulkapi: /v2/deletefile | Delete a bulk file | free |
| GET | /v2/scoring | AI email scoring for one address (engagement likelihood, useful for catch-alls) | 1 credit (extra to validation) |
| POSTasync | bulkapi: /v2/scoring/sendfile (+ filestatus, getfile, deletefile) | Bulk AI scoring of a file | 1 credit per email |
| GET|POST | /v2/guessformat | Email Finder: find a person's business email (first/last name + domain or company) or a domain's email format | 20 credits (or 1 subscription query) per successful find; 0 if undetermined |
| POSTasync | bulkapi: /email-finder/sendfile (+ filestatus, getfile, deletefile) | Bulk Email Finder | 20 credits per valid result |
| POSTasync | bulkapi: Domain Search sendfile / filestatus / getfile / deletefile | Bulk domain email-format search | 20 credits per successful result |
| GET | /v2/activity | Activity Data: days since the address was last active | Not stated in docs. Activity Data is listed as a ZeroBounce ONE benefit and 'Activity Data not included' on Freemium |
| GET | /v2/filters/add, /v2/filters/delete, /v2/filters/list | Account allow/block list rules applied to validations | free |
| POSTasync | bulkapi: /v2/listevaluator/ and /v2/send-evaluated-file/ | List Evaluator: estimate a list's bounce rate before paying to clean it | free (unlimited for customers who spend credits validating) |
| GET|POST|PUT | {BASE}/api/v1/warmup/... (sending-accounts, engagement-rules, statistics, seeds/download, test-smtp-configuration) | Email Warmup management | warmup seeds per plan |
| GET|POST|PUT|DELETEasync | /api/ipt/test, /api/ipt/tests, /api/ipt/test/{id}, /api/ipt/providers, /api/ipt/test-types, /api/ipt/webhook | Inbox Placement Tester: create tests, read results, set a results webhook | inbox-test credits (same pool as dashboard) |
No endpoint matches that filter.
