If you want a list of companies that use a specific technology, the #1 tool that everyone recommends is BuiltWith. It’s recommended everywhere from Reddit to Twitter to Hacker News.
However, there are alternatives that might be better for your use case. While BuiltWith has data on thousands of web technologies, I personally think they haven’t innovated the past few years.
I spent an afternoon testing different technology intelligence platforms to find alternatives that offer specific features that BuiltWith lacks. This guide covers the 6 best alternatives I found.
Why You Might Want a BuiltWith Alternative
BuiltWith is a solid tool that’s helped countless businesses with finding prospects based on tech stack. I have a lot of respect for their founder, who has managed to bootstrap a multi-million dollar business with a small team (rumors are it’s just one single employee!) and $0 funding. However, there are a few areas where alternatives might serve you better:
Limited to Web Technologies
The #1 limitation of Builtwith is that it specializes only on frontend/web technologies . So if you’re looking for a list of companies that use Shopify, or WordPress, or have a Facebook ad pixel on their website, then you’re in luck.
And you really shouldn’t read further, because BuiltWith has everything covered in that department. (No, really, don’t)
However, if you need to know which companies use non-web technologies or products such as cybersecurity products, AI tools (such as ChatGPT), project management tools, devops tools, or machine learning platforms, then BuiltWith has almost little to no data.
Data Refresh Speed
Update can also be slower than ideal, especially when tracking companies that frequently update their tech stacks. This means if BuiltWith tells you a certain company uses Hubspot, for instance, it might’ve been the case X months ago, but they might’ve stopped using it, and BuiltWith didn’t detect that change yet.
While I can only speculate why they are slow in updating changes, my guess is because BuiltWith focuses more on crawling as many sites as possible. And because they try to crawl a large volume of websites, they inevitably can’t crawl the same site as often as they would like. Remember, Builtwith crawls 10s of millions of websites.
Lacking Data on Newer Technologies
BuiltWith also lacks data on newer technologies. For example, as of this writing, they have zero data on which companies use UnifyGTM, Customers.ai, or CommonRoom.io, all of which are emerging, popular sales technologies that have raised millions in venture capital in the past 5 years, and already have hundreds of paying customers. Go do a search in their search bar for these products. You will get zero results.
To me, this suggests they haven’t put much effort in updating the list of technologies they track. Furthermore, they probably aren’t much effort in *updating* their detection methods of older technologies either.
The 5 Best BuiltWith Alternatives
After testing various platforms, here are the ones that stood out for their unique strengths:
#1: Bloomberry – Real-Time Tech Purchase & Churn Intelligence
Best for: Sales teams that needs the most real-time data on non-web technologies
Why it stands out: Unlike BuiltWith, Bloomberry offers data on both web technologies and non-web technologies. They cover over 1,100 products across 180 categories from cybersecurity, to incident management to sales CRM to human capital management, and more.
That means if you need to find companies that use Zoom, or Microsoft Dynamics for example, you can use Bloomberry to find them.
In addition, Bloomberry is unique in the sense they offer real-time intelligence on which companies purchased or churned from a particular product or category. For example, you can see which companies recently signed up for a sales CRM, or which companies churned from an identity access management tool.
Bloomberry is available as an API (which you can sign up to use for free), and you can view their documentation here.
Key Features That Set Bloomberry Apart
Data on non-web technologies: Bloomberry provides data on which companies use B2B tech products from many categories, not just web technologies. Want to know every company that uses Slack? Zoom? Microsoft Dynamics? Bloomberry has data on that.
Real-time signals: Bloomberry tells you in real-time which companies purchased or churned from a B2B tech product. This is much more valuable than static technographic data, because sales team can target these companies at the exact moment they might be looking for your product.
Free to try: It’s free to try Bloomberry to see if the data is valuable to you.
#2: Wappalyzer – Real-Time Technology Detection Made Simple
Best for: Teams that want real-time and current data on what tech stack a website uses
Why it stands out: While BuiltWith sometimes has stale data, Wappalyzer is the complete opposite. They offer real-time tech stack detection through a browser extension.
Wappalyzer also has a very generous free tier, letting you do tech lookups for many websites without asking to pay. If you wish to get contact details, you also just pay an additional $10/month.
