Apollo Alternatives (2026): 8 Tools for Contact Data or Cold Outreach
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Apollo.io combines a B2B contact database with email sequences, a dialer and AI tools, from $49 a seat a month billed yearly. Most Apollo alternatives replace one half of that: the data or the outreach. Below are eight options in two groups, with prices checked November 11, 2026 and what one person pays in a year.
The short answer
For cheaper contact data, pick RocketReach ($329/yr for emails) or Lusha (free plan, 40 credits a month). For enterprise data, ZoomInfo or Cognism (quote only). To send cold email, use Instantly or lemlist. For data, sequences and AI in one contract, Amplemarket, from $600 a month.
What Apollo costs in 2026
Apollo charges per seat. Every seat on an account must be on the same plan, and credits pay for contact data. Basic and Professional have a 14-day trial.
| Apollo plan | Per seat a month, billed yearly | Billed monthly | Credits per seat | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 900 a year | AI Research, 2 sequences, extensions, basic filters; Gmail accounts only |
| Basic | $49 | $65 | 30,000 a year | Unlimited sequences, deliverability suite, CRM integrations, 5 automated workflows, US dialer |
| Professional | $79 | $99 | 48,000 a year | Adds AI lead scoring, A/Z testing, call recordings with AI insights (4,000 minutes) |
| Organization | $119 | Annual only | 72,000 a year | Minimum 3 seats; adds 12 intent topics, unlimited meeting events, inbound routers |
From the Apollo pricing page, read in a browser on November 11, 2026 (the plan table loads with JavaScript). Apollo calls this introductory pricing that may change; prices exclude tax. Monthly plans grant credits each month (2,500 on Basic, 4,000 on Professional). See our Apollo pricing and plans page for limits.
Why people look for an Apollo alternative
- You only use half of it. If you only export contacts, or only send sequences, a tool that does that one job can cost less.
- Credits don’t roll over. Apollo grants credits each billing cycle, and unused credits don’t carry over.
- Every seat pays the same plan. You can’t mix Basic and Professional seats on one account.
- Monthly billing costs more. Basic is $65 a seat billed monthly against $49 billed yearly, and Organization is yearly only with at least 3 seats.
- Prices may change. Apollo labels its current prices introductory.
None of this makes Apollo a poor pick: few tools put this much data and outreach in one seat price. The last section covers when to stay.
Apollo alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Type | Best for | Starts at | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Apollo | Data + outreach | Data, sequences and dialer in one seat | $49/seat/mo billed yearly, Basic ($65 monthly) | Free plan: 900 credits a year |
 Lusha | Data-first | Verified emails and phones on a small budget | $49.90/mo billed monthly, Starter ($37.45/mo billed yearly) | Free plan: 40 credits a month, 1 seat, no card |
 RocketReach | Data-first | The lowest yearly price for emails | $27/mo billed yearly, Essentials ($329/yr; $49 billed monthly) | Free account with 3 lookups, no card |
 BookYourData | Data-first | Paying per contact with no subscription | $99 one-time pack of 250 contacts ($299 for 1,000) | 10 free credits, no card |
 ZoomInfo | Data-first | Enterprise teams that want intent data and more | Custom pricing quote from sales | Free trial on Sales plans (length not stated); no free plan |
 Cognism | Data-first | Phone-verified mobile numbers | Custom pricing quote from sales; plans list 5 seats | No free trial mentioned; a free data sample is linked |
 Instantly | Outreach-first | High-volume cold email from many inboxes | $37.60/mo billed yearly, Outreach Growth ($47 billed monthly) | Free start, no card |
 lemlist | Outreach-first | Multichannel sequences with a lead database | $55/mo billed yearly, Email plan ($69 billed monthly) | 14-day free trial (a 30-day trial banner also appears) |
 Amplemarket | Outreach-first | Teams that want data, sequences and an AI copilot in one contract | $600/mo Startup, annual term, 2 users included | Free trial (length not stated; starts with a demo request) |
List prices in US dollars before tax, from each vendor’s pricing page (dates in each section below). “Data-first” tools find contacts; “outreach-first” tools send the emails and sequences.
