A sales rep needs three things to start outbound at scale: a list of the right people, a way to contact them, and a system that keeps track of who’s been emailed and when. Most sales stacks bolt those three things together from separate vendors. Apollo.io built its business on selling them as one product, starting with a database of 240M+ contacts and a free plan that doesn’t require a credit card. In 2026 it goes further, pitching itself as “The AI GTM System” with AI agents, waterfall enrichment and a built-in dialer.
TL;DR
Apollo.io is a sales intelligence and engagement platform that combines a B2B contact and company database (240M+ contacts, 30M+ companies, per Apollo) with email sequencing, a browser dialer, a Chrome extension, enrichment and CRM integrations. It’s built for sales teams and founders doing outbound who want search, outreach and enrichment in one tool. The free plan is genuinely usable for testing, which is unusual in this category, and paid plans start at $49 per seat a month billed annually. The biggest caveat, echoed across public reviews: data quality, especially phone numbers and coverage outside North America, varies by market, so test it on your own target list before committing to an annual plan.
At a glance
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | Sales intelligence database plus outreach engagement platform |
| Category | B2B contact database / sales engagement |
| Database (vendor claim) | 240M+ contacts and 30M+ companies |
| Pricing model | Free plan, then per-seat plans (monthly or annual) with one shared credit balance |
| Price | Free; Basic $49, Professional $79, Organization $119 per seat a month billed annually (vendor-published, checked September 2026) |
| Standout feature | Prospecting, sequencing, dialing and waterfall enrichment in one product with a real free tier |
| Best for | Outbound sales teams and founders who want database search and email or call sequencing without stitching tools together |
| Free trial | Free plan, plus a 14-day trial of Basic or Professional |
What Is Apollo.io?
Apollo.io is a US company (its Chrome extension is published by ZenLeads Inc., Apollo’s original name) that sells a go-to-market platform for B2B sales teams. At its core is a searchable database of people and companies. Around it sit the tools to act on that data: email sequences, a dialer, meeting scheduling, deal management, enrichment for your CRM, website visitor identification and, since late 2025, AI agents and an AI assistant. Apollo says more than 600,000 companies use it.
Apollo describes the platform as “One system. Three layers”: Data, Intelligence and Execution. In practice that means a rep can go from a saved search to a live sequence to a logged call without leaving the app.
What Apollo.io Does: Sales Engagement Platform Features
Apollo’s product spans three connected functions built on one database: finding people, reaching them, and keeping their records current. That breadth is why Apollo shows up in comparisons against both database-first tools like ZoomInfo and engagement-first tools like Outreach or Salesloft. It competes with both categories at once, doing a credible job of each without necessarily being the top specialist in either.
Contact and company database
Apollo’s core asset is a searchable database of 240M+ contacts and 30M+ companies, filterable by job title, seniority, location, industry, company size, technology used, funding stage, headcount growth and buying intent. A rep sets filters (say, VP of Sales at Series B SaaS companies with 50 to 200 employees using HubSpot) and gets a list back instead of researching each account by hand. Apollo says its data comes from “a network of 2M+ users”, third-party data providers and public web data, that its emails go through “Seven-step email verification”, and that phone numbers are verified in real time when you request them. It also claims a “98% email accuracy rate”; treat that as a vendor figure, not an audited one. In March 2026 it added search for local businesses via Google Maps on paid plans.
Sequences and engagement
Sequences build multi-step outreach across email, calls, LinkedIn tasks and more, with automatic follow-ups, send windows and personalization fields. Professional and Organization add A/Z testing, unlimited connected Google or Microsoft mailboxes and unlimited daily sends (Free and Basic are capped at 250 emails a day). Apollo also bundles email warmup, a deliverability suite and in-app domain and mailbox purchase, and it auto-pauses sequences with high bounce rates.
Dialer and call intelligence
A US dialer is included on paid plans, with calls drawing credits. Professional includes call recording and AI insights (4,000 minutes), Organization 8,000. Power and parallel dialing, international calling and local presence are paid add-ons.
Enrichment and CRM sync
Apollo enriches CSV files, CRM records, API calls, web forms and job changes. Since its ApolloNEXT launch in October 2025, it has run waterfall enrichment: Apollo checks its own data first, then works through 20+ partner providers in an order you choose until it finds a result. It became the default on paid plans in December 2025. Apollo reports that beta customers saw “45% lower email bounce rate” and “7% more phone numbers” (based on two months of beta usage). It integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot and other CRMs, and in 2026 added read-only sync of Salesforce custom objects.
AI assistant and agents
Apollo’s AI Assistant can build lists, draft sequences and research accounts from a chat prompt; Apollo describes it as free as an introductory offer on paid plans, with up to 5 chats on Free. Professional adds agents, and Organization lets you use your own LLM API key. Apollo also acquired Pocus in March 2026 to expand its account-signal and GTM operations tooling.
What’s New in Apollo.io (2025 to 2026)
- October 2025: ApolloNEXT launched the “agentic” platform, AI Assistant, parallel dialer, AI call prep, a deliverability suite and waterfall enrichment.
