Spokeo is a popular online search service with a decent number of lookup functions to boot, but people don’t appreciate being forced to create accounts.
On the other hand, CatfishNumr is an expert reverse number search tool that’s global and doesn’t shove registration down users’ throats.
Which is better at identifying numbers, though?
What’s the Difference Between Spokeo and CatfishNumr?
The two biggest differences are that Spokeo requires sign-up and doesn’t focus on numbers, whereas CatfishNumr does only number lookups, and you don’t have to make an account.
📍Next, Spokeo works primarily for US numbers; CatfishNumr has a much wider global reach, with over 100 countries in its country code list.
When it comes to evaluating a number’s risk, CatfishNumr goes into more detail with a risk-scoring system, user reports, and number activity.
On CatfishNumr, you pay for your searches individually, and Spokeo offers only monthly subscriptions.
Spokeo finds extra info on property and estimated income, since it’s built to run background checks. It has a Business mode, unlike CatfishNumr.
– How are Spokeo and CatfishNumr similar?
Well, you can use both tools to identify a number and find out whether the number is real or VoIP. They’re both paid services, too.
CatfishNumr vs. Spokeo: Comparing Features
CatfishNumr’s features mostly focus on verifying callers’ identities by number. As for Spokeo, it has additional perks since it’s a people-search tool.
📱CatfishNumr:
CatfishNumr has multiple useful features for number searching, like country code selection (100+), 2-5 lookup credits, and identification tools.
The risk assessment feature detects if a number is VoIP, mobile, or landline – it tells you if it’s scam/spam, and lets you see other users’ reports on the number.
But the most important features are the Identity Verification and Digital Footprint tools, with the help of which CatfishNumr finds accurate info like:
- First and last name
- Profile photo
- Social media & messaging apps (Twitter, Snapchat, Viber, etc.)
- Carrier info, location, and more
🔎 Spokeo:
On the flip side, Spokeo has more features, but not all of them are essential for finding a number’s owner and assessing safety.
- Owner Details: names, age, and gender
- Number Characteristics: VoIP, carrier, spam score
- Contact Info: other numbers, emails, and socials
- Location: past & current, and others
Spokeo looks at extra information as well, like co-residents, income, property ownership, relatives, etc. Very useful if you’re running background checks.
– Score: Number & Relevance of Features
🥇CatfishNumr: 5/5
🥈Spokeo: 4/5
Which Has Better Pricing: CatfishNumr or Spokeo?
CatfishNumr has more convenient pricing for single number lookups, while Spokeo works best with bulk use. Let me explain the deets:
CatfishNumr doesn’t have monthly subscriptions…
You pay $5.95 for 2 searches or $9.95 for 5 searches, and that’s it. No subscribing monthly or yearly, and no hidden fees.
CatfishNumr doesn’t make you pay more for better results. The price pertains to the number of lookups; the quality & effectiveness remain the same: high.
Payment methods: Visa & Debit Card, Amex, and Unison Pay.
Spokeo is not pay-per-search…
It only offers 1 and 3-month subscriptions ($19.95/mo and $14.95/mo). Spokeo doesn’t let you pay individually for each search.
The Professional Plan is +$60/mo, and has more searches. With the normal plans, you get 100 a month. There is a “free” one-week trial, which is $0.95.
Payment methods: PayPal, Credit & Debit Card, Venmo, and GPay.
| CatfishNumr | Spokeo | |
| Pricing model | Pay-per-search | Monthly subscription only |
| Cost | $5.95 / $9.95 | $19.95/mo or $14.95/mo |
| Best for | Single, occasional lookups | Bulk, ongoing searches |
| Search limits | Only what you buy | 100 searches/month |
| Payment | Visa, Debit, Amex, Unison | PayPal, Credit/Debit, Venmo, GPay |
| Free trial? | ❌ No | ✅ $0.95 for a week |
Are CatfishNumr or Spokeo Results More Recent and Accurate?
In my research, CatfishNumr reports were a bit fuller and more accurate, hence the results were better. But Spokeo’s were decent, too!
*I tried to test 2 numbers on each tool: a European one and a US one. But because Spokeo works with US numbers only, I couldn’t use the European one.
👉 The CatfishNumr report:
I was impressed with CatfishNumr in both cases. It found the real name of the phone number owner, as well as the location. It only took a few minutes.
The report included associated accounts, too (social media, messaging apps, and dating apps), carrier details, and the number type.
👉 The Spokeo report:
I tested only the American number on Spokeo, as the European one generated no results. But I was happy with the American report!
Although it took a bit longer than CatfishNumr, the Spokeo report included the number owner’s actual name, social media accounts, and address.
Somehow, they also assumed info on the person’s living situation, family, and workplace. When I double-checked, the data found wasn’t fully accurate.
Where Do CatfishNumr and Spokeo Fall Short?
CatfishNumr mainly falls short in its short-term pricing plans, whereas the cons of Spokeo include outdated results & shady billing practices.
– The CatfishNumr reverse number search tool is not designed for long-term or business use because you get 2-5 lookup credits with each one-time purchase.
💳 It’s not a free service, nor does it offer free trials. I basically went in blind, but at least didn’t have to commit to a monthly subscription.
– Spokeo’s biggest cons are its US-only policy and privacy concerns, also my biggest complaint – I couldn’t do anything without registering for an account.
I thought the billing on Spokeo was pretty suspicious, too. It was automatic in my case, and when I tried to cancel, the support team gave me hell.
Remember the 3-month plan ($14.95/mo)? Yeah, Spokeo immediately charged me the full price: $44.85. That’s a week’s worth of groceries down the drain.
Upon registration, I didn’t know that the number of searches was preset (100/mo). Not to nitpick, but…Spokeo should be clear about it from the get-go.
I tested it for a short period, and I can only imagine how tedious it would be to constantly top up my account or wait for the searches to reset each month.
🏆 The final verdict…
Choose CatfishNumr to find info on a couple of numbers. It’s budget-friendly and transparent. If you’re choosing Spokeo, make sure you’ve read & agreed to the ToS. It’s good for bulk reverse-searching.
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