What one person pays in a year
Entry plans for one user, billed yearly unless noted. The plans do different jobs, so read the note column before comparing totals.
| Plan | Cost for a year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Apollo Basic | $588 | $49 × 12; 30,000 credits, sequences and dialer included |
| Apollo Professional | $948 | $79 × 12; AI lead scoring, A/Z testing |
| RocketReach Essentials | $329 | Billed yearly; emails only, 1,200 exports |
| Lusha Starter | $449.40 | $37.45 × 12; 4,800 credits (email 1, phone 5) |
| BookYourData | $299 | One-time pack of 1,000 contacts; no subscription |
| lemlist Email | $660 | $55 × 12; sending only, no monthly data credits |
| Instantly Growth + Credits Growth | $902.40 | ($37.60 + $37.60) × 12; sending plus 1,500–2,000 credits a month |
| Amplemarket Startup | $7,200 | $600 × 12, annual term; covers 2 users |
| ZoomInfo / Cognism | Quote | No published prices |
For data alone, RocketReach Essentials ($329) and Lusha Starter ($449.40) cost less than one Apollo Basic seat ($588), and BookYourData costs $299 for 1,000 contacts with no renewal. For sending plus lead data, Instantly’s two plans together ($902.40) cost more than Apollo Basic, which already includes sequences.
Our arithmetic from list prices checked November 11, 2026 (Lusha monthly prices from Oct 29, 2026), not vendor quotes.
How we chose
We picked tools in our directory that replace one of Apollo’s two core jobs, finding B2B contacts or sending outreach to them, and split them into data-first and outreach-first. We re-read each pricing page on November 11, 2026: from a US connection where the figures load as text, and in a browser for Apollo, Lusha, RocketReach and BookYourData, whose plan tables load with JavaScript. We compared published prices, credits and where features start. We haven’t tested these tools hands-on, and we don’t claim any of them has more accurate data than Apollo.
Seamless.AI, Clay and Hunter also come up in searches but aren’t in our directory yet. Waalaxy is in our directory, but we couldn’t confirm its billing period, so it isn’t listed here.
Data-first Apollo alternatives
These tools find and verify contacts. Most don’t send email, so pair them with a sender or your CRM.
Lusha: best for verified emails and phones on a small budget
B2B contact and company data with verified emails and phone numbers, a Chrome extension, CRM enrichment, buying signals, email sequences and an MCP server for AI assistants.
- Starts at
- $49.90/mo billed monthly, Starter ($37.45/mo billed yearly)
- What it covers
- Contact data, plus basic email sequences
- Free option
- Free plan: 40 credits a month, 1 seat, no card
Compared with Apollo: Lusha is a contact-data tool first. Starter costs $37.45 a month billed yearly for 4,800 credits a year and 1 seat, against $49 a seat for Apollo Basic with 30,000 credits. A verified email costs 1 credit and a phone number 5, so a year of Starter reveals up to 4,800 emails or 960 phone numbers. Apollo bundles more outreach tools; Lusha keeps the extension, enrichment and signals simple.
Who it’s for: You mainly need direct emails and phone numbers in a browser extension, for one or two people.
Skip it if: You reveal hundreds of phone numbers a month: at 5 credits each, a small plan runs out fast.
Visit LushaRead the Lusha profile
Source: lusha.com, checked November 11, 2026 (yearly prices; monthly prices from our Oct 29, 2026 check)
RocketReach: best for the lowest yearly price for emails
Email and phone finder covering 700M profiles and 60M companies, with a browser extension, AI-written emails, Autopilot prospecting workflows, CRM exports and an API.
- Starts at
- $27/mo billed yearly, Essentials ($329/yr; $49 billed monthly)
- What it covers
- Contact data, plus AI-written emails and Autopilot workflows
- Free option
- Free account with 3 lookups, no card
Compared with Apollo: RocketReach Essentials costs $329 a year for unlimited verified emails and 1,200 exports a year, the lowest yearly price on this page. It covers emails only: phone numbers start on Pro at $829 a year ($69 a month billed yearly). On monthly billing, lookups are capped at 100 a month on Essentials. Apollo Basic costs $588 a seat a year and includes sequences and a dialer that RocketReach doesn’t.
Who it’s for: You need a steady flow of verified emails and already send outreach from another tool.
Skip it if: You need phone numbers on the entry plan, or team credit pooling (Team plans start at $6K a year).
Visit RocketReachRead the RocketReach profile
Source: rocketreach.co, checked November 11, 2026
BookYourData: best for paying per contact with no subscription
B2B contact database where you build lead lists with 100+ filters and pay per contact with credits that never expire, with real-time email verification and no subscription.
- Starts at
- $99 one-time pack of 250 contacts ($299 for 1,000)
- What it covers
- Contact lists only; no outreach tools
- Free option
- 10 free credits, no card
Compared with Apollo: BookYourData sells contacts in one-time credit packs that never expire: $99 for 250 ($0.40 each), $299 for 1,000 and $999 for 10,000. There is no subscription, sequence tool or dialer, so it suits occasional list building rather than daily prospecting. If you only pull a few hundred contacts a quarter, this can cost less than any seat-based plan.
Who it’s for: You build lists now and then and don’t want a monthly bill.
Skip it if: You want outreach, a dialer or a browser extension in the same tool.
