AI Tools 
Apollo.io review
B2B contact database, outreach sequences and AI sales agents in one go-to-market platform.
⚡ Quick verdict
Apollo.io is one of the most complete all-in-one prospecting platforms you can start for free: a large B2B database, unlimited sequences on paid plans and AI research agents. It is best value for teams doing regular outbound; light users should stay on the free plan, and buyers should watch the credit system closely because credits expire every billing cycle.
Key takeaways
- Free plan with 900 credits per seat per year; paid plans run $49, $79 and $119 per seat per month billed annually.
- Database of 240M+ contacts and 30M+ companies, plus waterfall enrichment and buying signals.
- AI agents research accounts, build lists, write outreach and book meetings.
- Credits are pooled across the team, granted upfront and do not roll over.
- All seats on one account must be on the same plan.
At a glance
| Best for | Outbound sales reps, founders and small sales teams |
|---|---|
| Pricing from (USD) | $49 per seat/mo (Basic, billed annually) |
| Free plan | Yes — 900 credits per seat per year, 2 sequences |
| Platforms | Web, Chrome extension, Gmail and Salesforce extensions |
| Company | Apollo.io |
| Category | Sales |
| Last checked | October 16, 2026 |
On this page
What Apollo.io is
Apollo.io is a go-to-market platform for B2B sales and marketing teams. It started as a contact database and has grown into what the company now calls “one connected GTM system” with three layers: data (your CRM data plus Apollo’s 240M+ contacts and 30M+ companies), intelligence (AI agents and lead scoring) and execution (sequences, dialer, meetings and integrations). Apollo says more than 600,000 companies use it.
The appeal is consolidation. Instead of paying for a data provider, an email sequencing tool, a dialer and a call recorder separately, a small team can do most outbound work in Apollo, or plug Apollo into Salesforce, HubSpot, Gmail, ChatGPT or Claude through its “Apollo Anywhere” integrations.
Key features
Contact data and enrichment
Search and filter a database of business contacts and accounts, then enrich CSV files, CRM records or API calls. Paid plans add waterfall enrichment (checking multiple sources to fill gaps), automated CRM enrichment and buying signals such as intent topics, job changes and website visits.
Sequences and deliverability
Multi-step email sequences are included on every account (2 on free, unlimited on paid). Professional adds A/Z testing. Paid plans include a deliverability suite with email warmup, inbox rotation, reputation monitoring and domain and mailbox purchasing.
AI agents and research
Apollo’s AI Assistant and AI Research tools summarize accounts and contacts. Its agents can, in Apollo’s words, “research, build lists, write outreach, follow up, and book meetings,” trained on your ideal customer profile through the AI Context Center. Professional and Organization add AI lead scoring.
Calls and meetings
A US dialer (credits apply), call recording with AI insights (150 minutes on Free and Basic, 4,000 on Professional, 8,000 on Organization), meeting scheduling and pre-meeting AI briefs. A Power Dialer, Parallel Dialer and local presence numbers are available as an add-on.
Inbound tools
Website visitor identification, real-time form enrichment, lead routing and a form builder, with higher limits in the paid Inbound add-on.
Pricing breakdown
Prices below are per seat per month, billed annually, as listed on Apollo’s pricing page on October 16, 2026. Apollo labels this “introductory pricing” that may change.
| Plan | Price (annual billing) | Credits | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 900 per seat/year, granted monthly | 2 sequences, AI research, 5 AI chats, 150 call-recording minutes |
| Basic | $49 | 30,000 per seat/year, upfront | Unlimited sequences, deliverability suite, CRM integrations, 5 workflows |
| Professional | $79 | 48,000 per seat/year, upfront | AI lead scoring, A/Z testing, 4,000 recording minutes |
| Organization | $119 (min. 3 seats) | 72,000 per seat/year, upfront | 12 intent topics, unlimited meeting events, 8,000 recording minutes |
Add-ons include Inbound (Essentials $119 or Max $639 per team per month, billed annually) and an Advanced Dialer ($119 per team per month, billed annually). Monthly billing is available at a higher rate; Apollo says annual billing saves 24%. Extra credits can be bought from Settings and renew each cycle until you remove them.
Best use cases
- Founder-led outbound: a two-person startup builds a list of VP-level buyers at 50–200 person SaaS companies, enriches emails and runs a five-step sequence, all on Basic.
