When PBNLab shut down in February, we needed a replacement that could keep up with our expired domain demand without costing us a fortune each month. We moved over to Domain Hunter Gatherer, and it has worked well for us.
It is not quite as hands-off as PBNLab was, but it gets the job done. Our team has continued finding and processing the domains we need without any problems since making the switch.
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Why We Needed a PBNLab Alternative
We had been using three enterprise-level PBNLab subscriptions. That setup was costing us about $900 per month. For a business that needs a steady flow of expired domains, the service had been useful, but the shutdown meant we had to find another way to handle domain scraping.
The main goal was simple: keep our domain workflow moving, give our team access to the tools they needed, and bring the monthly cost down.
There are plenty of tools that can sound good on paper. What matters is whether the tool can support real demand over time. We did not need something that only worked for an occasional domain search. We needed a system our team could use consistently.
Our Replacement: Domain Hunter Gatherer
We chose Domain Hunter Gatherer. We purchased an annual Pro license, which was around $900 at the time.
That price point is worth noting because it is roughly what we had been spending every month for the three PBNLab enterprise accounts. With Domain Hunter Gatherer, the license cost was annual rather than monthly, though there are still a few other pieces needed to run the setup.
Domain Hunter Gatherer offers monthly and annual payment options, but we went with the annual Pro license for our needs.
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The Setup We Use
Domain Hunter Gatherer requires more self-management than PBNLab did. It is not just a matter of opening an account and handing the entire process off to a hosted service.
Our setup includes:
- An annual Domain Hunter Gatherer Pro license
- A VPS so our team can access the tool
- A set of proxies that rotate once per month
The VPS gives the team a central place to work from instead of tying the process to one local computer. The rotating proxies are also part of making the system work for ongoing domain scraping.
That does mean there are a few moving parts to manage. Still, even with those added costs, we are spending considerably less than we were with the old PBNLab setup.
Lower Cost Without Losing Output
The biggest win has been cost. We went from paying around $900 every month for PBNLab accounts to paying far less with the new setup.
Saving money is nice, but it would not matter if our team could not find enough domains. Fortunately, that has not been an issue. Since switching to Domain Hunter Gatherer, the team has been able to fulfill our domain demand without problems.
That is the part that matters most. A less expensive tool is not helpful if it slows down work or creates a shortage of usable expired domains. So far, Domain Hunter Gatherer has held up well for us.
Expect More Hands-On Management
There is one clear difference between the two platforms: Domain Hunter Gatherer is more self-managed.
With PBNLab, much of the setup was handled through the service itself. With Domain Hunter Gatherer, we need to manage the license, the VPS access, and the proxy setup. That may be a better fit for teams that are comfortable handling their own tools and systems.
For us, that has not been a problem because our team manages it. We do not have to be personally involved in the day-to-day operation, and the process is working as expected.
If we were doing everything alone and did not want to handle any technical setup, the added management might feel like a drawback. But if we have a team or can set up a basic working system, the lower cost can make it a strong replacement.
What Matters When Choosing a Domain Scraping Tool
PBNLab closing left many people looking for a reliable way to scrape domains and find expired domains. The right replacement depends on more than the software price.
Before choosing a tool, we should think about a few practical questions:
- Can the tool keep up with the number of domains we need?
- Will our team be able to access and use it?
- What extra costs are needed, such as proxies or a VPS?
- How much of the setup and management will we handle ourselves?
- Does the total cost make sense compared with the old service?
Looking only at a monthly price can be misleading. A tool may have a lower listed cost but require other services to make it work. On the other hand, a setup with a higher first cost can still save a lot of money over a year.
Our Bottom Line on Domain Hunter Gatherer
Domain Hunter Gatherer has been a good PBNLab alternative for us. We bought the annual Pro license, set it up on a VPS for team access, and added monthly rotating proxies.
It takes more self-management than PBNLab, but it works well. More importantly, our team has been able to keep up with domain demand while we spend considerably less than we did before.
For anyone who needs a tool for domain scraping after PBNLab, Domain Hunter Gatherer is worth considering. It has been reliable in our workflow, and it has helped us cut a major recurring expense without creating a domain supply problem.