If you’ve ever tried to understand Apollo.io’s pricing, you’ll know it’s not as straightforward as it first appears. Between shifting plan tiers and the credit system, costs can creep up, especially if your team is tied into a long-term contract that limits flexibility.
In this article, I’ll share what I learned testing Apollo.io: what each plan includes, where hidden costs appear, and whether it’s worth the investment. 👇
TL;DR
- Apollo has three core pricing plans and a free version, which allows you to trial the data before you commit.
- If you choose to be billed annually, Apollo pricing starts from $49 to $119 per user per month, which gives you a 20% discount.
- If you choose to be billed monthly, pricing starts from $59 to $149 per user.
| Plan | Cost | What’s included |
| Free | $0/month | Some mobile credits to test out the data, basic filtering and the use of the Chrome Extension. |
| Basic | $49 or $59/month | Includes everything for free, but more access to buying intent data, job changes, and advanced filtering. |
| Professional | $79 or $99/month | Includes even more features, such as uncapped sending limits with SendGrid, AI-assisted email writing and the dialler. |
| Organization | $119 or $149/month | You need at least three users. You’ll get permission profiles, call transcripts, and customisable reports. |
(* Note: These figures are based on publicly available data on the Apollo website from the time of writing this article. Apollo may show different pricing on its website depending on your region.)
The main factors influencing Apollo.io pricing are the credits you need, the features and capabilities you require and the number of users/licenses needed.
You’ll have to pay more for additional users and credits, advanced filters and intent topics, SSO, advanced security configurations and more integration options.
The advanced dialler, account-based automation, insight recommendations, advanced settings and security are only available on the Organizational (highest tier) plan.
How does Apollo.io’s pricing work?
Apollo pricing is based on a credit system for mobile data and exports. Email credits are unlimited and subject to a fair usage policy across packages.
When signing up for an Apollo.io subscription, you can add the seats you need, and each seat comes with a set number of credits. However, you cannot reduce the number of seats until your payment term ends.
If you require advanced features and filters, such as technographics, hiring data, recent funding rounds, and revenue, you must opt for one of the higher-tier plans.
Hidden costs of Apollo.io
Apollo.io pricing can easily add up. On paper, it looks straightforward: a set monthly fee per user. But Apollo’s credit-based model introduces several costs that may quickly inflate your spending.
For example, every time you reveal or export a verified mobile number, it consumes a credit. If your team is prospecting at scale, those credits run out faster than expected, especially when multiple users run searches simultaneously.
When you need more, you’ll either have to upgrade your plan or purchase additional credits, which may increase your costs beyond the advertised price.
There are also paywalls for certain features that aren’t immediately obvious at sign-up. Advanced intent topics, revenue data, technographic filters, or extra integrations like Salesforce and Outreach are all gated behind the higher-tier plans.
Another factor worth noting is that seat reductions aren’t allowed mid-term, so even if team size changes, you’ll still pay for all licences until the contract ends.
Individually, these might seem minor, but together they may make Apollo harder to budget for.
That’s why I now lean towards data providers with flat, licence-based pricing, like Cognism; it removes the guesswork and makes forecasting much easier.
Here’s what one user has to say about Cognism. 👇
SDR Manager @OneUp Sales
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Is Apollo.io worth the price?
Apollo is best for SMB and commercial prospects with smaller budgets looking to prospect in the US. However, due to the way Apollo.io structures its pricing, it might not be worth it if your teams require unlimited credits, integrations, and wider coverage for DNC list screening.
If you’re looking for a tool to make it easier to cold-call internationally without limited credits, Cognism is for you.
Here’s what makes Cognism different from Apollo.io:
- The most comprehensive European dataset with phone-verified mobile numbers.
- GDPR & CCPA-compliant with comprehensive DNC screening.
- A spotless record with zero data breaches. Apollo has experienced two data breaches (2018 & 2021), compromising over 130 million records.
- 95% of VP and above contacts are refreshed every 60/30 days.
- Straightforward pricing structure with unrestricted access to mobiles. (Subject to a generous fair usage policy)
In an independent survey of Pavilion members who compared sales prospecting tools, Apollo.io and Cognism registered top scores.
Users praised Cognism for its high-quality cell phone numbers, UK/EU market data, GDPR compliance, and seamless integration. Apollo.io was praised for its affordable pricing and large contact database.
The 2024 recent Forrester Wave report rated Cognism above Apollo for contact data and Security and Compliance.
But don’t take my word for it!
OneUp Sales compared Apollo.io vs ZoomInfo and Cognism:
SDR Manager @OneUp Sales
What customers say about Apollo pricing
Apollo.io meets affordability criteria, but some customers mention inconsistent pricing, constantly changing rates, and inaccurate sales pitches.
Here are a few snippets from review sites:
“The pricing also increases quickly as you scale usage, which might be a challenge for smaller teams.” (G2)
“They constantly change rates. One year ago, the basic plan was $19 a month, then three months later, $29 a month, then $39, then $49, and now $59. When you go to cancel, they give it to you for $9 a month for a lifetime. Why then keep changing your rates?“ (Trustpilot)
“It’s very frustrating to see them change credits usage so often, and they don’t pass on the benefits of new features and changes to users who have billed annually.” (Capterra)
“I do not like how you have to use a credit even when Apollo does not have the phone/email available.” (G2)
How to cancel an Apollo contract?
If you’re an Apollo.io customer and want to terminate your contract, you can only cancel the renewal of your plan if you:
- Annual plans: Give notice 30 days prior to the end of the then-current term.
- Monthly plans: Prior to 11:59 pm. Pacific Time on the day before your next recurring billing date.
You can’t cancel or get a refund for the term you’ve already paid for.
Previous users state that the only way to cancel is to open and chat with the bot. This can be a problem should you need proof of your request to cancel, as this user experienced.
Many Apollo.io reviews mention customers having difficulty cancelling due to poor customer support. Some signed up without realising that Apollo.io adds data from users’ CRMs to supplement their database. This leads to concerns about the privacy of their data and domain reputation.
👋 Pssst - Cognism, by contrast, does not collect or repurpose user CRM data, and its support team is phenomenal.
Head of Sales & Partnerships @UpCloud
FAQs
Put Cognism to the test
Dedicated to powering international sales teams by providing the most accurate and compliant data, Cognism has helped B2B businesses:
- Increase qualified leads by 60%.
- Decrease speed to lead time by 93%.
- Increase meetings booked by 70%.
- Increase opportunity creation by 240%.
- Increase retention and growth by 51%.
Curious how Cognism compares? Test a sample of the data and see the difference, no strings attached. 👇
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