- December 2025: waterfall enrichment out of beta and on by default for paid teams.
- 2025 to 2026: the credit system was simplified to one credit balance (see pricing below).
- March 2026: Apollo acquired Pocus; Google Maps local-company search added.
- April 2026: contact-level website visitor identification (US).
- September 2026: Apollo announced it is the flagship data partner for Salesforce’s new outbound sales agent.
Pricing
Apollo publishes all self-serve prices on apollo.io/pricing. Figures below are vendor-published, checked September 2026, per seat per month, excluding tax.
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Credits | Key inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 75 per seat a month (900 a year) | Database search, 2 sequences, 250 emails a day, CRM enrichment up to 100 a month, API access |
| Basic | $49 | $65 | 30,000 per seat a year upfront (or 2,500 a month) | Unlimited sequences, waterfall enrichment, CSV/CRM/API enrichment, deal management, US dialer |
| Professional | $79 | $99 | 48,000 per seat a year upfront (or 4,000 a month) | Agents, A/Z testing, unlimited mailboxes and daily sends, call recording with AI insights, analytics |
| Organization | $119 (minimum 3 seats) | Annual only | 72,000 per seat a year upfront | 12 intent topics, SSO, custom reports, bring your own LLM key |
How Apollo credits work now
Older reviews (including earlier versions of this one) describe separate pools for email, export and mobile credits. That’s out of date. Apollo now uses one credit balance:
- Email: 1 credit, charged only for emails Apollo can verify; Apollo says it “never charges more than 1 credit per contact” for email.
- Phone number: 8 credits per verified number (mobile, direct or office).
- Other uses: enrichment, waterfall lookups, AI research, dialer minutes and some company exports also draw credits. Via the API, Apollo says a waterfall email typically uses 1 to 4 credits and a waterfall phone 8 to 25.
- Expiry: credits expire at the end of each billing cycle and don’t roll over. On annual plans you get the full year’s credits on day one.
- Add-ons: extra credits start at $10 for 400.
Worked example: a rep who needs 1,000 new contacts a month with email only uses about 1,000 credits, well inside Basic’s 2,500 a month. Add a mobile number for each and it’s 9,000 credits a month, which means Professional plus add-on credits, or a narrower phone strategy.
For a plan-by-plan breakdown and a 1,000-contact cost model, read our Apollo.io pricing guide or see the Apollo.io pricing page on Spotsaas.
Apollo.io Data Coverage by Region
Apollo doesn’t publish a regional breakdown of its database, and questions such as Latin America or India coverage come up often. Public reviews consistently report stronger data for North America than for Europe, APAC and Latin America. If you sell outside the US, pull 50 to 100 contacts from your exact target segment on the free plan and check how many emails verify and how many phone numbers connect. Apollo also notes that it doesn’t remove EU- or UK-based contacts from its Chrome extension and advises checking a prospect’s location before saving them, which matters for GDPR.
Is Apollo.io Legit and Trustworthy?
Yes, Apollo is an established, widely used company, but user sentiment is split by platform. Apollo’s pricing page cites a G2 rating of 4.7 out of 5 from 9,690 reviews. On Trustpilot, Apollo is rated 3.1 out of 5 from 1,333 reviews (checked September 2026), with Trustpilot’s own summary noting praise for the breadth of features alongside complaints about support response times, navigation and page speed. For compliance, Apollo lists GDPR, SOC 2, CCPA/CPRA, ISO/IEC 27001 and the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, and it runs a privacy center where individuals can opt out of its database.
Pros
- One tool covers prospecting, outreach, dialing and enrichment. Reviewers consistently cite the combined workflow as the main reason they chose Apollo over a narrower tool.
- A genuinely free entry point. A usable free plan with real database access is uncommon in this category and lets small teams validate outbound before paying.
- Simple, published pricing. Every self-serve price is on the pricing page, and the single credit balance is easier to budget than the old split pools.
- Filtering depth supports precise targeting. Filters for funding stage, technology, headcount growth and intent let reps build tight lists.
- Waterfall enrichment is built in. Paid plans automatically try partner providers when Apollo’s own data comes up empty.
Cons
- Data accuracy varies by market. Public reviews report more outdated titles and invalid details outside North America, and a recent Trustpilot review complains of wrong numbers attached to the wrong business.
- Phone data costs more and is less consistent than email. A phone number costs 8 credits against 1 for an email, so phone-heavy teams burn through allowances fast.
- Credits expire. Unused credits don’t roll over, and waterfall lookups can use several credits per contact.
- Support and speed complaints. Trustpilot reviewers cite slow support replies and slow-loading pages.
- Interface density. Prospecting, sequences, dialer, deals, enrichment, AI and reporting in one interface make onboarding heavier than a single-purpose tool.
