Draftboard

Overview

Draftboard maps professional connections to find potential routes to prospects, investors, founders, and candidates. It is best suited to people pursuing warm introductions in sales, fundraising, recruiting, or job hunting. A free allowance and per-path pricing make it accessible to start, but the team visibility defaults and target-level spending cap deserve attention.

Key features

Draftboard maps a user's first-degree network without asking contacts to export or upload their connections. It scores possible paths and explains the rationale using signals such as shared work or school history. That context helps users assess why a connection may be useful, though a score cannot replace their judgment about whether to ask for an introduction.

Users can tailor introduction requests and send them by email or direct message. Copilot emails top opportunities 30 minutes before a meeting, a useful prompt for people with a regular schedule of prospect or candidate conversations. Teams can pool members' networks to uncover third-degree paths and see who has the strongest connection, extending reach beyond any one person's contacts.

The Integration API supports listing and importing targets, retrieving connections and strongest open paths, and managing tags. The Chrome extension detects when a user views a LinkedIn profile and assesses its data for potential matches, making Draftboard relevant to browser-based prospecting as well as API-connected workflows.

Draftboard says it does not sell user data or share contacts or target lists with third parties for their own marketing or promotional purposes. However, teammates can see all paths and connections by default; an organization admin can restrict visibility to specific people. Teams handling sensitive relationship information should review that setting before pooling networks. Draftboard says it uses organizational and technical security measures, while acknowledging that no internet transmission or storage can be guaranteed completely secure.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and includes network mapping, 50 quality paths, and no credit card requirement. It is a sensible way for an individual to gauge the usefulness of suggested routes, but the included quality paths limit ongoing use.

Quality paths cost $0.30, paid once, billed at $0.30 per quality path. Non-quality paths are free, and each target is capped at three credits, or 90 cents; the team cap applies per teammate. This pay-per-path approach avoids a recurring subscription, but teams should account for per-person caps when estimating how much of a pooled network they can use for a target.

Platforms

Draftboard supports web, extension, and API access. The extension is described as a Chrome plugin for LinkedIn profile matching; the API covers target, connection, and tag operations.

Who it's for

Draftboard fits individuals and teams who can benefit from warm routes into sales prospects, fundraising targets, recruiting candidates, or job opportunities. It is less suitable for organizations that want pooled networks to remain private among teammates unless an admin first restricts visibility.

Pros and cons

• Pros: First-degree mapping does not require contacts to export or upload their networks, reducing friction for network discovery.
• Pros: Path rationales give users relationship signals to consider before requesting an introduction.
• Pros: The free tier includes 50 quality paths with no card requirement, and non-quality paths are free on the paid model.
• Cons: Teammates can see all paths and connections by default, which may not suit organizations with strict internal boundaries.
• Cons: Paid use is capped at three credits per target, with the team cap applying per teammate.

Alternatives

For a broader set of relationship-intelligence options, browse Relationship Intelligence Software. Consider Connect The Dots if Android or iOS support and a free allowance for AI contact searches, ghost emails, lists, and summaries matter more. Happenstance is another freemium option, with unlimited connected accounts, friends, and groups on its free plan. Choose Introd if syncing Outlook or Google contacts, email, and calendar through add-ons is the priority. Kumu may suit readers seeking public network maps, unlimited collaborators, and a self-hosted option. Polinode offers web-based network analysis, including public networks and basic metrics on its free plan. The Swarm is worth considering for its free combined network and enriched profiles across 10 connectors. Relationship Science (RelSci) is a paid alternative with platform, Radar, and API offerings. Village offers a free plan with monthly credits, a browser extension, and API and MCP access.

Verdict

Draftboard is a strong fit for individuals and teams whose work depends on reaching people through professional connections. Its path scoring, tailored requests, and pooled team networks make those routes actionable, while free access lets users start without a subscription. Look elsewhere if default team visibility is unacceptable or the per-target credit cap would constrain your outreach.