Visit BookYourDataRead the BookYourData profile
Source: bookyourdata.com, checked November 11, 2026
ZoomInfo: best for enterprise teams that want intent data and more
Enterprise go-to-market platform with B2B contact and company data, buyer intent, website visitor data, conversation intelligence, AI agents and API/MCP data access.
- Starts at
- Custom pricing quote from sales
- What it covers
- Contact and company data, intent, conversation intelligence, AI Copilot
- Free option
- Free trial on Sales plans (length not stated); no free plan
Compared with Apollo: ZoomInfo publishes no prices: its pricing page says cost depends on features, licenses and credit usage, and every plan goes through sales. It covers more than contact data, with buyer intent, website visitor data, conversation intelligence and Copilot. That makes it a step up in scope and paperwork from Apollo, not a cheaper option.
Who it’s for: You run a larger sales or marketing team and want intent and account data under one contract.
Skip it if: You want to see a price before talking to sales, or you are a team of one.
Visit ZoomInfoRead the ZoomInfo profile
Source: zoominfo.com, checked November 11, 2026
Cognism: best for phone-verified mobile numbers
B2B sales intelligence with phone-verified mobile numbers, intent and hiring signals, CRM enrichment, GDPR/CCPA-compliant data and MCP/API access for AI assistants.
- Starts at
- Custom pricing quote from sales; plans list 5 seats
- What it covers
- Contact data, intent signals and CRM enrichment
- Free option
- No free trial mentioned; a free data sample is linked
Compared with Apollo: Cognism’s Pro plan focuses on mobile numbers, with on-demand verification listed as a premium feature. Prices are quote-only, and both plan cards list 5 seats, so it is aimed at teams rather than solo sellers. One credit reveals one contact, and viewing a contact you already revealed is free. It has no sequences or dialer of its own.
Who it’s for: Your team cold-calls and wants mobile numbers that have been checked before you dial.
Skip it if: You are a solo seller or want published prices and a self-serve trial.
Visit CognismRead the Cognism profile
Source: cognism.com, checked November 11, 2026
Outreach-first Apollo alternatives
These tools send the emails and sequences. Each also offers lead data, either built in or as an extra.
Instantly: best for high-volume cold email from many inboxes
Cold email platform that sends from unlimited email accounts with built-in warmup, plus a B2B lead database, email verification, a CRM and AI agents for prospecting and replies.
- Starts at
- $37.60/mo billed yearly, Outreach Growth ($47 billed monthly)
- What it covers
- Cold email sending, plus a lead database on a separate Credits plan
- Free option
- Free start, no card
Compared with Apollo: Instantly is built for sending: unlimited email accounts with warmup on every Outreach plan, starting at $37.60 a month billed yearly for 5,000 emails a month. Lead data from its 450M+ contact database is a second subscription (Credits Growth, $37.60 a month billed yearly for 1,500 to 2,000 credits) unless you buy a bundle. Apollo puts data and sequences in one seat price.
Who it’s for: Your outbound is mostly email and you send from many mailboxes.
Skip it if: You want one subscription that covers data, email and calling.
Visit InstantlyRead the Instantly profile
Source: instantly.ai, checked November 11, 2026
lemlist: best for multichannel sequences with a lead database
Sales engagement platform with a B2B lead database, AI personalization and automated campaigns across email, LinkedIn, calls, WhatsApp and SMS, plus deliverability and warmup tools.
- Starts at
- $55/mo billed yearly, Email plan ($69 billed monthly)
- What it covers
- Sequences across email, LinkedIn, calls, WhatsApp and SMS, with a 650M+ lead database
- Free option
- 14-day free trial (a 30-day trial banner also appears)
Compared with Apollo: lemlist’s Email plan is $55 a month billed yearly with 50,000 emails a month and unlimited users, but no monthly data credits. Multichannel ($87 per user a month billed yearly) adds LinkedIn, calls, WhatsApp and SMS steps and includes credits for finding emails and phones. Compared with Apollo, lemlist leans toward personalized multichannel campaigns more than database search.
Who it’s for: You run sequences across email and LinkedIn and want lead search in the same tool.
Skip it if: You need lots of phone numbers: a found phone costs 20 credits, against 5 for an email.
Visit lemlistRead the lemlist profile
Source: lemlist.com, checked November 11, 2026 (credit costs from our Oct 28, 2026 check)
Amplemarket: best for teams that want data, sequences and an AI copilot in one contract
Sales platform with a B2B contact database, AI intent signals, multichannel sequences, deliverability tools and Duo, an AI copilot that suggests leads and drafts outreach for approval.
