What decides the cost is what happens to the checks you don't use. A plan that resets each month charges you for idle capacity, and credits that expire after a year charge you for a slow quarter. Kickbox and Hunter both expire credits after 12 months (read 24 September 2026). Once unused checks carry over, the cheaper option is simply the lower price per check.
Here's ZapBounce's pay-as-you-go ladder: 1,000 for $5, 10,000 for $25, 50,000 for $89, 100,000 for $139, 500,000 for $549 and 1,000,000 for $949. Those credits never expire. Buy a pack for a one-off list, a migration or a quarterly clean, and spend it whenever the next list turns up.
Monthly plans use the same tiers at 15% less: $4 for 1,000, $21 for 10,000, $76 for 50,000, $118 for 100,000, $467 for 500,000 and $807 for 1,000,000. Unused plan credits roll over while the plan is active. That suits a team verifying signups through the API or cleaning a CRM on a schedule, where the volume looks the same each month.
Other vendors split the two models differently, so read the structure before the price. ZeroBounce sells pay-as-you-go from $39 for a 2,000 minimum and puts larger volumes on subscription. Emailable starts at a 5,000-credit minimum for $38 and takes 15% off on a subscription. MillionVerifier sells pay-as-you-go only, with credits that never expire. Our pricing comparison lines up the per-check rates.
A quick rule of thumb: if you can name the number of addresses you'll verify next month, take the plan. If you can't, buy credits. With ZapBounce either choice keeps unknown results and duplicates off the bill, and 100 free credits arrive every month with no card.
Related questions
Is pay-as-you-go or a subscription better for email verification?
A subscription is better when your volume is steady month to month, and pay-as-you-go is better when it's irregular. ZapBounce's monthly plans cost 15% less than the same credits pay-as-you-go. Unused plan credits roll over while the plan is active.
Do subscription credits roll over?
At ZapBounce they do: unused plan credits roll over while the plan is active. Pay-as-you-go credits never expire at all. Rules differ by vendor, so check each one before you buy a plan.
Which email verifiers let credits expire?
Kickbox and Hunter both expire credits after 12 months, read on their own sites on 24 September 2026. ZapBounce and MillionVerifier credits never expire.
Can I switch between a plan and credits?
Yes. The credit tiers are the same on both, from 1,000 to 1,000,000, so moving between them doesn't change what you're buying. Pay-as-you-go credits you already hold keep their value.