How it compares
ZoomInfo is the enterprise benchmark most often set against Apollo. ZoomInfo publishes larger coverage numbers (500M+ profiles, 135M+ direct dials) and first-party intent data, and it’s built for larger organizations running ABM at scale. It’s also quote-only: its public AWS Marketplace offer for ZoomInfo Sales is $34,995 for 12 months. Apollo’s pitch is a lower price, a free tier, and engagement tooling built into the same product. Our Apollo vs ZoomInfo comparison goes deeper.
Lusha is the closer comparison at the smaller end. Lusha is built around fast contact reveals from a Chrome extension (an email costs 1 credit, a phone 5) for reps whose outreach already lives in another tool. Apollo suits a team that wants to run the whole outbound motion from one place. Clay is the other common alternative: a flexible enrichment workspace across 150+ data partners, better for custom workflows than for running sequences; see our Clay review.
Who it’s for
Early-stage sales teams and founders doing their own outbound. The free tier and $49 entry plan make Apollo an accessible first outbound stack.
Growing SDR and BDR teams that want one platform. Teams that would otherwise buy a database, a sequencer and a dialer separately benefit most.
Revenue teams already invested in a CRM. Salesforce and HubSpot sync push prospecting and engagement activity into existing pipeline reports.
Not the strongest fit for enterprise ABM programs needing the deepest data. Teams where phone accuracy or non-US coverage is mission-critical may find ZoomInfo or, for Europe, Cognism worth the higher price.
Recruiters and agencies. Some use Apollo’s filters for candidate or client sourcing, though it’s built and priced for B2B sales.
Related reading: Apollo vs ZoomInfo 2026: Data Quality, Credits and Cost, AI SDR Tools in 2026: What They Automate and What They Cost, 10 Best Apollo.io Alternatives in 2026 (By Data, Price and Use Case), Clay vs Apollo 2026: Which You Need, or Why Teams Use Both
Frequently asked questions
Is Apollo.io actually free?
Yes. The Free plan costs $0 with 75 credits per seat a month, database search, 2 sequences and up to 250 emails a day. It’s enough to test data quality on your market, not to run a full outbound program.
How accurate is Apollo’s contact data?
Apollo claims a 98% email accuracy rate and verifies phone numbers when you request them, but no independent audit confirms it, and public reviews report weaker results outside North America and on phone numbers. Test a sample of your own target list before paying.
What’s an Apollo credit?
The single unit Apollo uses to meter data. A verified email costs 1 credit and a verified phone number 8. Credits also cover enrichment, waterfall lookups, AI research and dialer minutes, and they expire at the end of each billing cycle.
Does Apollo.io have a dialer?
Yes. A US dialer is included on paid plans, with call recording and AI insights on Professional and Organization. Power, parallel and international dialing are paid add-ons.
What CRMs does Apollo integrate with?
Salesforce and HubSpot are the main native CRM integrations, with two-way sync of contacts, accounts and activity; Salesforce custom objects can be synced read-only. Apollo also connects to 200+ apps through its workflows.
Is Apollo.io GDPR and CCPA compliant?
Apollo lists GDPR, CCPA and CPRA compliance, SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 27001, and offers a privacy center for access, opt-out and deletion requests; opted-out records are suppressed. You’re still responsible for having a lawful basis to contact EU prospects.
What’s the difference between Apollo.io and ZoomInfo?
ZoomInfo publishes a larger database and its own intent data and is sold on quote-only annual contracts. Apollo trades some data depth for published prices from $49 per seat, a free plan and sequences and a dialer built into the same product.
How many contacts are in Apollo’s database?
Apollo’s own site says 240M+ contacts and 30M+ companies (September 2026). Some older listings, including its Chrome Web Store page, still show an earlier 210M figure.
Does Apollo.io offer intent data?
Yes, as buying-intent topics you can filter and score accounts on. The Free plan includes 1 intent topic and Organization includes 12, which is narrower than dedicated intent platforms such as Bombora or 6sense.
Does Apollo.io support A/B testing for email sequences?
Yes, from the Professional plan, which includes A/Z testing of sequence steps along with unlimited mailboxes and daily sends.
Does the Apollo Chrome extension work outside LinkedIn?
Yes. The free extension works on LinkedIn, Gmail, Outlook, Salesforce, HubSpot and company websites, showing contact details and letting you add people to sequences. It works on every plan, including Free.
Verdict
Apollo.io earns its popularity by covering prospecting, outreach, dialing and enrichment in one reasonably priced product with a free tier solid enough to build on, and the 2025 to 2026 additions (waterfall enrichment, a simpler credit model, AI assistant) make it better value than it was a year ago. For early-stage and mid-market teams that want to consolidate tools and keep cost per seat low, it’s a sensible default. Teams running enterprise ABM where phone accuracy or non-US coverage decides deals should weigh Apollo’s gaps against ZoomInfo’s or Cognism’s higher prices. Either way, pull 50 to 100 contacts in the exact segment that matters, check how many emails and phone numbers actually work, and use that number to pick a plan.
See Apollo.io’s profile on Spotsaas, listed under Sales Engagement Software alongside its competitors. For other data tools, see the best B2B data providers, data enrichment tools and email finder tools.
