Apollo.io vs Needle
Apollo.io and Needle are both sales engagement & outbound tools. Apollo.io is aimed at small businesses and enterprise, while Needle is aimed at agencies and small businesses. Apollo.io costs less, from $59/mo versus $69/mo for Needle. Both have a free plan.
B2B contact database with sequences and dialer
Outbound engine you run from Claude, ChatGPT or Slack via MCP
| Pricing | Freemium · $59 | Paid · $69 |
| Starting price | $59/mo | $69/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | 7 days |
| Built for | Small businesses, Enterprise | Agencies, Small businesses, Freelancers |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | US · 2015 | DE |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Apollo.io if
Startups and SMB sales teams who need data and outreach without ZoomInfo budgets.
- Data plus engagement in one affordable tool
- Generous free tier
- Fast prospect list building
Look elsewhere if: Enterprises needing highest-accuracy phone data or complex orchestration (Clay + Outreach).
Choose Needle if
Founders, small sales teams and agencies that want to run multichannel outbound by prompting the AI assistant they already use.
- No lead credits or per-lead charges
- Works from the AI assistant your team already uses
- Human approval step before messages go out
Look elsewhere if: Teams that need a large verified B2B contact database or mature email deliverability tooling (Apollo, lemlist, Instantly).
Apollo.io vs Needle pricing
Apollo.io
- Free$0Light usage, limited credits and contact database
- Basic$59/user/mo$49/mo billed annually; email sequencing, core integrations
- Professional$99/user/mo$79/mo billed annually; AI features, dialer, call recording
- CustomCustomCustom volumes, SSO, advanced security, API access
Needle
- Free Trial$07 days, 1 connected account, no card required
- Pro$69/account/mo1 to 10 accounts; unlimited campaigns, inbox and API
- Agency$34/account/moFor accounts 11 to 50; first 10 at $69; white-label
- EnterpriseCustom51+ accounts, custom rates, dedicated deployment
Apollo.io · Key features
- Searchable database with 65+ filters and buying intent
- Email sequences with A/B tests and deliverability tools
- Dialer, call recording and conversation intelligence
- Chrome extension for LinkedIn and websites
- CRM enrichment and two-way sync
- AI research, writing and workflows
Cons
- Mobile number accuracy varies
- Credit limits on higher-value data
- Deliverability depends on your setup
Needle · Key features
- MCP server that runs outbound from Claude, ChatGPT, Codex or Cursor
- Lead lists from LinkedIn, Instagram and Places business listings
- Finds people engaging with competitors' posts
- Multichannel sequences across LinkedIn, Instagram and email with branching
- Per-account daily limits, human-like pacing and sender warm-up
- Suppression of customers, open deals and recently contacted leads
Cons
- WhatsApp and SMS channels are not live yet
- No named CRM integrations on the website
- LinkedIn and Instagram automation can risk account restrictions
Apollo.io vs Needle: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or Needle?
Apollo.io starts at $59/mo and Needle at $69/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Apollo.io and Needle have a free plan?
Yes, both Apollo.io and Needle have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.