Apollo vs ZoomInfo: which is right for you?
Features, pricing and fit, compared from a cold calling point of view. Not affiliated with either tool.
Apollo and ZoomInfo are both B2B contact databases that sales teams use to build call lists, and both hold phone numbers. The differences are in how each is sold and what sits around the data. Apollo adds sequences and a parallel dialer and shows a free plan, while ZoomInfo sells by quote and pushes records into your CRM. This page sets out what each vendor says on its own site.
- From
- Freemium
- Custom quote
- Free plan
- -
- Yes
The short answer
Here is who each of Apollo and ZoomInfo suits best, from what each vendor says on its own site.
- You are a small outbound team or a founder and want lists, enrichment, sequences and a dialer in one login.
- You want to try the product on a real prospect list first, since Apollo's pricing page lists a free plan with no time limit.
- You want a parallel dialer named in the same workspace as the contact database.
- You are a larger sales or RevOps team and need records pushed into Salesforce, HubSpot or Microsoft Dynamics 365.
- You want direct dials and phone numbers listed as part of the database, plus intent data and website visitor tracking for deciding who to contact.
- You are fine buying on a quote, and you want an API and an MCP server for your own tools.
Side by side
| FEATURE | Apollo | ZoomInfo |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Startups, SMBs | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Starting price | Freemium | Custom quote |
| Free plan | Not listed | Yes |
| Billing | Freemium | Custom quote |
| Works with | Gmail, ChatGPT, Claude | Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Outreach, Salesloft |
Key features
- B2B contact and company database
- Waterfall enrichment
- Parallel dialer
- AI assistant and agents
- Chrome extension
- Contact and company search
- Direct dials and phone numbers
- Buyer intent and website visitor data
- CRM enrichment
- MCP server and API
Pricing
A free plan with no time limit sits under the paid plans. Dollar amounts and credit counts for each plan could not be read when the page was checked.
See Apollo pricingNo prices are published. The pricing page says cost depends on features, number of licenses and credit usage, and points to a Get Pricing form.
See ZoomInfo pricingWhere each fits in your calling
Apollo and ZoomInfo sit at the same step of a calling day, so most teams choose one rather than both.
- STEP 1Find the numberBuild the list and fill in mobilesApolloZoomInfo
- STEP 2See who will pick upCheck the list before you dial
Will This Person Answer - STEP 3DialCall the high chance contacts
- STEP 4Log the callRecord the outcome and follow up
Frequently asked questions
We cannot say. ZoomInfo publishes no prices, and its pricing page says cost depends on features, licenses and credit usage. Apollo's pricing page showed a free plan, but no dollar amounts or credit counts for the paid plans could be read when we checked. You will need to look at current figures from both.
Apollo's pricing page lists a free plan that stays free with no time limit. ZoomInfo's pricing page shows a free trial option for its sales plans, and you should ask what it includes and how long it runs. Apollo's is a plan, ZoomInfo's is a trial.
Both. ZoomInfo's sales page lists direct dials and phone numbers among its data. Apollo's site says its database covers more than 240 million contacts and 30 million companies, with phone numbers next to its list-building filters. Neither page says how often a number reaches a person.
Apollo. Its site names a Parallel Dialer as part of the Apollo Workspace. ZoomInfo is a data platform, and its integrations page lists a Dialer Automation category with 22 integrations, so you would pair it with a dialer from another vendor.
ZoomInfo lists native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot and Microsoft Dynamics 365, plus Outreach, Salesloft, Marketo and Snowflake. Apollo's homepage names Gmail, ChatGPT and Claude, and we could not read its full integration list, so check the page for your CRM.
Apollo is the closer fit for a small outbound team or a founder, because one login covers the list, the sequences and the dialing, and the free plan lets you try it. ZoomInfo is built for a bigger buyer, with a quote in place of a price list.
Per ZoomInfo's pricing page, each contact or company profile export costs one credit, so exporting a long call list is a budget decision. Apollo's pricing page did not show credit counts for each plan when we checked, so ask Apollo how exports are counted on the plan you pick.
No. Nothing on the pages we read from either vendor says how likely a listed number is to be answered. They show that numbers exist, which is a different question from whether a person will pick up. Checking the numbers before dialing answers the second one.
Neither has a native link. For both, the route is a CSV export that you upload, or you can send the rows to the API. Only US phone numbers are checked, and the first 250 contacts are free, with no card needed.
Each contact comes back High chance, Low chance or Bad data. Phone the High chance rows from your dialer or call tasks, keep Low chance rows in a multi-channel sequence, and move Bad data and Email & LinkedIn rows to email and LinkedIn only.
Other comparisons
Know who’ll answer
before you call.
Ask your AI tool who on your list will pick up. Every contact comes back High chance, Low chance or Bad data, with the best way to reach them.
No card required. US phone numbers only.