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Sales intelligence software · head to head

Apollo.io vs ZoomInfo

Sebastiaan Smits Editor Sebastiaan Smits · Published November 12, 2026 · Updated November 12, 2026

Apollo.io lets a seller start on a free plan and export up to 10,000 leads in one click, with sequencing described on its Basic plan. ZoomInfo is a Nasdaq-listed vendor whose packages are all quoted after a sales call. Individual sellers and small teams fit Apollo; buyers who want a large public vendor and accept a sales process fit ZoomInfo.

Side by side

Apollo.ioZoomInfo
What it isDatabase plus built-in outreach, backed by Sequoia and YCThe largest B2B contact database, quote-only
Best forTeams wanting prospecting data and sequencing in one subscriptionTeams that want the deepest database and can commit to an enterprise sales process
HeadquartersUnited StatesUnited States
Pricing modelFree + paid tiersQuote only
PricingThe vendor states a free Starter plan exists; paid-tier pricing is published on the vendor's own site but was not independently confirmed within this review's research budget.Pricing is not published on the vendor's site; every plan is quoted after a sales call.
Free optionFree planNone stated
List price
as listed on November 12, 2026		Free plan with no time limit; Basic, Professional and Custom prices are not shown on the pricing pageQuote only; no prices published, free trial on Professional and Copilot packages
Place in our sales intelligence software ranking#9 of 11#8 of 11
Websiteapollo.iozoominfo.com

Both are reviewed in full in Best Sales Intelligence Software in 2026. Vendors can pay for more visibility, and commercial relationships can affect which products we feature and how prominently. Placement disclosure.

Which one to choose

Choose Apollo.io if

you want to test the data before talking to sales, you are one seller or a small team, and bulk exports and email sequencing in the same tool matter more than vendor size.

Apollo.io, #9 in the ranking · Visit Apollo.io →

Choose ZoomInfo if

procurement prefers a listed company with disclosed customer counts, you are fine buying through a sales call, and separate packages for sales, marketing and talent suit how you buy.

ZoomInfo, #8 in the ranking · Visit ZoomInfo →

Where they differ

Seeing a price before the sales call

Neither pricing page gives a dollar amount. Apollo names its Free, Basic, Professional and Custom plans but shows no figures, and Custom is priced in a sales conversation. ZoomInfo publishes no prices at all and says cost depends on features, number of licenses and credit usage. A buyer who needs a number for a budget has to contact both vendors.

Edge: even

Starting without a contract

Apollo offers a free plan that stays free with no time limit after a trial, though free plans connect Gmail accounts only. ZoomInfo states no free plan; Professional, Copilot Advanced and Copilot Enterprise carry a free trial button, while Marketing Demand and both ABM packages only offer a demo. For testing the data cheaply, Apollo is the easier start for a seller working alone.

Edge: Apollo.io

Bulk export of contact lists

Apollo states you can select and export up to 10,000 leads in one click, and says higher plans have higher or no record selection limits. ZoomInfo's pricing page gives no export or record limit figures, only that each package includes a predetermined number of monthly credits. Apollo is the one that documents a bulk ceiling a list builder can plan around.

Edge: Apollo.io

Outreach inside the data tool

Apollo describes its Basic plan as meant for individual sellers doing regular outbound, including email sequencing, so prospecting and first contact can sit in one product. ZoomInfo sells sales, marketing and talent packages separately, and its pricing page does not describe sequencing. Teams wanting data and outreach on a single plan can read that more directly from Apollo's page than from ZoomInfo's.

Edge: Apollo.io

Vendor scale and disclosure

ZoomInfo is listed on Nasdaq under GTM and reports 1,921 customers spending $100K or more a year in fiscal 2025. Apollo, founded in 2015, claims 40,000 paying customers, a figure we could not check independently. For buyers whose vendor review rewards a public company with audited customer disclosures, ZoomInfo gives them more figures to cite in a vendor review document.

Edge: ZoomInfo

Credit terms and billing flexibility

Apollo states unused credits expire at the end of each billing cycle and do not carry over, and add-on credits can be bought without a shown price. ZoomInfo says payment frequency is agreed with its sales team and credits can be added to any package as needs change. The two differ in wording, not in anything that favors one clearly, so this round is even.

Edge: even

Tally: Apollo.io 3, ZoomInfo 1, even 2.

When neither fits

Neither is right for a team that must keep contact data inside the EU or needs a stated data storage location. Apollo says it is US-based and may store and transfer personal information in the US and other countries; ZoomInfo's privacy page states no storage location. Cognism is the quote-based alternative to read next.

See Lusha and Cognism among the 11 products in Best Sales Intelligence Software in 2026.

Questions and answers

Does Apollo.io have a free plan?

Yes, Apollo.io offers a free plan that stays free with no time limit after a trial. Free plans connect Gmail accounts only, and the trial includes credits and most features of the chosen plan. ZoomInfo states no free plan on its pricing page.

How much do Apollo.io and ZoomInfo cost?

Neither publishes paid prices. Apollo's pricing page lists Free, Basic, Professional and Custom plans without amounts, and ZoomInfo quotes every package after a sales call based on features, licenses and credit usage. Lusha, by comparison, shows Starter at 49.90 USD a month.

Is ZoomInfo a public company?

Yes, ZoomInfo is listed on Nasdaq under the ticker GTM, changed from ZI in 2025. Its about page gives Vancouver, Washington as headquarters and 1,921 customers spending $100K or more a year in fiscal 2025. Apollo is a private company founded in 2015.

Can Apollo.io export large lead lists?

Yes, Apollo states you can select and export up to 10,000 leads in one click, with higher or no record selection limits on higher plans. ZoomInfo's pricing page gives no export limit, only a predetermined number of monthly credits per package.

Sources

Prices, plan limits and product facts on this page were checked against the vendors' own pages on November 12, 2026. Vendors change both without notice, so treat the figures as of that date.