MxToolbox alternatives
You're likely here for a quick SPF, MX or blacklist check, or because a monitoring plan is more than the job needs. ZapBounce runs those lookups free. It also checks the part DNS records leave open: whether each address on your list is real, before you send.
| Service | 100,000 addresses | Credits expire? | Bills unknowns? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZapBounce | $139 | Never | No |
| ZeroBounce | Subscription only | Credits roll over while the subscription is active | Not stated |
| Bouncer | $400, and 1,000,000 for $2,000 | Never | No |
| Emailable | Custom | Never | No |
| Clearout | Not listed | Never | No |
| Kickbox | $500 ($1,100 for 250,000; $2,999 for a million) | Credits expire one year from purchase | No |
| MxToolbox | See their pricing page | See their pricing page | Not stated |
Read from each vendor's own pricing page in September 2026. Prices move, so confirm theirs before you buy. Ours are published in full on the pricing page.
Why people look elsewhere
Most MxToolbox visits start with one lookup: an SPF record, an MX host or a blacklist check. Then the question moves to the list itself. DNS records show that a domain can take mail, and whether each mailbox on your list exists takes an SMTP check per address.
MxToolbox pairs free lookups with free weekly blacklist monitoring for one domain, then sells Delivery Center and Delivery Center Plus subscriptions sized by domains and monthly message volume (mxtoolbox.com, read September 2026). ZapBounce's lookups are free tools, and list checks are priced per address with no plan required: $5 for 1,000 and $139 for 100,000.
What ZapBounce changes for a MxToolbox user
The differences that show up on the first invoice and the first results file.
The short version
- Free SPF, DKIM, DMARC, MX and blacklist lookups sit on one tools page, resolved server-side through Cloudflare and Google.
- A free deliverability test scores one real email out of 10 and gives you the fix for each finding.
- The verifier checks every address over SMTP on port 25 and closes before DATA, so no message reaches your contacts.
- List checks cost $5 for 1,000 and $139 for 100,000, with unknown results and duplicate rows never billed.
- Credits never expire, and 100 free credits arrive every month with no card.
Before you move off MxToolbox
Run the same sample through two vendors and the interesting number is not how many came back valid.
List the lookups you really run
Scroll your MxToolbox history. If it's mostly SPF, MX and blacklist checks, you can run each of them free from the ZapBounce tools page.
Read your DMARC policy yourself
Look up your DMARC record and see what it tells receivers to do with mail that fails. Confirm the policy yourself before you weigh any monitoring plan.
Recheck the sending IP after every fix
Look up your sending IP again after each change to your setup. You'll see the day a listing clears, and you won't send a big campaign into one by accident.
Price the addresses, not the domain
Records cover the domain once. The list you mail has thousands of rows, and ZapBounce checks each one for $5 per 1,000, with unknowns and duplicates never billed.
What switching actually involves
Bookmark the ZapBounce tools that match the lookups you ran on MxToolbox: the SPF checker, MX lookup, blacklist checker, and the DKIM and DMARC checkers. Each one takes the same input, a domain or an IP. For the list, upload a CSV, TXT or XLSX file and your own columns come back with the result, the reason and a billed flag.
What stays true whichever verifier replaces MxToolbox
Questions about moving off MxToolbox
Is there a free MxToolbox alternative for blacklist checks?
Yes. ZapBounce's blacklist checker looks up a domain or sending IP against public blocklists for free. The SPF checker and MX lookup sit on the same tools page, so you can run all three in a couple of minutes.
What does an MX lookup tell me about an email address?
An MX lookup shows which servers accept mail for the domain, so it proves the domain can receive email. Whether one mailbox exists takes an SMTP check, which ZapBounce runs on every row of a list at $5 per 1,000.
Do I need a monitoring plan to check my domain?
For one-off checks, no plan is needed. ZapBounce's SPF, DMARC, MX and blacklist tools are free on the site. Run them before a big send and again after any DNS change.
Why do people leave MxToolbox?
Most MxToolbox visits start with one lookup: an SPF record, an MX host or a blacklist check. Then the question moves to the list itself. DNS records show that a domain can take mail, and whether each mailbox on your list exists takes an SMTP check per address.
How hard is it to switch verifiers?
For bulk cleaning, no harder than uploading the file somewhere else. For real-time checks on a signup form it is an API swap, which is an afternoon.
Run your next SPF and blacklist check on ZapBounce, then upload the list behind the campaign. Your records and your addresses both get checked before you send.
Put us next to MxToolbox on your own list
100 free checks a month, no card.