Key Features That Set Wappalyzer Apart
Real-Time Tech Detection: Wappalyzer’s browser extension shows technology information immediately as you visit websites. And the information is often up-to-date.
Meaningful Free Tier: Unlike many alternatives, Wappalyzer’s free plan provides 50 monthly lookups with actual useful data – enough for small teams to conduct competitive research without upgrading to a paid plan.
Comprehensive Technology Database: The platform identifies technologies across numerous categories including CMS platforms, analytics tools, e-commerce solutions, advertising networks, and JS frameworks.
API Access for Automation: For teams that need to scale their research, Wappalyzer offers flexible API pricing that integrates well with existing workflows and CRM systems.
Pricing
- Free: 50 lookups/month, browser extension, basic technology detection
- Pro: $250/month, 5,000 lookups, historical data, bulk exports, API access
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for higher volumes
What is Wappalyzer lacking?
Just like Builtwith, Wappalyzer lacks data on many non-frontend technologies. They will offer no data on what security, devops, finance, accounting or ERP platform a website uses for example.
In addition, although Wappalyzer does have data on many frontend technologies, like Builtwith, they lack data on many newer sales/martech technologies such as Retention.com, RB2B, CommonRoom, and UnifyGTM. This suggests they simply aren’t investing a lot of time in updating their data and technology database.
#3: SimilarTech – Built for Sales Teams
Best for: Sales and marketing teams that need to identify prospects based on their technology choices
SimilarTech (from SimilarWeb) focuses specifically on helping revenue teams find and qualify prospects using technology intelligence, making it particularly valuable for B2B companies selling to businesses with specific tech stacks.
Key Features
Technology-Based Prospect Lists: Unlike Builtwith, SimilarTech has much more filtering capabilities. For example, they allow you to create targeted prospect lists based on companies using specific technologies, with filters for company size, industry, location, and technology adoption patterns as well.
Market Intelligence Dashboard: SimilarTech also has a lot more market research capabilities. They allow you to access detailed analytics about technology adoption trends, market share data, and competitive landscapes to inform strategic or investing decisions.
Sales Integration: Like Builtwith and Wappalyzer, SimilarTech has many direct integrations with popular CRM platforms and sales engagement tools to streamline prospecting workflows.
Contact Data Enrichment: Beyond technology detection, SimilarTech provides contact information and company insights to personalize outreach efforts.
Pricing
- Starter: $249/month – Basic technology detection and limited prospect exports
- Professional: $499/month – Advanced filtering, unlimited exports, priority support
- Enterprise: Custom pricing – API access, custom integrations, dedicated support
What is SimilarTech lacking?
SimilarTech is part of the enterprise SimilarTech suite, which means there isn’t a smaller pricing plan that’s suitable for SMBs or smaller teams. In addition, like Builtwith, it lacks data on non-frontend technologies.
#4: HG Insights – Enterprise-Grade Technology Intelligence
Best for: Large organizations that need comprehensive technology spending data and installation intelligence
For those that need advanced enterprise features, particularly in the market and investment research area, HG Insights is probably for you. HG Insights goes beyond basic technology detection to provide insights into software spending, installation data, and enterprise technology decision-making patterns.
Key Features
Technology Spend Analytics: Understand not just what technologies companies use, but how much they’re spending on different categories and when they might be ready for new solutions.
Installation vs. Website Data: Track actual software installations and deployments rather than just web-visible technologies, providing a more complete picture of enterprise tech stacks. For instance, HG Insights tracks product categories such as EP, CRM, Accounting/Finance and more.
Predictive Intelligence: Advanced analytics help identify companies that are likely to adopt new technologies or replace existing solutions based on usage patterns and spending trends.
Enterprise-Grade Reporting: Comprehensive dashboards and reporting capabilities designed for strategic planning and market analysis at scale.
Pricing
HG Insights uses custom pricing based on organizational needs, data requirements, and feature access levels. Their pricing isn’t public, but according to some sources, pricing is as much as $50,000 annually.
What is HG Insights lacking?
Like SimilarTech, HG Insights is even more prohibitively costly. They lack any starter or mid-market pricing tier, and it’s impossible to try it out without a demo.
#5: WhatRuns – Simple and Completely Free
Best for: Individual researchers and small teams who need basic technology detection without any costs
WhatRuns takes a minimalist approach, offering a browser extension that provides instant technology identification without requiring accounts, subscriptions, or usage limits. They’re the perfect tool if you’re budget conscious.
