Top Affordable Website Technology Detection Tools: Wappalyzer and BuiltWith Alternatives
MehboobLooking for a technology detection tool that won’t blow your budget? You’re not alone. While Wappalyzer and BuiltWith dominate the market, their pricing—often $250 to $500+ per month—puts them out of reach for many teams.
The good news: capable alternatives exist at a fraction of the cost. In this guide, I’ll compare the major options honestly, including where each excels and falls short.
What Technology Detection Tools Actually Do
Before comparing options, let’s be clear about what these tools provide:
- Website technology identification: Detect what CMS, frameworks, analytics, and other tools a website uses
- Bulk lookups: Search across millions of websites to find companies using specific technologies
- Lead generation: Turn technology data into prospect lists for sales outreach
- Competitive research: Understand what technologies competitors and target markets use
Different tools emphasize different capabilities. Your choice depends on which features matter most for your use case.
The Premium Players: Wappalyzer and BuiltWith
Wappalyzer
Wappalyzer has become the industry standard for technology detection. Their database covers 3,000+ technologies with strong accuracy.
What they do well:
- Excellent browser extension (the free version is genuinely useful)
- Most comprehensive technology database
- Daily data updates for accuracy
- Strong API for developers
The catch: Pro plans start at $250/month. Business is $450/month. For teams doing occasional research, that’s hard to justify.
Best for: Security teams, enterprises needing compliance-grade data, developers building integrations.
BuiltWith
BuiltWith combines technology detection with lead generation features, making it popular with sales teams.
What they do well:
- Strong B2B lead generation capabilities
- Historical technology tracking (see when companies adopted or dropped tools)
- Good coverage of e-commerce and marketing technologies
The catch: Basic plan is $295/month with limited features. Pro is $495/month. Team plans hit $995/month.
Best for: Enterprise sales teams with dedicated budgets for lead generation data.
Affordable Alternatives Worth Considering
TechLeads.fyi
Full disclosure: this is our platform. I’ll be objective about what we offer and where we’re still growing.
What we do well:
- 450+ million websites indexed (larger than most competitors)
- 3,600+ technologies tracked
- Built specifically for lead generation with contact enrichment included
- Pricing starts at $79/month for Pro (vs $250-500 for competitors)
- One-time data purchases available from $49
Where we’re still developing:
- No historical technology tracking yet
- Newer platform with less brand recognition
- Fewer third-party integrations than established players
Best for: Sales teams, agencies, and SMBs who need lead generation capabilities without enterprise pricing.
WhatRuns
A lightweight browser extension for quick technology checks.
What they do well:
- Completely free browser extension
- Fast, simple interface
- Good for casual research
Limitations:
- No bulk search or export capabilities
- Limited technology coverage compared to paid tools
- No lead generation features
Best for: Developers and researchers who only need occasional individual lookups.
SimilarTech
A mid-range option with decent free tier.
What they do well:
- Reasonable free tier for basic research
- Market share data for technologies
- Good for competitive analysis
Limitations:
- Paid plans still relatively expensive ($299/month and up)
- Less comprehensive than top-tier tools
Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | Wappalyzer | BuiltWith | TechLeads.fyi | WhatRuns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $250/mo | $295/mo | $79/mo | Free |
| Websites Indexed | ~250M | ~300M | 450M+ | N/A |
| Technologies Tracked | 3,000+ | ~3,000 | 3,600+ | ~1,000 |
| Browser Extension | Excellent | Good | Good | Good |
| Bulk Search | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Contact Enrichment | No | Limited | Yes | No |
| Historical Data | Limited | Yes | No | No |
| API Access | Yes | Yes | Business+ | No |
How to Choose the Right Tool
Choose Wappalyzer if:
- You have enterprise budget ($250+/month is fine)
- Accuracy and data quality are paramount
- You need API access for development
- Security auditing is a primary use case
Choose BuiltWith if:
- You need historical technology tracking
- You’re an enterprise sales team with substantial data budgets
- Market research and competitive intelligence are priorities
Choose TechLeads.fyi if:
- Budget matters and you need value for money
- Lead generation with contact data is your primary goal
- You’re a startup, SMB, or agency
- You want the largest database coverage at the lowest price point
Choose WhatRuns if:
- You only need occasional individual lookups
- Free is the only option
- You don’t need bulk data or exports
The Bottom Line
Wappalyzer and BuiltWith earned their market positions with solid products. But their pricing assumes enterprise budgets that many teams don’t have.
For most B2B teams focused on lead generation, affordable alternatives like TechLeads.fyi deliver comparable functionality at 70-80% lower cost. The tradeoff is usually brand recognition and some advanced features rather than core capabilities.
The best approach? Try free tiers where available and evaluate based on your actual workflow before committing to a subscription.
