Similar names, very different products. One uses keyword matching on a static database. The other lets you pick exact sources and scrapes live. Here is the honest breakdown: pricing, targeting, data freshness, and who should choose what.
Use IGLeads.ai if you want transparent targeting, live data, pay-per-result pricing, and to keep your leads forever. Use IGLeads.io if you need a flat monthly subscription for high-volume keyword-based extraction and are fine with a database that refreshes on an unknown schedule.
This is where the two tools fundamentally diverge. Everything else (pricing, features, UX) flows from this one architectural choice.
Keyword-based (database lookup)
Source-based (live scraping)
IGLeads.io charges monthly subscriptions. IGLeads.ai offers both pay-per-lead and optional subscriptions with API access. Here is what that actually costs.
| Plan | IGLeads.io | IGLeads.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Entry point | $59/mo · 10k emails | $0.02/lead · no minimum |
| Mid tier | $149/mo · 50k emails | $99/mo · 7.5k emails + API |
| Top tier | $299/mo · unlimited* | $199/mo · 25k emails + API |
| Commitment | Monthly subscription | None (pay-as-you-go available) |
| Entry pricing | Monthly subscription only | Pay-as-you-go from $10 deposit |
* "Unlimited" on the $299 plan is subject to rate limiting per IGLeads.io terms.
One-shot campaign: 500 emails
IGLeads.ai: $10 (pay-as-you-go) · IGLeads.io: $59 (minimum monthly plan). Save 83%.
Quarterly campaign: 5,000 emails once every 3 months
IGLeads.ai: $100 (pay-as-you-go, one-off) · IGLeads.io: $177 (3 months minimum subscription). Save 43%.
Heavy monthly use: 10,000 emails every month
IGLeads.ai Pro: $99/mo (7.5k included, pay-as-you-go for overage) · IGLeads.io: $59/mo (10k included). IGLeads.io is cheaper per unit, but you lose source transparency, live data freshness, and API access.
Agency scale: 25,000 emails/month with API
IGLeads.ai Business: $199/mo (API included, 10 concurrent jobs) · IGLeads.io Business: $149/mo (no API). If you need API, IGLeads.ai is the only option at this tier.
This is arguably the biggest practical difference in terms of cold email outcomes. Old emails bounce. Bounces kill your sender reputation. Sender reputation determines whether your campaigns land in inbox or spam.
IGLeads.io serves results from a pre-built database. The database is refreshed on a schedule they do not publicly disclose. Users frequently report:
Every job you launch triggers a live scrape of Instagram. Results reflect the current state of profiles, not a stored snapshot. Concretely:
| Feature | IGLeads.io | IGLeads.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Targeting method | Keyword matching | Source-based (you pick accounts) |
| Data source | Stored database | Live Instagram scraping |
| Built-in email verification | ||
| Competitor followers extraction | Indirect | Direct |
| Hashtag targeting | ||
| Location targeting | Keyword-based | Geotag-based |
| Hot leads (AI intent detection) | ||
| Network spy (see who an account follows) | ||
| Lookalike discovery | ||
| Language filtering (bio language) | ||
| Public API access | ||
| Instagram login required | ||
| LinkedIn scraping | ||
| Facebook scraping | ||
| Keep leads after cancellation | No | Yes |
| Pricing model | Subscription only | Pay-per-lead + subscription |
| Entry pricing | Subscription only | Pay-as-you-go from $10 |
Send us your IGLeads.io receipt and (optionally) the list you extracted. We will credit 300 bonus leads to your wallet on your first deposit so you can compare the data quality yourself, side by side.
Claim +300 bonus leadsIGLeads.io uses keyword-based targeting on a pre-built database and charges a monthly subscription ($59-299/mo). IGLeads.ai uses source-based targeting with live real-time scraping and charges per lead ($0.02/lead). IGLeads.ai lets you pick exactly which accounts to scrape. IGLeads.io gives you results based on keyword matching whose logic is opaque.
It depends on volume. For occasional use or one-shot campaigns, IGLeads.ai is significantly cheaper — 1,000 emails cost $20 with IGLeads.ai versus $59/month minimum with IGLeads.io. For heavy monthly usage of 10,000+ emails, IGLeads.io subscription can be cheaper per unit, but you lose flexibility and are locked into a monthly commitment.
Yes. IGLeads.ai is a dedicated Instagram lead generation platform with live scraping, built-in email verification, 6 targeting methods (competitors, hashtags, locations, hot leads, network spy, lookalike), multilingual support, and a public API. Over 2,000 active users rely on it for Instagram lead generation.
Pay-per-lead aligns our incentives with yours: we only charge when we deliver qualified, verified leads. Subscriptions force you to pay whether you extract 100 or 10,000 leads in a month. For most users — especially those running targeted campaigns — pay-per-lead is more cost-effective and transparent.
Yes. Every lead you export to CSV or JSON is yours forever. We do not revoke access to previously exported data. IGLeads.io, being subscription-based, typically cuts off dashboard access the moment you cancel.
No. IGLeads.ai scrapes only publicly visible Instagram data without accessing any user account. Your personal or business Instagram accounts are never touched, which means zero risk of account restrictions or bans.
IGLeads.ai performs live scraping at the moment you request data, so every result is current. IGLeads.io uses a pre-built database that is updated on an unknown schedule — many users report receiving emails that bounce because profiles or bios have changed since the database refresh.
IGLeads.ai Business plan at $199/month covers 25,000 emails and includes full API access with up to 10 concurrent jobs. For agencies managing multiple clients or needing programmatic access, IGLeads.ai offers more flexibility. For agencies scraping 25,000+ emails monthly on a single stable workflow, IGLeads.io Business at $149/month may be marginally cheaper but lacks the API, live data freshness, and source transparency.
Verified leads from $0.02. No commitment. No Instagram login. Compare the results against your current tool.