Key Features
Zero-Friction Technology Detection: Install the browser extension and immediately see technology information for any website you visit – no signup required.
Clean, Intuitive Interface: Simple design that shows technology categories and details without overwhelming users with complex data.
Regular Database Updates: Despite being free, WhatRuns maintains current technology detection capabilities across popular web technologies.
No Usage Restrictions: Unlike Builtwith, there are no monthly limits or artificial restrictions on usage.
Pricing
Completely free with no paid tiers or upgrade options.
What is WhatRuns lacking?
WhatRuns, like Builtwith focuses only on frontend technologies. They also lack any historical data or trend analysis. So there’s no way, for instance to see the trend in the number of websites using Shopify or WordPress over time.
#6: Apps Run The World
Best for: Enterprise teams tracking software adoption trends and market share data across industries
Why it stands out: While BuiltWith focuses on web technologies, Apps Run The World focuses more on enterprise software intelligence. They provide comprehensive data on which companies use specific B2B applications. They also provide revenue estimates, employee counts, and adoption trends across different sectors.
At first, I was kind of skeptical on whether Apps Run The World was even a real company, or just a random website that scraped data. But on further glance, they’re actually a legitimate market research company.
That said, I think their product is meant for software vendors, investors, and market researchers who need to understand competitive landscapes and identify potential customers based on their existing tech investments.
Apps Run The World seems to get most of their data from job postings. So if a company mentions a particular technology in their job posting, they assume that company is a customer of that technology/vendor.
Which in some cases might be inaccurate. For example, lots of job postings mention a long laundry list of technologies, but it doesn’t mean they use every single one of them. So that’s something to keep in mind when you’re looking at their lead lists.
Key Features That Set Apps Run The World Apart
Enterprise Application Focus: Unlike general technology detection tools, Apps Run The World specializes in tracking enterprise software like ERP systems, CRM platforms, HR management tools, and other business-critical applications that aren’t always visible through website scanning.
Market Share Analytics: The platform provides detailed market share data and adoption trends, helping you understand not just which companies use specific software, but how adoption patterns shift across industries and company sizes over time. Making it very valuable for market researchers, and investors.
Custom Reports and Segmentation: Apps Run The World excels at creating customized market intelligence reports, allowing you to segment data by industry vertical, company size, geographic region, or technology stack to identify precise target audiences for your products or services. If you’re looking for consulting, or need customized needs, I’m sure they’ll be able to help you if you contact them.
Pricing
Apps Run The World operates on a subscription-based model with pricing that reflects its enterprise focus. Plans typically start around $995/month for basic access, with more comprehensive packages reaching several thousand dollars monthly depending on data access levels and API usage. Custom enterprise agreements are available for organizations requiring extensive data coverage or white-label solutions.
What It Lacks
Limited Web Technology Coverage: If you’re primarily interested in front-end technologies, JavaScript frameworks, or marketing tools, Apps Run The World won’t be your best choice. The platform focuses on backend enterprise software rather than the web stack details that BuiltWith excels at detecting.
Higher Price Point: The enterprise-focused pricing puts Apps Run The World out of reach for freelancers, small agencies, and startups. There’s no free tier or low-cost entry option like you’d find with Wappalyzer or other alternatives.
Less Granular Contact Data: While Apps Run The World identifies which companies use specific software, it doesn’t provide the depth of contact information that sales-focused tools offer. You’ll likely need to supplement it with a separate lead generation platform for outreach campaigns.
Which Alternative Should You Choose?
The right choice depends on your specific needs and use case:
- Choose Bloomberry if you need data on non-web technologies and real-time data on companies that purchased or churned from a B2B technology product
- Choose Wappalyzer if you want a balance of features, usability, and pricing flexibility
- Choose SimilarTech if you’re primarily using technology intelligence for sales prospecting and lead generation
- Choose HG Insights if you’re an enterprise organization that needs comprehensive spending analytics and strategic intelligence
- Choose WhatRuns if you need basic technology detection without any budget constraints
- Choose Apps Run the World if you’re focused more on market research and tech usage trends.
Consider your team size, budget, required features, and integration needs when making your decision. Many of these tools offer free trials or free tiers, so you can test them before committing to a paid plan.