- SDR teams: reps use the Chrome extension on LinkedIn profiles to save contacts, then enroll them in team sequences with A/Z-tested copy on Professional.
- CRM hygiene: RevOps connects Salesforce or HubSpot and uses automated enrichment to fill missing titles, phone numbers and company data.
- Inbound follow-up: marketing identifies companies visiting the pricing page and routes them to the right rep.
How to get started
- Sign up free with Google or Microsoft at apollo.io (no credit card required).
- Describe your ideal customer profile so the AI Context Center can tailor research and outreach.
- Install the Chrome extension and connect your Gmail inbox (or another provider on a paid plan).
- Build a saved search using filters such as job title, industry, headcount and location.
- Reveal contacts carefully: each reveal uses credits, so check your balance under Settings → Credit usage.
- Create a short sequence and start with a small batch to check deliverability.
- If you need more volume, start the 14-day trial of Basic or Professional before paying.
Tips and tricks
- Set per-user credit caps so one rep doesn’t drain the shared pool early in the cycle.
- Choose the plan for your highest-need users, since all seats share one plan level.
- Warm up new domains with the built-in warmup before sending sequences at volume.
- Use AI drafts as a starting point. Edit the opener so it references something specific to the prospect.
Example prompt for Apollo’s AI Assistant:
Research [Company]. Summarize what they sell, recent hiring or funding news, and three likely pain points for a Head of Sales Ops. Then draft a 90-word cold email that references one of those points and ends with a soft question.
Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Genuinely usable free plan with contact data, AI research and 2 sequences
- Prospecting, outreach, dialing and call recording in one tool
- Works inside Gmail, Salesforce, ChatGPT and Claude via extensions and integrations
- Credit caps per user help admins control spend
- SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 security certifications
👎 Cons
- Credit system takes time to understand, and unused credits expire
- Every seat must be on the same plan, which raises costs for mixed teams
- Free plan only connects Gmail inboxes
- No refunds for unused time when downgrading mid-cycle
Who should (and shouldn't) use Apollo.io
✅ A good fit if you…
- Run regular cold outbound and want data plus sequences in one place
- Are a founder or small team replacing several point tools
- Want AI help with account research and first-draft outreach
⛔ Look elsewhere if you…
- Only need a handful of contact lookups per month (the free plan or a lighter tool will do)
- Need mixed plan levels for different users on one account
- Mainly sell to consumers rather than businesses
Apollo.io alternatives
- Clay — Go-to-market data platform that combines many data providers, AI research agents and workflows to build and enrich lead lists. (from $167/mo (Launch, billed annually))
- HubSpot (Breeze AI) — Agentic customer platform with a free CRM, Breeze AI agents for marketing, sales and service, and usage-based HubSpot Credits. (from Free; Starter currently from $7/seat/mo (limited-time offer))
- Instantly — Cold email platform with unlimited sending accounts and warmup, a 450M+ B2B lead database and AI sales agents. (from $47/mo (Growth outreach plan))
- Gong — Revenue AI operating system that captures customer interactions, analyzes deals and automates next steps with AI agents. (from Custom pricing (contact sales))
FAQ
Is Apollo.io free?
Yes. Apollo has a free plan with no time limit that includes 900 credits per seat per year (granted monthly), contact and account data, AI research, 2 sequences and the Gmail and Salesforce extensions.
How much does Apollo.io cost?
Billed annually, Basic is $49 per seat per month, Professional is $79 and Organization is $119 (minimum 3 seats). Monthly billing costs more; Apollo says annual billing saves 24%. Prices exclude taxes.
How do Apollo credits work?
Credits are Apollo's currency for actions such as revealing emails and phone numbers, warmup, mailboxes and AI-researched data. They are pooled across the team, granted at the start of each billing cycle and expire if unused.
Do Apollo credits roll over?
No. Plan credits and purchased add-on credits both expire at the end of each billing cycle.
Can I send email campaigns on Apollo's free plan?
Yes. Email campaigns are included on every account, but free plans can only connect Gmail. Paid plans can connect Microsoft and other providers.
Is there a free trial of paid Apollo plans?
Yes. Basic and Professional offer a 14-day trial with credits and access to most features; afterward you can upgrade or drop to the free plan.
Sources
This is an editorial review based on research of official Apollo.io pages and documentation, not hands-on benchmark testing. Prices are in USD and were checked on October 16, 2026; vendors change plans often, so confirm on the official pricing page before buying.