- Starts at
- $600/mo Startup, annual term, 2 users included
- What it covers
- Contact data, intent signals, multichannel sequences, dialer and Duo AI
- Free option
- Free trial (length not stated; starts with a demo request)
Compared with Apollo: Amplemarket is the closest all-in-one match to Apollo here, with data, intent signals, multichannel sequences, a parallel dialer and Duo, an AI copilot that drafts outreach for approval. It costs far more: Startup is $600 a month on an annual term ($7,200 a year) for 2 users with 13,500 email and 600 phone credits per user a year. Growth and Elite are quote-only.
Who it’s for: Your team wants one vendor for data, sequences and AI help, and has the budget.
Skip it if: You are price-sensitive: two Apollo Professional seats cost $1,896 a year billed yearly.
Visit AmplemarketRead the Amplemarket profile
Source: amplemarket.com, checked November 11, 2026
How to choose in four steps
- List what you use Apollo for. Exports only: a data-first tool. Sequences only: an outreach-first tool. Both every day: compare against Apollo itself or Amplemarket.
- Count phone numbers separately. Phone reveals cost more credits than emails on Lusha (5 vs 1) and lemlist (20 vs 5), and RocketReach Essentials has none.
- Multiply by seats and months. Monthly billing costs more on most tools here; Apollo Basic is $780 a seat a year billed monthly against $588 yearly.
- Test with your own list. Use free plans or trials to look up 20 to 50 contacts you already know before you commit.
When to stay with Apollo
- You use both the database and the sequences every week: replacing both usually means paying for two tools.
- Your team is small and self-serve: Apollo shows prices, has a free plan and starts at $49 a seat billed yearly, while ZoomInfo and Cognism are quote-only.
- You rely on its dialer, deliverability suite or CRM enrichment, which are included on Basic.
For more outreach options, see the best cold email tools, compare Instantly vs lemlist, read our Instantly alternatives, or browse all AI sales tools.
FAQ
What is the best alternative to Apollo.io?
It depends on what you use Apollo for. For contact data on a budget, Lusha (free plan with 40 credits a month) or RocketReach ($329 a year for emails). For enterprise data, ZoomInfo or Cognism, both quote-only. For sending cold email, Instantly or lemlist. For an all-in-one platform with AI, Amplemarket from $600 a month. We haven’t tested these tools hands-on; this compares pricing pages checked November 11, 2026.
Is there a free alternative to Apollo?
Lusha has a free plan with 40 credits a month and 1 seat, no card. RocketReach gives a free account 3 lookups, and BookYourData gives 10 free credits. None of these includes sequences. Apollo’s own Free plan has 900 credits a year and 2 sequences, but connects Gmail accounts only.
What is the cheapest alternative to Apollo?
For a full year of email lookups, RocketReach Essentials at $329 billed yearly, against $588 for one Apollo Basic seat. It doesn’t include phone numbers. If you only need a few hundred contacts, BookYourData’s one-time packs start at $99 for 250, with credits that never expire.
Is Lusha better than Apollo?
They do different jobs. Lusha is mainly a contact-data tool with a simple extension: Starter is $37.45 a month billed yearly for 4,800 credits a year, and a phone number costs 5 credits. Apollo Basic is $49 a seat a month billed yearly with 30,000 credits plus sequences, a dialer and workflows. Pick Lusha for quick lookups, Apollo for data and outreach in one place.
Is ZoomInfo better than Apollo?
ZoomInfo covers more ground, with intent data, website visitor data and conversation intelligence, but it publishes no prices and sells through sales. Apollo lists prices from $49 a seat a month billed yearly and has a free plan. ZoomInfo suits larger teams that want one enterprise contract; Apollo suits teams that want to start self-serve.
How much does Apollo cost per year?
Per seat, Basic is $588 a year billed yearly ($49 × 12) or $780 billed monthly ($65 × 12). Professional is $948 billed yearly or $1,188 monthly. Organization is $119 a seat a month, billed yearly only, with at least 3 seats, so at least $4,284 a year. Apollo labels these prices introductory, and they exclude tax.
Do Apollo credits roll over?
No. Apollo’s pricing page, checked October 29, 2026, said credits are pooled across the team, granted at the start of each billing cycle and don’t roll over. On paid plans billed yearly, the year’s credits are granted upfront.
Should I replace Apollo with a data tool or an outreach tool?
Look at what you use most. If you mainly export contacts into another sender or CRM, a data-first tool such as Lusha, RocketReach or BookYourData is a closer fit. If you mainly run sequences, Instantly or lemlist covers sending and adds lead search. Replacing both jobs usually means two tools, or an all-in-one like Amplemarket.
Sources
Checked November 11, 2026, except Lusha monthly prices and Apollo’s credit rollover rule (Oct 29, 2026) and lemlist credit costs (Oct 28, 2026).